MyMovieTVRomance

This is one of those movies I've seen so many times, I've got it practically memorized word for word - and that's how I know what a big impact it made on me as a kid, all the way to now! And it still hits the spot! Never fails to make me smile and laugh, every time! And that's why it's my favorite!

And I must say, one of the best parts about being a film nerd is discovering that kind of intimacy with a movie, to know it so well that it feels like you own it - not just by owning a copy of it, but like it's yours, like it was made for you, like it's a part of you and it belongs to you! This is one of those movies for me! This is truly MY movie!

One of my forever favorites!

And more proof of how special this movie is to me is that it's got Joan Jett connections! Anything I love the most always turns out to have a connection to Joan Jett!!

The way this movie is connected to Joan Jett Is through its association with Liza Minnelli- her favorite actress. For those who don't know, Liza Minnelli's first professional gig was a supporting role in the 1963 off Broadway revival of the musical that this movie is adapted from. So, there is exactly 20 years between Lucy's movie and Liza's professional debut in the same story! And this connects Joan and me personally, since her favorite actress made her debut in same story that my first ever favorite actress stars in! That is so amazing to me!

Another Joan Jett connection is Nancy Walker, because Nancy, who plays the blind date in this movie, went on to become a part of The Mary Tyler Moore Show cast- a show which Joan grew up watching and being a fan of [She even did a cover of The Mary Tyler Moore Show theme song- and as for me, before I even knew who Joan was, I used to sing the original as a lullaby to my baby sister- it was THE lullaby for her!). So Joan would probably get a kick out of Nancy in this role, just like I do!

And everything comes full circle!

This never gets boring! It feels like the good old days, to me! This is where I live, in my heart and mind. Except In my version of this world, there would've been no bullying, and everybody would've gotten along perfectly well, and any kind of friction would've just been fun or funny. Nothing serious. But somehow, even with the bullying storyline, this still feels innocent, wholesome, and sweet. Not in a modern day way, but in a way that feels very vintage, complete with the old Timey, spinster teacher at school!

To me, this has the kind of idealism of a 1950s sitcom, I.e. Loving parents, a great house, a nanny who loves and cares for you like she's your own mom, and friends who don't seem like they're out to take advantage of you, but just want to be playful kids, rather than wild renegades.

I had such a heartfelt review all typed out for this, and then the page refreshed before I could save it all, so I'm just going to stick to main points this time.

1) The primary element to this movie is asking the question of how to be more loving, and then practicing that answer. How to be true to yourself and loving at the same time. It is a movie about love - but the platonic kind - most prominently, that between a student and a mentor/parental figure. The connection between Harriet and Gully is one of the truest, most heartwarming examples of agape love I've ever seen!

2) Everyone needs a Gully in their lives- and Rosie was perfect in the role!

3) Love how this is such a product of its era yet feels charmingly vintage and about 30 years behind its time too!

4) 1996 was such a fun year for movies- "Mr. Wrong", "First Wives Club", "The Mirror Has Two Faces", "Losing Chase" etc. Quite a few of my favorites. Yay for the Gay '90s!

5) The movie buff in me loves the film festival scene where they were watching a Greta Garbo flick!

6) Jill Sobule did "The Secretive Life" for this soundtrack, and Jill was the first singer-songwriter I ever got into (and she's still my favorite, not counting my Joanie, who is not really classed as part of the singer-songwriter set)! And amazingly, she connects me all the way back to Joan Jett, because she did a stage musical version of the movie "Time Square "- a movie which my Joanie auditioned for, she also wrote a song called "Jet pack" which of course reminds me of Joanie Jett, AND she's friends with Joan's friend, Margaret Cho (Margaret and Jill even did a song together)! So, it's a small world after all, huh?

7) Last, but not least, this movie has some Joanie and me connections too, such as the character named Harrison (my surname), and Gully and Harriet always recite part of Alice in Wonderland before bedtime- Alice being my first name! Also, Sport wanting to be like Cal Ripken Je., my Joanie's friend and player in her favorite baseball team, the Orioles. Also, at one point, Harriet says something so rocks! Joan is not fond of that phrase being used outside the context of music, but that's why it made me think of her haha! And the VHS trailer for this film features the song "Real Wild Child" by Iggy Pop and the Stooges, which Joan covered on his tribute album! That was a WOW! Moment when I noticed that!

Anyway, for all these reasons and more, this is one of the most special movies ever to me, and one that I grew up with but never want to grow out of!

I loved the cameo from Eartha Kitt too. It just Added that touch of surreal, Vintage, sophisticated glamour. Yep, this movie had it all!

My only real complaint is near the end, when Harriet takes over as Editor of her class paper from Marion Hawthorne. I didn't think that was there to Marion, because even though a vote had been cast, they should've let Marion finish her tenure as editor, and then Harriet could've taken over at the end of half semester or something like that. Or perhaps they Could have been co-editors, which would've been a better solution than to just kick Marion off of The job. But I digress.

This movie has a solid place on my list of all time favorites, and I adore it! In fact, I might finally have an honest answer to that age old question, "What's your favorite movie?" now that I think about it. In realizing just how deeply intertwined it is with so much of who I am and what I love, it makes sense that this should be the answer! At the very least, it's one of a very precious few alternating favorites with a permanent place on that list!

R. I. P., Michelle Trachtenberg- you will always be "Harriet, the spy" to me!

The music in this is so delightful!!

If the sound quality and print were restored to "Wizard of Oz" (1939) level of pristine quality, this would be known as one of the best films of the decade! But even in the warn state that it's in now, it is fantastic!

It's a lot of fun to compare this to the 1947 June Allyson remake too, and see what was changed vs. What stayed the same. I am once again coming away with the opinion that remakes are good things, a) because it adds to the appreciation of the original, and b) because everything in the world is inspired by something! There are no truly original ideas, because nothing exists alone- and that's not a bad thing! It's good to draw a line from one thing to the other, learning of its origins. Again, it just adds to the lore and enjoyment of it all!

This was a joy and so was the remake! But this one felt more natural in a way, whereas I felt June Allyson didn't really fit her role in the remake, I had no such qualms with this one. But watching them both in close succession is like a hearty meal, followed by a surprise dessert! Except instead of food, the dessert is bonus music!

There are a few different songs in each, and even those that are the same are performed differently. So it's a real treat that never gets boring!

In terms of musicals, this stands out from many of the earliest Old Hollywood films of the genre, for the way that the songs help drive the story, as opposed to being just confined to a stage. Interestingly though, this musical did originate on the Broadway stage, so the cast and crew did a fine job transforming it to the screen.

Highly recommended- for so many reasons!