Is The Prom the best film ever? No. Is it a light-hearted film with catchy songs? Yes.
The film follows the lesbian teenager Emma (Jo Ellen Pellman) who wants to take her girlfriend Alyssa (Ariana DeBose) to her school’s prom. Following the ban, four struggling Broadway actors (Nicole Kidman, Andrew Rannells, Meryl Streep and James Corden) pick up Emma’s cause in order to revitalise their careers and change the public perception of them.
When the film was announced, and subsequent trailers released, I was amazed at the star-studded cast. This includes Meryl Streep (Mamma Mia, The Devil Wears Prada), Nicole Kidman (Big Little Lies, Moulin Rouge) and Andrew Rannells (The Book of Mormon original Broadway cast), as well as Ryan Murphy as the director (Glee, Pose, American Horror Story). With a cast and crew as amazing as this I knew I was in for a treat.
The film is a great representation of the LGBTQ+ community with the story being one of gay celebration as well as the two main characters being played by LGBTQ+ identifying actresses. The downside of the film is James Corden’s performance.
Corden fails to stand out among the better performances of his peers as he gives a very one-dimensional rendition when compared to the rest of the cast. The film has a total run time of two hours and twelve minutes which is a long and enjoyable watch. However, I thought some of this time could have been dedicated to a couple of subplots. Barry Glickman’s (Corden) mother has not accepted him as gay until a call is made but the reunion (for me) fails to reach an emotional climax due to the lack of build-up, as well as Alyssa’s mother accepting her daughter as gay which is tackled in the last twenty minutes of the film.
However, despite its flaws I find the film to be an absolute joy to watch. The musical numbers are delightful, my favourites being Dance with You, Love Thy Neighbour and It’s Time to Dance. Although some say it’s cheesy, I adore the extravagant numbers as they evoke feelings of glee. The happy ending is also bound to leave you with a smile on your face (sorry for the spoiler!). Furthermore, the rest of the cast give great performances and help give the film a boost.
Overall, the film is a fun watch which is a great pick me up for a down day. If you can get past Corden’s performance, it’s definitely worth a watch!
Image Credit: flickeringmyth.com
