by Shane Conto
Who is ready for another new project from Ryan Murphy on Netflix? I hope you are because The Prom is here! You can watch the trailer for Murphy’s new film and know in two seconds that it is one of his projects. The color is lively and the production design is full to the brim with style. The visuals just…POP. Take the cinematography of a talented photographer like Matthew Libatique and combine it with Murphy’s vision and you get a visual treat. But does the rest of the film match it?
One thing is for sure, the music in The Prom is an absolute blast from start to finish.
This musical came from the original concept by Jack Viertel and turned into a hit on Broadway. The film delivers hit song after hit song such as “Changing Lives” to “It’s Not About Me” to “It’s Time to Dance”. You have songs that feel Menken-esque and even one particular jam called “Zazz” that will get all the Fosse fans excited. Whenever there is a musical number going on, there is plenty of energy and excitement to go around. But that is were one of Murphy’s biggest issues comes into play. The film has a poor handle on pacing as the scenes not featuring music do not match the energy and subsequently drag the film down. At 135 minutes, The Prom certainly has its moments that lose the audience’s attention.
Another one of the hallmarks of Murphy’s works that rears its ugly head in this film is the tendency to skate across the surface.
Does The Prom introduce meaningful and relevant issues? Well…yeah. The film is about a PTA group in Indiana stopping a young lesbian woman from going to prom. But does the film ever truly confront the depth of the issues it introduces? That unfortunately is a whole other story. There are moments that should be really meaningful and pact emotional weight but they feel so clean. The characters feel like a pack of cliches and stereotypes, especially the head of the PTA who is just a walking collection of conservative talking points. For a film that takes on such relevant issues, you would hope it would really bite into the issues and dig deep.
The Prom is not such a film.
Then you have the cast. Probably should get the elephant in the room out of the way…James Corden. Corden definitely acts “gay” in a very stereotypical way that makes him come off as a caricature instead of someone who has been through deep trauma (as the story reveals). Streep is being Streep and she delivers buckets of charisma in her performance as a Broadway diva. Her performance of “It’s Not About Me” is deliciously fun and delightful. Andrew Rannells is the ace-in-the-hole as he delivers fabulously. Kidman feels tacked on for most of the run time…until she gets to SHINE with her companionship with our young protagonist and her Fosse musical number “Zazz”. Keegan-Michael Key and Kerry Washington feel wasted with their one-dimensional characters. The biggest sin of the film is not spending nearly enough time on the young woman, Emma, that the film is about. Jo Ellen Pellman is a star-in-the-making with her vibrant and wonderful performance (the best in the film) along with her closeted lover, played by Ariana DeBose.
But the final question should really be is The Prom worth the over 2 hours it will take for you to stream this film?
I believe that this is a tale of two audiences. Do you love musical theater and get a kick out of music? You will probably enjoy the ride then (like I did). Are you not a musical type of movie fan? Then this one is definitely not your bag. Which one are you?
Grade: C