Mamma Mia - oy vay!

I love ABBA - I have had a fondness for ABBA since I was little when my Dad *mistakenly* (I believe) received 10 records of the latest rage from a Columbia House type place - which included Blondie and ABBA. It was the early 80s.

Ever since then, I have enjoyed ABBA and really enjoyed the show, Mamma Mia. So imagine my excitement when I found out they were going to produce a film for Mamma Mia. The movie premiered this past weekend and I was going into it with none of the love I previously had for ABBA. Why? Because as Pierce Brosnan was making the rounds of the talk show circuit, they kept showing the same clip - it was him and Meryl Streep singing 'SOS' and when Pierce opened up his mouth to sing, 'When you're gone, how can I even try to go on...' my jaw hit the floor - it was bad.

But I still wanted to see the movie - my love for ABBA just couldn't keep me away. Needless to say, I didn't go into the movie with high hopes and as a result, that was a good thing. Oh, I still sat there singing along with the songs, like I did at the show - but I think the casting was just a little unbelievable - both age wise and singing talent wise.

Let me break it down for you:
The daughter, Sophie, is getting married and is 20 years old. Her Mother, Donna, was young and wild when she had a tryst with three men that could be her daughter's father. Because Donna was very apprehensive about Sophie getting married at 20 and didn't want her to make the same mistakes she did, you have to wonder at the very least, Donna should be 40 years old. At the oldest, Donna could also be about 45 years old. So we're looking at a Mom between the ages of 40-45. That does not fit the Meryl Streep bill (sorry!).

Christine Baranski's character was best friend to Donna, a fellow ABBA lover and supposed to be the 'Kim Catrall' of the bunch - the cougar. I like Christine Baranski - loved her in Birdcage. But a cougar? Not in my opinion. She might, or might not, have had work done and she is in phenomenal shape, but the thing is that she looks a little plastic and older than her 40s. In reality, she's 56 years old. Casting Kim Catrall might have been a little more believable.

And then we move to the singing talents. Surprisngly, Meryl Streep had a good voice for the ABBA songs. When I saw the show, I almost cried when the actress portraying Donna did her solo for 'Winner Takes It All.' It was so powerful and so moving. Regretfully, I was not moved by the movie version - but it was definitely passable.

Then we have Pierce. Pierce Brosnan is a handsome man - he's a fox! But a singer he is not. Although I didn't do much of it, a few people in the theater broke out into laughter and giggles whenever he opened his mouth to sing. When they had a close up of Pierce singing, you're just looking at him like 'C'mon - he's James Bond....he shouldn't be singing ABBA.' I commend him for trying and learning how to sing but they should've found an equally handsome actor, slightly younger in age, with a good voice (Gerard Butler, perhaps?).

All in all, I wasn't completely disappointed because it is a feel-good movie. You just can't listen to ABBA without tapping your feet and singing along (like me). But because it was fronted by Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks, it almost became a 'Whose Who' of their friends they could stick in this movie rather than a more age and talent appropriate casting.

I recommend sticking with the show - it was much more enjoyable and they ENCOURAGE singing along!