 
Mamma Mia!a.k.a. “Mamma Mia! The Movie”MPAA Rating:
 for some sex-related comments.Reviewed by: Misty Wagner Very Offensive
Moviemaking Quality:
½Primary Audience:
Adults, Teens
Genre:
Musical, Romance, Comedy
Length:
1 hr. 48 min.
Year of Release:
2008
USA Release:
July 18, 2008 (wide - 3,000 theaters)
 
Relevant Issues
 Should I save sex for marriage? Answer What are the consequences of sexual immorality? Answer  Is formalized marriage becoming obsolete? Answer
“A mother. A daughter. Three possible fathers. Take a trip down the aisle you'll never forget.” Mamma Mia is the film version of the incredibly successful Broadway show of the same title. Comprised entirely of Abba songs, Mamma Mia tells the story of Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) and her quest to find out who she is. Our opening scene shows Sophie mailing away three wedding invitations to three men. The next scene reveals that it is now the day before Sophie’s wedding and she is confessing to her bridesmaid’s that she has a secret. She tells the story, or rather sings the story, of how she never knew who her father was. Upon sneaking a peak at the diary her mother kept over the year that Sophie was born, she has now it narrowed down to one of those three men. On a whim, she admitted, she invited all three of them to the wedding. Surprisingly, all three of them accepted and were on their way. Naively, Sophie believed that one look at her true father would reveal that piece of something she was missing all along. So simple, she thought. In all actuality, what ensues from her scheme is the resurrection of her mother Donna’s (Meryl Streep) long ago broken heart, hurt and distrust from her groom, (Dominic Cooper) and an immense amount of Chaos and confusion for herself. Along for the chaotic ride of unanswered questions are Sam- (Pierce Brosnon) Donna’s one true love, Bill- (Stellan Skarsgard) her hippie rebound affair, and Harry (Colin Firth) her deep and musically bohemian fling… PositiveSophie’s claimed difficulties, due to a lack of a father growing up, are a very real and important hurt. So often Hollywood glamorizes the single parent, and it’s refreshing to see it at least acknowledged as an issue. (Of course, this isn’t an attack on single parents either.) In fact, as a single mother, Donna truly does demonstrate unconditional love. Having come from a family of legalism, Donna’s own mother wouldn’t help her when she ended up pregnant. Instead, Donna gave up her music career to raise her daughter as best she could. I especially liked that the three potential fathers, (Harry, Bill and Sam) were complete strangers upon coming to Greece for the wedding, but by the end of the film are closely bonded as friends. Considering the reasons they were there, I thought this was a beautiful testament to how we can (and should) make the most of our circumstances- however awkward or grim. A very strong emphasis was put on the importance of life long friendships, regardless of the way life’s currents change. Donna’s best friends pulled through for her, despite their living on an entirely different continent. Once upon a time the three of them had seemed to have everything in common, but as time passed, now they couldn’t be more different. Yet, bonded and connected they were. NegativeOh… Where to begin? I won’t list every possibly offensive detail here. It truly would give up the majority of the film and make this a twelve paged review. There is no nudity. I will give it that. And, actually, except for a few cleavage shots, the wardrobe in this film was impressive. Through a large portion of this movie, Sophia is only dressed in a bathing suit. EVEN SO, it is one of the most modest suits I’ve seen in a movie, in a long time. HOWEVER- the sexual implications, references or suggestive gestures are woven through the film almost from start to finish. Despite this, the profanity is kept fairly mild. One of the potential fathers, it turns out, is gay. There is absolutely no respect for the covenant of marriage. The entire underlying theme of the film is love, emotion and feelings. In the non-glitter clad version of reality, this exact scenario could prove devastating. It could potentially destroy the heart of the child and alter the lives of the mother and possible fathers. I realize this is only a story, but we see it in the world all around us- paternity tests, afternoon talk shows and fatherless children. I just felt that, perhaps, it treated a very real and common scenario a bit too carelessly. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this film. Once a cast full of talented and respectably actors was revealed, even the biggest skeptic couldn’t help but be even a little intrigued. Despite the cast, and their obviously energetic and committed performances, I was disappointed. Perhaps part of the appeal to so many is the cheesy dialogue and barely woven story line. I am willing to allot that as a possibility. I, however, wasn’t impressed. From a film quality perspective, the cinematography often stooped to immature levels. There are several scenes where the blunt contrast in shots is alarming and sloppy. I lost track of the times that the background, props or scenery seemed to look unbelievably cheap. There was a minimal amount of flow from scene to scene, and an almost contradictory tone on more than one occasion. I found the entire film lacking class. I understand the need for tongue-in-cheek humor, gaudy accessories, and even a large portion of the humor- but even so I found the film tasteless and unimpressive. The only time I really enjoyed this movie, was during the credit sequence. There was an element of fun there that could have made the rest of the movie a bit brighter, if the filmmakers had cleaned up the technical angle of things… Violence: None / Profanity: Mild / Sex/Nudity: Moderate See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.   Comments below:
Positive
Positive - I didn't expect to like this movie, but I really did. it was colourful and fun and made me want to sing along. I really enjoyed watching the friendships between the characters and watching sophie realise that to find that 'missing part' she needed to know herself better. Positive - Mama Mia is the most fun to be had at the movies. Great music,a wonderful piece of filmmaking,not to mention a marvelous cast,such a polished and enjoyable film,no offensive language,sexual scenes,violence,such masterfully crafted music,fun songs, such energetic and colorful performers,not to mention beautiful shots in Greece. Such 'gusto' is performed by all,such great natured comedy, smiling,laughing,dancing,that's what 'Mama Mia' is all about. There was one partial nudity scene,approx. a 1/4 of a second you see a man's buttox, that is really the only scene I would mention to 'warn' other Christian's, other than this one scene,no bad language,I simply cannot wait til' the movie comes out on DVD, I even took my mom who was going through a rough time, she too is a strong Christian,she said it's the BEST movie she's seen in years, we need MORE musicals like this! Positive - If you love ABBA music you will love this film. It's all about the music. You will be singing along if not out loud at least silently in your head. Neutral
Neutral - This is a movie multiple generations of women can enjoy. My twenty something daughter, my eighty plus mother, and I thought it absolutely fun beyond belief. I didn't care for the sexual overtones or Bill's tatooed backside, but I have come to realize that unless the movie is specifically geared towards Christians, there is going to be something offensive. I'd say the movie ran 85% fun (I laughed till I cried for 'Dancing Queen'), with the remaining 15% being the 'oh, well, that's the secular point of view--let's get past it, please.' So, I'd lean more towards a positive in my neutral rating. Movie Critics
“…Frantic pace deflates musical’s charms.…” “…By turns entertaining and excruciating, ‘Mamma Mia!,’ the jukebox musical that strings together 19 ABBA hits on a narrative thread flimsier than dental floss, had me smiling and wincing, often at the same time.…” “…Is there anything Meryl Streep can't do? ‘Mamma Mia!’ (* * * out of four) is worth the ticket price just to see her belt it out, jump up and down on a bed, dance in platform shoes and slide down a banister. She not only can carry a tune, but her version of the overwrought ‘The Winner Takes It All’ is surprisingly moving. Her chemistry with co-star Pierce Brosnan is palpable. Streep and the rest of the cast appear to be having the time of their lives.…” “…This is a CHICK flick.… Chameleon like, Ms. Streep becomes an entirely new person with each role, while still injecting her own persona into the different characterizations. She’s witty, she touches the soul, and always fun to watch. …Several bawdy moments, mostly in the songs, with the ladies making sexual remarks and a couple of times using inanimate objects as phallic symbols.…” “…What starts as a young girl's longing for a family she's never known, ends up being a jaded lecture on how conventional families, wisdom and morality are all just downright silly and antiquated concepts.
Older women need not mature and learn from their mistakes, just party-hearty and strut your stuff, Mamma Mia! maintains. Poor moral choices don't really have consequences. That's your mother talking. It all works out in the end. Whatever your particular sexual bent or gut-centered desire, go for it. If you wanna shack up and sail away instead of saying ‘I do’ and ‘I will,’ well, just do it. We'll all strip off our shirts, sing and dance, follow our hearts and it'll be A-OK. (Or maybe that's ABBA-OK.)…” “…the movie is broad, brassy, often overdramatic and about as subtle as an elephant in harem pants. …the play-to-the-back-of-the house overacting and hollering of lines that may work onstage, especially from Sophie's bridesmaid pals, borders on painful on the big screen. …‘Mamma Mia!’ succeeds on its trip to the big screen because it knows exactly what it is and has no ambitions beyond offering an island escape with some high-energy tunes playing on an endless loop to fuel the good times.…” “…You can have a perfectly nice time watching this spirited adaptation of the popular stage musical and, once the hangover wears off, acknowledge just how bad it is.…” |
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