Fantasticks, The

Released by: Twilight Time
Released on: April 15, 2015
Director: Michael Ritchie
Cast: Joel Grey, Brad Sullivan, Jean Louisa Kelly, Barnard Hughes, Jonathon Morris, Joey McIntyre, Teller
Year: 1995/2000
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The Movie:

The Fantasticks began life as an off-Broadway play in 1960 and ran for 42 years, making it the longest-running musical in history. It was revived in 2006 and continues to run to this day. Based on a play by Edmond Rostand, it concerns two neighboring, widowed fathers who desperately want their children, daughter Luisa and son Matt, to marry. To this end, they've pretended to hate each other, realizing that feuds breed romance between families; now that their children have shown an interest in each other, they can end their pretend feud. The two men hire actors to stage a fake abduction of Luisa that will result in Matt saving her and the two fathers ending their dispute. Things don't work out as planned, however, when son and daughter learn that the abduction was just a ruse, break up, and experience the 'real' world for themselves.

The play made its television debut in 1964, when an abbreviated version aired on NBC's Hallmark Hall of Fame. Yet, The Fantasticks didn't get the big-screen treatment until 1995, with a screenplay from Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt, who wrote the original musical. The script is pretty faithful to the original, with the addition of a traditional setting and a traveling circus sideshow. To some degree, the original story is problematic, given how old-fashioned and, to some degree, silly it is. At the root of the play is the notion that parents are always right, cities are always bad, and children shouldn't want to experience the real world, which is a threat to the family unit. Unfortunately, the film can't escape the moralistic confines of the original, though director Michael Ritchie's attempt isn't without merit.

Because the play was performed on a bare stage with limited musical accompaniment, the film's setting had to be fleshed out. The choice to place the proceedings in rural 1920s America was a smart one; the issues mentioned above seem a tad less problematic in such a setting, where they seem part and parcel to the times. Unfortunately, test audiences didn't take to the film and MGM shelved it for five years. It was eventually released to a few theaters, but only after being shorn of twenty minutes. The result is a film that moves quickly but suffers from editing and pacing issues. It never offers its audience a breather.

Ritchie's direction should not be blamed for the film's inability to find an audience. He and his cinematographer, Fred Murphy, perfectly capture the look of a late 1940s musical right down to the color schemes, sets, and costumes. If it weren't for the familiar faces among the cast (New Kids on the Block vocalist Joey McIntyre, multiple-award-winner Joel Grey, and so on) and the 1990s hairstyles, the film would be entirely convincing of the era it so closely apes. The performances are generally good, and McIntyre and Jean Louisa Kelly acquit themselves well as the young leads.

Whether the film works will depend on the viewers' familiarity with the original play and its songs. If you love the musical, you'll likely love the film even in its truncated form. (And who doesn't at least love grade-school staple “Try to Remember.”) If you hate musicals, then there's nothing here that will convince you otherwise.

Video/Audio/Extras:

Twilight Time's release of The Fantasticks cannot be faulted in any way. The theatrical cut of the film has been remastered in 1080 high definition with an MPEG-4 AVC encode. It's slightly off from its original theatrical aspect ratio, but the framing is in no way compromised. In short, the image is perfect. Colors are bright and gorgeous, so much so that they often replicate the look of an early Technicolor effort. The scene in which Kelly sings a tune out on the farm could easily have come from a film from the late 1940s; Kelly even resembles and sounds like the great Deanna Durbin. Details are never less than rich, with fine detail so sharp that items in the foreground practically pop off the screen. While the image is largely grain free, it never looks unnatural or less than filmic. There's no speckling or crush, and nighttime sequences are just as sharp as brightly lit and daytime sequences.

Twilight Time has seen fit to include the film's original soundtrack in both DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0. Both are fine ways to experience the film, but the 5.1 track is superior. Voices are more distinct, and the songs and sound effects are more directional and dimensional. Both tracks are well mixed, with few of the variables in sound levels that can sometimes make listening to musicals difficult. There are subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired. TT has also included an isolated score track, which is pristine and features none of the anomalies that often mar these tracks.

There are three commentaries, all of which are worthwhile. First up is director Ritchie, who goes into the commentary with prepared remarks; he is controlled and informative, revealing a great deal about the film's production, its stars, various plot points, and changes from the play. There are a few silent spots, but these are very short and minor. The second commentary contains Jean Louisa Kelly, who is interviewed by theater director Bruce Kimmel. Kelly discusses the play, how she came to be cast in the film, and so much more. Kimmel also flexes his knowledge of the play and of theater in general. The commentary is relaxed and easy-going, and there's no hint of competition between the two commentators. Finally, the third commentary contains Nick Redman, who hosts journalist Chris Willman. Willman was commissioned to write a piece about the film during its production, and he has followed its journey in the years since. Willman was a visitor to the Los Angeles set, and his knowledge of the film is second to none. Between the three commentaries, everything you ever wanted to know about the film is revealed.

For those who love the movie but don't particularly like to listen to commentaries, there's always film historian Julie Kirgo's liner notes, which are included in booklet form and perfectly sum up the basics of the film's production history.

Twilight Time has included the film's original theatrical trailer (2:11) and a standard MGM 90th anniversary trailer (2:06).

And this brings us to the gold standard of extras: the original cut of the film, which runs an hour and forty-nine minutes in length. While this version is in standard definition (no high definition master for it exists), it looks quite good and is the version to beat. It begins with a rendition of “Try to Remember” as the carnival pulls into town. From there it unfolds at a more relaxed pace, one that allows for greater character development, more musical interludes, stronger editing, and superior direction. Fans of the film will want to pick up Twilight Time's Blu-ray if only to get this version of the film; everything else feels like an extra in comparison.

The Final Word:

In its theatrical cut, The Fantasticks is an imperfect but wholly watchable film with nice numbers, generally good performances, and terrific cinematography. It's also super sharp and colorful, often looking like a musical that was filmed during the classic period of movie musicals. The sound is great, and there's a nice set of extras that includes multiple commentaries and the film's theatrical trailer. Best of all, however, Twilight Time has included the original cut of the film, and that's the one extra that really sells this limited edition of 3,000 units.

Click on the images below for full sized Blu-ray screen caps!