The Prom (2020)

Film: The Prom (2020)

Stars: Meryl Streep, James Corden, Nicole Kidman, Keegan-Michael Key, Andrew Rannells, Ariana DeBose, Kerry Washington, Tracey Ullman, Jo Ellen Pellman

Director: Ryan Murphy

Oscar History: No nominations

Snap Judgment Ranking: 3/5 stars

It goes without saying, but 2020 has been an awful year.  We have spent much of it in isolation (if we cared about those around us), and as a result it's been a lonely year (compounded by a bitter election, a rocky economy, and the constant fear of loved ones coming down with Covid, & the fears that came when they inevitably got it).  The movies have reflected this.  Without the presence of good-over-evil blockbusters (which were all saved for 2021), most movies that have been released this year have been depressing, oftentimes dealing with heavy subjects; there was one critically-acclaimed one I made it through 30 minutes of yesterday that I literally had to turn off because I just couldn't deal with more sadness (I may still get back to it if I feel I'm missing in my year-end lists).  So even with the mixed reviews, I was genuinely excited to indulge in The Prom.  I love musicals, and I love many people in this cast, but really I just wanted something happy to watch for a few hours, and something new.  The Prom is featherlight & has problems, but it delivers if you just want a cotton candy distraction for two hours, and it's a generic crowdpleaser that I recommend trying if you're doing a socially-distant screening this Christmas.

(Spoilers Ahead) The movie is about a young lesbian teenager Emma (Pellman) who cannot go to her prom with her secret girlfriend Alyssa (DeBose), but it's really about four Broadway performers who come to her town to help her get to go to the prom...and in the process get some good publicity for their flailing careers.  The two leads are Dee Dee Allen (Streep, doing at least a semi-fictionalized version of Patti LuPone, let's be real here), and Barry Glickman (Corden), an openly gay actor who is always just out-of-reach of proper critical acclaim.  They choreograph numbers to convince the town, along with eternal chorus girl Angie (Kidman) and former TV star Trent (Rannells), that being gay is okay, and in the process they become better people, confronting old demons & moving on to new chapters in their lives.

The plot is pretty thin, and I'm not saying this just because it's directed by Murphy, but it feels like an extended episode of Glee (which, if you've read this blog a long time, is not a problem for me-I liked the first few seasons of Glee).  Everyone other than Kerry Washington's Mrs. Greene (Alyssa's mother) and a team of Abercrombie-ready bullies is open & accepting, and by the end they all join with Emma in their prom.  The musical numbers are flashy, fun, & "Tonight Belongs to You" is the big showstopper it should be (this must have been a blast to watch onstage-this should do good numbers if it tours).  The script has tons of plot holes (biggest of which is why, exactly, everyone knew Emma was taking a girl to the prom in the first place), but musicals always have plot holes-people are literally singing & dancing for no reason-so this isn't a big problem.  And The Prom feels like a musical that is genuinely happy to be a musical, resisting most winks to the musical-averse in the crowd.

The casting, though, is a bit of a mixed bag & for a while threatens to take the movie off of its track.  Streep is delightful, hammy, and not stretching herself at all (though, really, when was the last time Streep properly "stretched" herself rather than just coasting on her Grand Dame reputation), and Kidman/Rannells are fun if one-dimensional.  But oh lord is James Corden bad in this movie.  I don't even have the collective allergy that the rest of the internet has to Corden (I have liked skits on his show, and I think he does have decent comedic timing even if his recent movie roles feel like he's become a "meet my asking price & I'll do it" sort of actor in the vein of Nicolas Cage).  But his mincing, stereotypically gay performance is the sort of thing you expect from 1990's cinema, and it definitely feels gross coming from a straight man (the part on Broadway was played by openly gay actor Christopher Sieber).  I'm not someone who subscribes to either the school that straight actors can't play queer characters, nor that all queer characters need to redefine stereotypes, but...come on here.  Corden's acting is bad (you understand that when Tracey Ullman comes onscreen & is so much better she nearly knocks him offscreen), and it's deeply offensive, and I struggle to understand why someone (cough Ryan Murphy cough) didn't put that together during an audition.  The role is basically begging for Tituss Burgess to play it (he'd be perfect), and Corden's performance is so wrong I spent much of the film wincing when he came onstage.  If you can get past his work, this is a fun, entertaining ride...but I would understand if you can't.