Grease (1978) Paramount/Musical RT: 110 minutes Rated PG (language, sexual content/references, teen drinking) Director: Randal Kleiser Screenplay: Bronte Woodward and Allan Carr Music: Michael Gibson Cinematography: Bill Butler Release date: June 16, 1978 (US) Cast: John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing, Jeff Conway, Barry Pearl, Michael Tucci, Kelly Ward, Didi Conn, Jamie Donnelly, Dinah Manoff, Susan Buckner, Eddie Deezen, Eve Arden, Frankie Avalon, Joan Blondell, Edd Byrnes, Sid Caesar, Alice Ghostley, Dody Goodman, Sha-Na-Na, Lorenzo Lamas, Fannie Flagg, Dick Patterson. Box Office: $181.2M (US)/$394.5M (World)
Rating: ****
Doubtless, we’ve all seen the 1978 blockbuster musical Grease. I’m sure that everybody and their brother have seen it at least once in their lives. It was one of my favorite childhood movies, probably because it was one of the very few non-children’s movies that I was allowed to see at the theater. I’ll always remember that day during Christmas vacation ’78 when my mother and sister piled all us kids in the car and took us to the old Brookline Theater for a weekday matinee. At the time, I thought it was one of the coolest movies I had ever seen. While I’m sure that we all have fond memories of this flick, I’m not actually reviewing the version we all grew up watching.
I’ll actually be reviewing the recent “Sing-A-Long” version of Grease that hit theaters in the summer of 2010. I had the privilege of watching this new version at the Movie Tavern (Collegeville, PA), and that alone is a unique experience. It’s a movie theater/restaurant combination where you order a meal and the ushers/waiters bring it right to your seat. You can even order alcoholic beverages if you so desire. I didn’t like the food very much, but it’s an interesting concept and a lot of people seem to like it.
It was actually Mrs. Movie Guy 24/7 who came up with the idea of attending this event. She saw something on the Food Network about a similar place in Texas and I told her that we have one right here in the area. We took a look at the website and decided to attend their special showing of Grease. The way it works is simple. Every time the characters break into a musical number, the lyrics appear at the bottom of the screen so the audience can sing along. It’s the first time I ever attended such a movie. They did it with The Sound of Music and it went over pretty big as I recall. In this case, it definitely adds something to the experience. Judging by the enthusiastic audience response, I think many others share my opinion as well.
Although the plot to Grease is already well known, I’ll provide a brief recap just in case there’s somebody out there who didn’t see this movie. Young lovers Danny Zuko (Travolta, Saturday Night Fever) and Sandy Olsen (John, Xanadu) spend a wonderful summer together at the beach, but it’s time for them to part ways. She’s returning to her native Australia and he’s starting his senior year at Rydell High. She worries that they’ll never see each other again, but he assures her that this is “only the beginning.”
At school, he’s the cool leader of a greaser gang called the T-Birds. Yep, greasers! It is 1958 after all. There’s also a group of girls known as the Pink Ladies, led by Rizzo (Channing, Six Degrees of Separation), a girl with a questionable reputation. Unbeknownst to Danny, Sandy’s plans have changed and she’s now attending Rydell. It’s obvious that they still cherish the memories of their summer together and it comes as a complete surprise to both of them when they find out they’re at the same school. It’s not the happiest of reunions as Danny ends up upsetting Sandy by trying to act cool and nonchalant in front of his buddies. Feeling awful about his behavior, he spends a great deal of time trying to win back the affections of the naive good girl.
Meanwhile, his best friend Kenickie (Conway, Taxi) has just bought an old junker of a car, and the T-Birds agree to help him get it in top condition for a drag race against the leader of a rival gang. He’s romantically involved with Rizzo, but they break up shortly after spending a passionate night in the back seat of his car. Later, she worries that she might be pregnant after missing a period. Word of this spreads quickly around school. It’s not the most complex of plots, but it’s perfect for a mindless summer musical like Grease.
An adaptation of the 1971 stage musical (by Warren Casey and Jim Jacobs), Grease became one of the top box office hits of 1978. I can see why. It’s a fun movie. The “Sing-A-Long” version is even more fun because the audience can sing their favorite songs along with the actors on screen. The filmmakers take a “follow the bouncing ball” approach to it. It’s the first time that I ever heard/read the actual words to the songs. I received the soundtrack as a Christmas present from my dear departed Aunt Kay that year, and although I listened to it a lot, I never understood all the lyrics to the popular songs. For example, “Greased Lightning” (my favorite!) contains many references to car parts, and I simply don’t know enough about putting a car together to pick much of it up. Of course, I DID understand all the obscene lyrics. LOL! So much for the innocence of an 11YO. Incidentally, the bad words do NOT appear on screen; instead, there are symbols that clearly illustrate those particular words.
The musical numbers are great. They’re the best part of the movie. It’s pretty awesome to see Travolta and Newton-John dance together on the big screen again after all these years (the last time being its 1998 re-release). I especially enjoyed the “Born to Hand Jive” number. That’s the sequence where the entire school appears on “National Bandstand”. “Summer Nights” and “You’re the One That I Want” are always pretty great. The titular theme song by Frankie Valli perfectly sets the tone for the movie. Old-school heartthrob Frankie Avalon shows up as Frenchie’s (Conn, Benson) guardian angel and urges her to “go back to high school” with “Beauty School Dropout.” Travolta sings of his pain and heartache in “Sandy” at a drive-in movie. Do I need to continue? You all know the songs! It’s also great to see the big Thunder Road drag race sequence on the big screen again. As you can see, I like the “Sing-A-Long” version of Grease very much. However, I have to confess that I still prefer Grease 2. I’d like to see Paramount release a “Sing-A-Long” version of that movie. I know it will never happen, but a guy can dream, can’t he?
I should mention that the “Sing-A-Long” version of Grease carries a PG-13 rating for its sexual content (including references) and a lot of teen smoking. It’s abundantly clear what’s going on between Kenickie and Rizzo in the back seat of his car, especially when he takes the condom out of his pocket and informs her that it’s no good (he bought it when he was in the 7th grade!). There’s also the whole subplot about her possible pregnancy and the bad reputation it gives her. A lot of this went over my head back when I was 11, but it still comes as a complete shock to hear such things in a movie that most parents allow their children to watch. I’m not a prude, and I’m not criticizing the movie, I’m merely making an observation.
In regards to the movie itself, I’d like to say that the chemistry between Travolta and Newton-John is pure magic. They make a great screen couple in Grease. It’s a shame they couldn’t repeat this chemistry in the 1983 bomb Two of a Kind. It’s still hilarious to watch Stockard Channing try to play a high school senior when she looks more like one of the teachers. A 34-year-old senior, just what every high school needs! The faculty of Rydell High is comprised of many classic comedy stars like Eve Arden (The Mothers-In-Law), Sid Caesar (Your Show of Shows), and Dody Goodman (Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman). Edd “Kookie” Byrnes of 77 Sunset Strip fame shows up as National Bandstand host Vince Fontaine. Doo-wop group Sha-Na-Na cameos as Johnny Casino and the Gamblers. It’s a great cast!
Overall, this “Sing-A-Long” version of Grease makes for a fun evening at the movies with friends. My wife and I went with a couple of good friends and we all had a great time! It’s like a toned-down version of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The mere fact that the whole “Sing-A-Long” concept actually adds something to the experience makes it one worth having. It’s much better than converting it to 3D, that’s for sure.
