DVD Description
The delirious sight of Meryl Streep leading a river of
multigenerational women singing "Dancing Queen" is one of the high
points of
Mamma Mia!, the musical built around the songs of
the hugely popular pop group ABBA. The plot sets in motion when Sophie
(Amanda Seyfried,
Mean Girls), daughter of Donna (Streep),
sends a letter to three men, inviting them to her wedding--because
after reading her mother's diary, she suspects that one of them is her
father. When all three arrive at the Greek island where Donna runs a
hotel, Donna flips out and finds that passions she thought she'd laid
aside are coming back to life. But let's face it, the plot is not the
point--it's a ridiculous contrivance that provides an excuse for the
characters to sing the massive hits of ABBA. Regrettably, first-time
film director Phyllida Lloyd (who directed the original stage
production) has drawn over-the-top performances from everyone involved,
even Streep; every production number hammers its exuberance into your
eyeballs. Which is too bad, because
Mamma Mia! is a rarity: A
middle-aged love story. The kids start things off, but the story is
really about Streep and the three guys (former James Bond Pierce
Brosnan, former Mr. Darcy Colin Firth, and Swedish star Stellan
Skarsgard), as well as Donna's best friends (Christine Baranski, best
known from the TV show
Cybill, and Julie Walters,
Calendar Girls).
It's a romantic comedy aimed at the people who were around when all
these songs were new, and that's an age group Hollywood largely
ignores. For that alone,
Mamma Mia! deserves to find an audience.
The
Mamma Mia! gift pack includes:
*Hardback journal and pen
*Sing-along option
*Feature commentary with director Phyllida Lloyd
*A behind the scenes look at the making of the movie
*The 'Gimme Gimme Gimme' music video
*Deleted scenes including the deleted musical number 'Name of the Game'
