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Meredith Willson's musical masterpiece is such an American classic, itdeserves to be known by each new generation--and this sprightly TV-movie versionspiffs it up nicely for the young folk. It's a testament to Willson'sachievement that this 2003 production can survive a casting flub: the usuallyengaging Matthew Broderick's low-key charm is an exact mismatch for the brassyenergy of traveling salesman Professor Harold Hill. When Broderick sings thewords "thundering, thundering!" from "Seventy-Six Trombones," he sounds asthough he's murmuring, murmuring. But he wears well (especially in a nifty"Marian the Librarian"), and he has lyrical support from Kristin Chenoweth'scrystal-clear singing. Director Jeff Bleckner has a maddening tendency to cutaway from the crucial moment of a scene, but the atmosphere of small-town Iowais ably created. Adding zip is Molly Shannon, hilarious as chief busybody Mrs.Shinn. In short, the "Think System" still works. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (47)

Broderick ruins great production
This is my second review of this movie, and I have found that I have a few more observations. Has anyone noticed how wooden and mechanical Broderick's performance is? At times he sounds like he's reading cue cards, and at others his movements resemble those of a puppet, marionette, or wind-up toy. I kept looking during "76 Trombones" to see if he had any visible strings attached. And that blank face of his shows almost no emotion. It's really a shame that casting Broderick ruined the whole movie, because the production has so many good points. The period small-town atmosphere is superb, Kristen Chenoweth is great, the staging in many of the musical numbers (eg. "Iowa Stubborn", "Marian the Librarian" "The Wells Fargo Wagon") is brilliant. The cast radiates YOUTH and vitality, unlike the original 1962 version, whose shopworn cast looks like its been hanging around on the set for too long. But believe me - as far as Harold Hill is concerned, Broderick isn't worthy to shine Robert Preston's marching boots. Whereas previously we had a MUSIC MAN with superlative Harold Hill and a weak production, now the situation is reversed. So again I say, what a shame.

One final point: "Trouble" looks and sounds all wrong. Hill is here assuming the mantle of an itinerant revivalist preacher; his mesmerizing patter is like a fiery sermon. He is cataloguing rather scandalous behavior for the time, and the townspeople should be reacting with shock. Here, instead of preaching Broderick dances around like an idiot, while the people just stand there. Tell you what, Disney, why not just get a new Harold Hill and run all the scenes with him in it all over again?

A pointless but nicely done film.
The age old question - why remake a classic?
The original The Music Man is, in my opinion, one of the greatest movie musicals ever made (as I outline in my review of it). When I saw that it had been remade I was, at once, horrified and fascinated. What will they have done to improve the original? Could they improve the original? Well, the short answer is they couldn't and they haven't.
My main concern was, and is, Matthew Broderick. Although undoubtably a talented musical theatre performer (I enjoyed his performance on the Producers and the How To Suceed ... soundtracks) he is no Robert Preston, which in my books means that he's no Harold Hill! He seems to suffer from a stiff neck for the duration of the film as he hardly moves his head (maybe it's those high collars!). In some of the numbers he looks positively uncomfortable! His voice is not suited to the role and in numbers like 76 Trombones, shows itself to be very weak. The rest of the cast is good, but not in comparison with their counterparts from the original film.
The saving grace to this production is the direction and choreography. The original film is slightly stagey with it's direction (something I actually find endearing), but this one really allows us to explore River City, Iowa and meet it's residents. The choreography dares to be different from the original and I especially love what has been done with 76 Trombones. The sets and costumes are equally impressive, especially when you consider that this was made for television.
On the whole, an entertaining couple of hours but I would recommend watching Mr Preston in action first. After that, this is at it's most entertaining when reminding you of the original. Which is no bad thing!

Wonderful production, but Broderick is miscast
On the whole, I prefer this 2003 Disney production of THE MUSIC MAN to the original 1962 movie version. The original was full of bright, garish colors that emphasized the cast members' age and made the supposedly turn-of-the-century high school gym look more like the one in WEST SIDE STORY. By contrast, the new version recreates the period beautifully, with muted colors that give the train, the town, the school, and the ice cream parlor the look of an old-fashioned picture postcard. The original version was also quite stagey, while the new one uses subtle camera angles to suggest the unwelcoming quality of the town in "Iowa Stubborn" and to create an almost menacing mood in the opening train number, "Rock Island." "Marian the Librarian," which looked silly in the original, here becomes a delightful "literary fantasy." And the new cast is youthful and fresh, with a Marian (Kristen Chenowith) both ravishing of voice and much more appealing of personality than the original's Shirley Jones. Chenowith's Marian is no uptight spinster but the town eccentric, an independent young woman of intelligence and humor. Disney regular Victor Garber also stands out as a pompous yet likeable Mayor Shinn.
Matthew Broderick, though, is all wrong as Harold Hill. In an interview, Broderick suggested that he wanted to create a more understated salesman than Robert Preston's famous "bass drum." But in fact Broderick's performance is simply boring. I couldn't imagine duller renditions of "Ya Got Trouble" and "Seventy-Six Trombones," for example - and if Harold Hill doesn't "sell" those two big numbers, then he is not Harold Hill. In short, though Broderick has been fine in other, less dominating musical roles, he is miscast as a fast-talking, charismatic "spell-binder."

No match for the 1962 version.
Okay, okay, the 1962 version of the Broadway musical turned film, starring Robert Preston (in the part of his life) and Shirley Jones, super sweet and sexy at the same time and with the voice of an angel, happens to be one of my favorite films of all time. But this version? Forgettabout it.

When I first checked out reviews for this after seeing it in its first TV showing (or seeing MOST of it since, I think I started switching channels halfway through), and checking out if it was available on DVD, I was not only a bit shocked they'd even waste a good blank DVD on it but then have the nerve to charge people to buy/rent it, but by some of the POSITIVE reviews. What movie were these folks watching, I wonder, or is it just self-denial, or perhaps they've never seen the 1962 version, or perhaps they just don't know what "The Music Man" is and should be all about?

Still, I gave it a chance. The opening sequence looks and sounds good, the production values good, but my first clue something was "wrong" here was the presence of an Afro-American traveling salesman. This was just not realistic for the time period or places involved. And when Matthew Broderick (playing Harold Hill) takes his first stroll through River City, Iowa, circa early 20th century, more blacks. Fancily dressed ladies and little kids, all living in racial harmony in 1912 Iowa? Just not realistic. I think I even spotted an oriental or two, and these are not "racist" remarks at all. It's just that this just wasn't the way it was back then. Nowhere in the country back then actually, but especially the time period this takes place in. Egads, give me a break Disney on the over-the-top and totally inappropriate political correctness.

It was only when Matthew Broderick, already early on in the movie exhibiting none of the personality characteristics or mannerisms Preston made famous, started "acting" however, saying words and speaking lines like he were tied to a morphine drip, did I start to wonder, what the heck are they butchering a classic for? I kept watching though and when Ferris started to dance around like an 80 year old and sing lines with almost no real emotion or energy or spirit, that I knew this was going to be bad. Matthews' energy level compared to Preston is like a 40 watt light bulb compared to the spotlight on top of the Luxor in Vegas. He butchers EVERY song. His "Trouble in River City" is without a doubt the worst though I think.

The woman who plays Marion the Librarian, while she can sing well enough, is also a horrible miscast. While she sings like a bird (though not nearly as good as Shirley Jones in the original), her acting is generally poor, forced, and her voice is squeaky and her whole "look" nowhere near what it should be. As others have mentioned, the barbershop quartet guys seem much too young, the mayor of the town is played all wrong, although the stuttering kid (played originally by Ron Howard) is okay.

The production values are really about the only good thing about this movie, but almost everything else is wrong. It's hard for me to remember such a blatant bad job of casting here mainly. Matthew Broderick can act, for all we know, he can sing or dance. But he "acts" and sings and dances throughout without any magic or enthusiasm at all. Change the two leads here at least, and ditch the unrealistic and almost insulting political correctness here, and this might've been something good. Though still nowhere near the 1962 version.

Save your money and buy the REAL version, and make a VHS copy or DVD recording of this next time it's shown on the tube. Imho, there really are no legitimate excuses for trying to remake virtually perfectly done originals. Witness the color remake of "Psycho." This whole project should've sat in the can. And don't they do screentests and tryouts for parts anymore? If Matthew Broderick performed in those as he does here, he would've been nixed by any decent casting director, so whaa happened?

Buy the original or so see a live performance. This mostly does unjustice to Wilson's classic.

The Music Man is a True American Classic - Despite This!
I will admit that I'm prejudice when it comes to Robert Preston. Preston had a limited range as a singer, but more than made up for it with stage presence, knowledge of the character of Harold Hill, and great moves that dominated every scene (and he was in nearly every scene). I would be hard-pressed to find someone who would fill the man's shoes. Still, Matthew Broderick seems uncomfortable in his OWN shoes. His awkwardness and gangly movement is disconcerting for me, the viewer. I kept waiting for him to fall down! I know they cast Broderick to attract viewers with his familiar name and his reputation as a musical performer in The Producers, but it's like casting Ray Romano to play Don Corleone in The Godfather because he's Italian. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

great entertainment!
a great film with laughs, drama, gorgeous scenery and a brilliant soundtrack. White Water Summer is a story of conflict; man against nature and man against man. It is about a city boy, Alan (played by Sean Astin) and four other boys going into the wilderness with their guide Vic (Kevin Bacon). Right from the beginning Alan is suspicious of Vic and so Vic begins to target him, leaving him to cross a dodgy bridge over a 180ft gorge and leaving him hanging off the edge of a cliff.
Bacon makes a fantastic baddie and Astin is, as usual, brillant as a cute geeky Alan who has to grow up fast and protect himself from their psycho tour guide....
this film did not exactly get rave reviews from critics but the key is not to take it too seriously. White Water Summer is fun and great entertainment and I'd recommend it for a good watch anytime!

AWESOME MOVIE!
Sorry ya'll but in my opinion I think this movie is awesome and I think Kevin Bacon looks great as a creepy guy. His character looked creepy in Sleepers. He does a fantastic job playing it! I think he's a good actor but the rest of the guys didn't do a great job but it's still a good 80's flick. If you hadn't seen this movie yet go rent it or buy it. You will enjoy it. It does come on HBO or TNT a lot so you can try to catch it on those channels. Like I said this movie is awesome and it does deserve a 5 star rating!

Last of a Long Gone Era
If you liked Goonies, and are yearning for more 80's style adventure, you'll probably like this film. I like Sean Astin, and in general, I'm a fan of 80's style adventure movies. They weren't serious, pretentious things, like "Bourne Identity" or "Patriot Games". This movie isn't sensationalistic. If you love the outdoors, and liked camping and having adventures when you were a kid, this movie may remind you of your youth. The scenery is great and the music fits well and is actually mixed well as far as levels. Overall it's got pretty good production values. I probably wouldn't turn the lights down, crank up the THX and watch this film. It's more the type of film you watch over and over while doing something else, or while falling asleep. Which isn't to say it's boring, it's more like a comfortable old T-shirt you can wear again and again. It makes me want to go camping, swing from ropes, and play with pocket knives.

An okay action movie
I rented this movie a couple of weeks ago because I remember seeing the ending of this movie on TV so I wanted to see the whole thing. The movie was actually pretty good.

The movie is about a boy named Alan(Sean Astin) who goes camping with Vic(Kevin Bacon) and 3 other boys and Vic is taking these boys out here to teach them the ways of the wilderness. Things start out pretty well but Vic then starts to push the boys too hard, especially Alan. Vic is trying to teach the boys the best he can but his ways of doing it are a bit rough on the kids. Should the kids stay and be tought by Vic, or should they try to go home? him.

I gave the movie 3 stars because some parts of the story were unclear or they weren't very good. But the good points of the movie were the scenery, the music and the action. If you are in to action movies then watch this one!!

Excellent Study of Male Bonding
This is a movie for anyone who remembers the bonds formed with friends, when a camping trip "goes wrong." It is a story of male bonding, and how boys can discover hidden strengths when confronted by adversity. Forget the absurdity of carrying a canoe on a backpacking trip in the mountains (an addition, not in the original script.) The story is in the relationships, and how they develop. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

a subtle movie with Gosset and Mazzello
I just bought this movie after I had seen it on tv. So why buy it? Well I guess it was because of the actors delivering a good performance; Gossett jr. and Mazzello are a safe choice to get energy in the film. This movie tells the story of a small boy who has a hard time getting raised by a father who isn't to keen on black people, let's call him a racist. This reflects on the boy at first but after some dramatic moments he has the insight that blacks are people just like everybody else. The storyline is very thin, but Joseph Mazzello and Louis Gossett jr. lift the film to a good level. Mazzello is adoring in his sorrow and hope. Gossett is a kewl adult, who teaches a kid the basic elements of fatherly love. The film would do a great job on schools as an introduction to prejudice and biggotism. So I guess I can recommend this film to anyone who cares. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Considering the fact that Dean Koontz has written over 50 books, you'd think there'd be more movie adaptations. Perhaps movies like this one, BLACK RIVER, explains it. Koontz is a prolific writer, and even though he's a good genre writer, his stories sometimes take on such ethereal and philosophical tones, they lose their terror. Such as it is in BLACK RIVER. There's nothing overtly frightening, and much of it comes across as laughable.
Disgruntled screenwriter Bo Aikens (played rather amatuerishly by Jay Mohr) decides to chuck it all in LA and find himself a "nice home" somewhere up north. This leads him to a town called Black River. When he walks into the local eatery, he is met by the town's over-effusive mayor (played awfully by Stephen Tobolowsky), who welcomes him to Black River and tells Bo that he will love it there. Of course, Bo is just "looking", and it isn't long before he's being tormented by the town's redneck, offends the waitress, meets up with the waitresses' sister who just pops out of nowhere (they were both adopted and never knew they existed). Seems like good things happen to "good people" and bad things happen to "bad people." Video cameras are everywhere; you have no private moments, and Aikens finds out that he can't leave Black River.
There's an obvious diabolical connection with two local computer companies and by the time we find out their connection, it's so muddled and confusing, it makes little if any sense.
The most believable moments in the film are the very beginning where Aikens loses his beloved pet retriever and tries to find somewhere to bury him. Mohr is convincing in this scene.
It's made for t.v. so it's not the least bit gruesome and the only death shown on screen is pretty funny...electrifyingly so!! ... Read more

Description

This adaptation of John Cheever's famous short story captures with ironic comedy and drama the pathos of middle-aged, middle-class America. At the age of forty, Michael Murphy, a slightly inebriated suburbanite, confronts his mid-life crisis by hurdling over his host's furniture, hoping to recapture the athletic prowess that made him a track star in his college days. Kathryn Walker plays his embarrassed wife who is unable to halt this obsessive ritual, with which her husband tries to hang on to his fading youth and vigor, and prove he's still a man and an athlete. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

i want wbk on dvd now!!!
I too was not around when this show was released. but i love it.. it is classic tv at its funniest. come on if they have punky brewster on dvd this shows should be soo much more funnier to watch

WHAT.....WHERE.....WHEN......
.....will they put this on DVD? Ah mean, it's like so weird dat it aint. Up the studio's nose with a rubber hose if they don't....

Ow, ow, ow!!!!!!
Arnold: Comonnnnnn Mr Kotterrrrr, wouldn't you like to inmortalized in
DVD format ?
Juan: Mr Kotter, this note signed "Epstein's mother" is wet. She will cry until the show is released in DVD.
Vinne: What? WBK in DVD, Where? Here at Amazon, Why? because it will sell millions
Freddy: Release it so we can all go Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.......

Best show ever.
I wasn't even born when the show came out, but I watched it in re-runs whenever I could. This is one of my favourite shows of all time. Great characters, and good comedy.

First Season (1975-76)
I think the first year of this show was the best.John Travolta was still an equal player in the cast and hadn't skyrocketed out of the classroom with his "Saturday Night Fever" and "Grease" movies, and Horshack was still really wierd--which I always thought was hysterical.And those Uncle jokes of Gabe Kaplan's were unforgettable.

Here are the first season episodes--all of which would make for an excellent DVD set.

01 - Welcome Back (9-9-75)
Gabe Kotter starts his new teaching job and meets all the Sweathogs for the first time!

02 - Basket Case (9-16-75)
Freddy 'Boom-Boom' Washington wants to ignore his education for a career as a professional basketball player, but Mr. Kotter intervenes.

03 - The Great Debate (9-23-75)
The Sweathogs try to compete in a debate with the smart kids.

04 - Whodunit (9-30-75)
Rosalie 'Hotsy' Totsie (the late Debra Lee Scott) accuses one of the Sweathogs of getting her pregnant.

05 - The Election (10-7-75)
Vinnie Barbarino runs for student body president.

06 - No More Mister Nice Guy (10-14-75)
Mr. Woodman suddenly turns into everyone's pal, and Mr. Kotter is forced to play their disciplinarian.

07 - Classroom Marriage (10-21-75)
Freddie and Vernajean (Vernee Watson) want to get married.

08 - One Of Our Sweathogs Is Missing (10-28-75)
Juan Epstein loses a fight to school nerd Todd Ludlow.

09 - Mr. Kotter: Teacher (11-4-75)
Mr. Kotter is suspended by the schoolboard for his unusual teaching methods.

10 - The Reunion (11-18-75)
An onld high school friend visits Mr. Kotter.

11 - Barbarino's Girl (11-25-75)
Vinnie starts dating the unpopular girl who's been tutoring him, but he's embarrassed to show her off to his friends.

12 - California Dreaming (12-2-75)
The new girl in class turns all the guys' heads with phony stories about her former life in California.

13 - Arrividerci Arnold (12-16-75)
The Sweathogs miss Arnold after he transfers to a higher level class.

14 - The Longest Weekend (1-6-76)
Mr. Kotter worries when his wife Julie (Marcia Strassman, who wasn't featured enough on the series if you ask me) goes on a vacation trip without him.

15 - The Sit-In (1-13-76)
Mr. Kotter leads the Sweathogs in a protest against the school's lousy cafeteria food.

16 - Follow The Leader: Part 1 (1-20-76)
Freddie replaces Vinnie as leader of the Sweathogs, so Vinnie quits school and moves in with the Kotters, which causes Julie to move out.

17 - Follow The Leader: Part 2 (1-22-76)
Julie moves back home after Vinnie moves out and returns to school.

18 - Dr. Epstein I Presume (1-29-76)
Juan Epstein decides he would like to become a veterinarian.

19 - One Flu Over The Cuckoo's Nest (2-5-76)
A flu epidemic hits Buchanan High School.

20 - The Telethon (2-12-76)
The Sweathogs put on a telethon to raise money for school supplies.

21 - Kotter Makes Good (2-19-76)
Mr. Woodman reveals the shocking truth that Mr. Kotter never completed his high school exams!

22 - Father Vinnie (2-26-76)
Vinine Barbarino tries to honor his dying grandmother's wish by becoming a priest.

Now get these discs out for the public to buy ASAP!!

Signed,
Epstein's Mother ... Read more

Reviews (1)

love the show on the wb
bradin(jesse mccartney)is so hott on the show it is a wonder full show and i cant wate to get the dvds ... Read more