The Music Man (2003) (TV)

Director:

Jeff Bleckner

Writers (WGA):

Meredith Willson (story) and
Franklin Lacey (story) ...

Release Date:

16 February 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Musical | Romance | Drama

Plot:

Contemporary rethinking of the legendary Broadway musical and 1962 film, updated to reflect a few early...

Plot Keywords:

Broadway Musical | Remake | Barbershop Quartet | Based On Musical | Billiards

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Matthew Broderick	...	Professor Harold Hill
Kristin Chenoweth	...	Marian Paroo
Victor Garber	...	Mayor Shinn
Debra Monk	...	Mrs. Paroo
Molly Shannon	...	Mrs. Eulalie Mackechnie Shinn
David Aaron Baker	...	Marcellus Washburn
Cameron Monaghan	...	Winthrop Paroo
Clyde Alves	...	Tommy Djilas
Cameron Adams	...	Zaneeta Shinn
Linda Kash	...	Alma
Patrick McKenna	...	Charlie Cowell
Megan Moniz	...	Amaryllis
Richard Fitzpatrick	...	Constable Locke
Jenni Burke	...	Mrs. Squires
Marty Beecroft	...	Ewart Dunlop

Runtime:

150 min | USA:180 min (including commercials)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Millbrook, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Storyline Entertainment

Trivia:

Sarah Jessica Parker was at one time going to play Marion Paroo opposite real-life husband 'Matthew Broderick'.

Goofs:

Marian mentions ordering the Indiana State Journal of Education for 1901-1910, but when the book arrives, it's clearly labeled "1890-1910."

Quotes:

Constable Locke: You're quite the clever fellow Prof. Hill, but you made a few mistakes though.
Professor Harold Hill: Oh really?
Constable Locke: Yes, you see, the mayor happens to own that billiard parlor, and that new pool table.
Professor Harold Hill: I see, and what's the second mistake I made?
Constable Locke: That Zaneeta. She's the mayor's oldest girl

Movie Connections:

Featured in ABC's 50th Anniversary Celebration (2003) (TV)

It was...fine.

Well, The Music Man is one of my all time favorite musicals. There were aspects about this one that I preferred to the original and some that I didn't. I have been in the stage version before and I noticed that they made this movie more similar to the stage version than just like the original movie. For example, they put in the reprise of pick-a-little, talk-a-little, etc...

First of all, the casting. I thought that if I hadn't seen the original movie version of this musical I would have enjoyed Matthew Broderick in this role a lot more. I thought he was good, but he didn't hold a candle to Robert Preston's performance as Harold Hill. He wasn't as convincing as Harold Hill as I hoped he would be. Overall, I wasn't impressed with him.

Kristin Chenoweth is definitely someone in this musical that I was impressed with. I really didn't think I would like her in this role, but I think I actually liked her better than Shirley Jones. I knew how well she fit the role of Sally in the new Broadway version of "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" and after that, I was having trouble picturing her as Marian Paroo. I still found her speaking vioce a little annoying and Sally-ish, but I thought she made it work. I think what I liked most about her performance was the change I saw in the character of Marian throughout the movie. I saw the transition from the up-tight librarian to a woman who is a lot looser and not as shrewish. I never saw that in the version with Shirley Jones. I really saw Marian fall for Harold Hill in this version, I don't think Shirley Jones played that up as well as she could have.

A couple complaints I have about this version are the fact that I found the girl playing Zaneeta Shinn pretty annoying and...well...not very good. Her "Ye Gods" was...well...just kind of...blah. I found the dance number of Shapoopi to be pretty weak, also. I thought that Harold and Winthrop's thing was cute and I thought that the Shinns' thing was cute, but where was all the fun dancing?

I don't really know how I felt about Molly Shannon playing Eulalie. I thought Hermione Gringold was perfect in that role in the original movie, but I really had no problem with Molly Shannon in this role. I didn't think she was better or worse, just different. Victor Garber could have been better, though. The role of the mayor is an entertaining role and he didn't really play up the mayor's stupidity as much as he could have. Same for the guy who played Marcellus. He could have put more into it. Buddy Hackett made this role unique and fun. This guy just made it...okay. Not bad, but not very good either.

Overall, I enjoyed the movie more than I thought I would. Mainly because of Kristin Chenoweth. I didn't think this movie was great, but it wasn't bad. It was...fine.