Christmas Under the Stars (2019)
How in the world was Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square awarded the Emmy for Best Picture (in television)? It was absolutely atrocious! Had it not had her name on it, anyone who received the script and libretto probably would have tossed it in the garbage, where it belonged. I’m a huge fan of musicals, but having written three of them myself, I’m also a bit more critical than the average viewer. It took all my strength to watch this movie through to the end, and I only did so for one reason: Treat Williams. Unfortunately, he had a very small part and only sang one song, “Keeper of Memories,” the one song that wasn’t irritating. It was also the only song with a hummable melody. Why do modern musical songs have tunes that sound like the singer is tone deaf and improvising? When Will Ferrell sang, “I’m singing, I’m in a store and I’m singing…” in Elf, it was supposed to be funny. He wasn’t supposed to be performing a quality song from a stage musical.
What happened to Dolly Parton? How is it possible that the same creator of these terrible “songs” is the same woman who wrote “9 to 5” and “Hard Candy Christmas”? Perhaps she didn’t write them but was merely attaching her name to the vehicle to help a very untalented friend. Unless you love modern musicals like Wicked and Waitress, with songs that require the performer to have neither talent nor an ear for music, stay very far away from this musical. The story is trite, the screenplay saccharine. Debbie Allen’s direction is over-the-top, her choreography is campy, and everyone in front of the camera (besides Treat, of course) is desperately trying to reach the back row. If all musicals were this bad, I’d never want to watch another one again.
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. The opening number has a very active camera that swirls around the performers, and that will make you sick. In other words, “Don’t Look, Mom!”
More Christmas movies here!
What happened to Dolly Parton? How is it possible that the same creator of these terrible “songs” is the same woman who wrote “9 to 5” and “Hard Candy Christmas”? Perhaps she didn’t write them but was merely attaching her name to the vehicle to help a very untalented friend. Unless you love modern musicals like Wicked and Waitress, with songs that require the performer to have neither talent nor an ear for music, stay very far away from this musical. The story is trite, the screenplay saccharine. Debbie Allen’s direction is over-the-top, her choreography is campy, and everyone in front of the camera (besides Treat, of course) is desperately trying to reach the back row. If all musicals were this bad, I’d never want to watch another one again.
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. The opening number has a very active camera that swirls around the performers, and that will make you sick. In other words, “Don’t Look, Mom!”
More Christmas movies here!