This is a movie with a plot woven around a bunch of ABBA songs. The plot could have as easily been woven around a “Maury Povich Show” since it involves a young woman who is about to get married but doesn’t know who her father is. And in a refreshingly modern twist her mother doesn’t know who sired the daughter either. But she has only three possibilities!
Now they could all go on with Maury, get the D.N.A. test and have done with the whole matter but, since that wouldn’t take even Maury Povich two hours to sort out there is some sort of other contrivance at work to provide a backbone to the film and give us an excuse to sing, dance and cavort to all those catchy ABBA tunes again. I think everybody on the planet, if they gave their response by secret ballot, could name an ABBA song that they really like.
Apparently this was quite popular as a stage musical. And as plots for musicals go, this one isn’t even all that weak. If you overlook the D.N.A. testing angle. But here’s what I just don’t get. Do we really need another way of celebrating slags? Isn’t the continuing notoriety of Madonna enough?
I read today that one in three American women has been pregnant at least once by the age of 20. And the film is rated PG-13 “parents are strongly cautioned” that kids under 13 shouldn’t see it. Well, okay but who’s going to talk to the ones between 13 and 20 who are okay to see it and tell them that getting pregnant by you-only-have-a-vague-idea-who isn’t a good idea. It’s not the stuff of musicals.
But you want to know what I thought was funny about all this? Next to the PG-13 rating is another little caution. “This film contains depictions of tobacco consumption.” Yup. We’ve got a one hour and 48 minute tribute to all the cool things that can happen if you’re lucky enough to have unprotected sex with three cool guys but the warning is because somebody consumes tobacco.
This has to be the funniest planet in the universe. Mamma Mia!
