Month O' Musicals: Oklahoma!

Vital Stats:
Year: 1955
Director: Fred Zinnemann
Stars: Shirley Jones, Gordon MacRae, Gloria Grahame, Rod Steiger, Eddie Albert, Gene Nelson, Charlotte Greenwood
Choreographer: Agnes de Mille
Songwriting: Rodgers & Hammerstein

Summary:
Set in Oklahoma territory, it's a simple tale of cowboys and the women they love.

Memorable Moments:
The sweet ballad "People Will Say We're in Love" and the dance to the fun "The Farmer and the Cowman" are both great, while the auction scene is an especially nice mix of comedy and drama.

What I love about it:
Another title with an exclamation point! "Chicks and ducks and geese better scurry..." The highly entertaining secondary love story between all-or-nothing Will Parker and the girl who can't say no, Ado Annie. Gordon MacRae's gorgeous singing. And Aunt Eller.

I can't decide if I want a relative like Aunt Eller or if I just want to be her. There is something so appealing about being an old woman able to say and do whatever you please, including pulling a gun on someone and making him sing.

Some of my favorite examples of Aunt Eller's wisdom:

"Why don't you grab her and kiss her when she acts that-a-way, Curly, she's just aching for you to, I bet."

"Let's not break the law, let's just bend it a little."

"You've got to get used to having all kinds of things happening to you. You've got to look at all the good on one side and all the bad on the other side and say well, all right then, to both of them."

and of course "I don't say I'm no better than anybody else, but I'll be danged if I ain't just as good!"

Month O' Musicals: That Thing You Do!

Vital Stats:
Year: 1996
Director: Tom Hanks
Stars: Tom Hanks, Tom Everett Scott, Johnathon Schaech, Liv Tyler, Steve Zahn, Charlize Theron, Ethan Embry, Giovanni Ribisi
Writer: Tom Hanks

(While not a film musical in the classical sense, there's so much music in it that I'm including it in my Month o' Musicals.)

Summary:
One-hit band The Wonders journey from obscurity to fame and back again with fun nods to the various musical styles of the 60s along the way.

Memorable Moments:
The catchy title song is played so repeatedly it's bound to get stuck in your head for a while after watching.

The first time the band members hear their song on the radio captures the excitement perfectly.

What I love about it:
Exclamation point in the title. Glimpses of Chris Isaak, Rita Wilson and Peter Scolari. But most of all, Steve Zahn. Who is Steve Zahn?


"Are you crazy? A man in a really nice camper wants to put our song on the radio! Give me a pen, I'm signing, you're signing, we're all signing!"