GreaseLooking back on those high school days is bound to leave at least some degree of nostalgia. Grease is a musical romantic comedy, adapted from the stage play of the same name, a story about two young kids in love from different sides of the tracks. There is Danny Zuko (John Travolta), the leather clad member of the school gang calling themselves the "T-Birds", and there is Sandy Olsson (Olivia Newton-John), a transfer student from Australia, a good-natured girl who doesn't drink or smoke. The two lovebirds shared a summer romance, and are reunited once more in the halls of Rydell High School.
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Grease is a movie all about nostalgia; even if you didn't dig high school, even if your memories of it are lackluster, there are things which embody that time and place which do stick in your psyche and recall at least a wistful iota of a time gone by. As such, while Grease was made in 1978--with the original stage production created in 1971--it is a tale of the 1950s, a time which no doubt was one which evoked nostalgia for the original audience of the musical. The opening titles are an animated short, peppered with iconic imagery from the era, bold flashes of the time to set the tone. Grease is primed with lots of imagery from the period, in the clothes, the cars, and a good deal of the music; Frankie Avalon even appears as a guardian angel. Places like the malt shop called the Frosty Palace are regular stops for the kids, and offering a promise ring is a sign of trust between two kids "going together". Superficially, Grease may appear to be a cliche depiction of high school, but these elements call back to that spiritual style and feel more than reality. What is interesting is that while Grease showcases a variety of period-accurate music, the original music for the film has a distinctly Seventies vibe running through it; take for instance the title track, "Grease", performed by Frankie Valli, written by Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees. The effect gives the music both a nostalgic element as well as a contemporary one (for the time), uniquely merging the two. Like many teenagers, Danny and others' perceptions of romance and maturity have been molded in part by movies. The opening montage of Sandy and Danny's summer romance is deliberately shot to recall From Here to Eternity, as the two youths discover themselves and their tender feelings for one another on their own. And the "Thunder Road" race between Danny and Leo (Dennis C. Stewart) of the rival gang, the Scorpions, is an unmistakable nod to the famous chariot race in Ben-Hur.
If Grease were solely hinged on nostalgia, it wouldn't be enough to entertain; but Grease is driven by the toe-tapping, memorable music which permeates the film. Nearly each song is more than just a melodic set piece; they also convey a deeper insight into the characters, as many of them fulfill the same kind of introspective reflection of a monologue. Most of the music has to do with the teenagers trying to come to terms with the new feelings about love and sexuality they are experiencing, and what they really want out of life as they reach the threshold of adulthood. Sandy sings the wistful "Hopelessly Devoted to You" as she contemplates how Danny had rudely dismissed her after Betty Rizzo (Stockard Channing), local bad girl and leader of the "Pink Ladies", reunited the two out of spite, anticipating Danny--her former boyfriend--and his reaction. It is one of the most heartfelt songs in the entire soundtrack, performed by the exceptionally talented Olivia Newton-John, one which was not even originally part of the stage production. Danny has a similar song, aptly named "Sandy", where he pines for his love after having been stranded at the drive-in, which between his misguided efforts to impress his friends and awkwardly try to show his affection, Danny ends up only pushing Sandy away further. Even supporting characters have songs which give justification to their attitudes, like when Rizzo is forced to address the tough, bad girl mask she wears in "There Are Worse Things I Could Do", following the rampant gossip spread about her being pregnant. And when Frenchy (Didi Conn) regrets her decision to leave high school for an ill-fated excursion into cosmetology, the aforementioned Frankie Avalon appears to persuade her to go back to high school in "Beauty School Dropout". Other songs embody the verve and enthusiasm of youth, like "Greased Lightnin'", where the T-Birds try to fix up a busted up wreck for their fellow T-Bird, Kenickie (Jeff Conaway), so he can race at "Thunder Road", and Danny encourages them, citing that the sweet ride will score them plenty of "chicks". As is perpetually a focal point for adolescents, image seems inexorably bound to what people believe them to really be. When Danny and Sandy both remark about their "Summer Nights", they do so independently to the girls and the boys, both telling very different testimonies, but inside, we know they are feeling the same thing, missing one another desperately. The ending to Grease always strikes me as one of those shockers when Sandy takes the field, positively electrifying the senior carnival, leading into the fantastic duet between her and Danny, "You're the One That I Want". Everyone remembers Sandy's outfit, but few recall that Danny was just as ready to change for her as she for him. In the end, it's less that they change but that they are willing to compromise because they love one another genuinely; that makes the conclusion so satisfying, ensuring Sandy and Danny will always be together.
Recommended for: Fans of a charming musical recalling the feelings of growing up, about dealing with the challenges that come with pursuing what you really want out of life, and a film with no shortage of musical selections recalling a time gone by.
If Grease were solely hinged on nostalgia, it wouldn't be enough to entertain; but Grease is driven by the toe-tapping, memorable music which permeates the film. Nearly each song is more than just a melodic set piece; they also convey a deeper insight into the characters, as many of them fulfill the same kind of introspective reflection of a monologue. Most of the music has to do with the teenagers trying to come to terms with the new feelings about love and sexuality they are experiencing, and what they really want out of life as they reach the threshold of adulthood. Sandy sings the wistful "Hopelessly Devoted to You" as she contemplates how Danny had rudely dismissed her after Betty Rizzo (Stockard Channing), local bad girl and leader of the "Pink Ladies", reunited the two out of spite, anticipating Danny--her former boyfriend--and his reaction. It is one of the most heartfelt songs in the entire soundtrack, performed by the exceptionally talented Olivia Newton-John, one which was not even originally part of the stage production. Danny has a similar song, aptly named "Sandy", where he pines for his love after having been stranded at the drive-in, which between his misguided efforts to impress his friends and awkwardly try to show his affection, Danny ends up only pushing Sandy away further. Even supporting characters have songs which give justification to their attitudes, like when Rizzo is forced to address the tough, bad girl mask she wears in "There Are Worse Things I Could Do", following the rampant gossip spread about her being pregnant. And when Frenchy (Didi Conn) regrets her decision to leave high school for an ill-fated excursion into cosmetology, the aforementioned Frankie Avalon appears to persuade her to go back to high school in "Beauty School Dropout". Other songs embody the verve and enthusiasm of youth, like "Greased Lightnin'", where the T-Birds try to fix up a busted up wreck for their fellow T-Bird, Kenickie (Jeff Conaway), so he can race at "Thunder Road", and Danny encourages them, citing that the sweet ride will score them plenty of "chicks". As is perpetually a focal point for adolescents, image seems inexorably bound to what people believe them to really be. When Danny and Sandy both remark about their "Summer Nights", they do so independently to the girls and the boys, both telling very different testimonies, but inside, we know they are feeling the same thing, missing one another desperately. The ending to Grease always strikes me as one of those shockers when Sandy takes the field, positively electrifying the senior carnival, leading into the fantastic duet between her and Danny, "You're the One That I Want". Everyone remembers Sandy's outfit, but few recall that Danny was just as ready to change for her as she for him. In the end, it's less that they change but that they are willing to compromise because they love one another genuinely; that makes the conclusion so satisfying, ensuring Sandy and Danny will always be together.
Recommended for: Fans of a charming musical recalling the feelings of growing up, about dealing with the challenges that come with pursuing what you really want out of life, and a film with no shortage of musical selections recalling a time gone by.