Review of The Prom (2020) by Megomike — 03 Feb 2021

The prom is the story of a theater troupe on the heels of yet another critical failure. As the opening night reviews come pouring in, it becomes clear to each of the cast members that their rapidly descending fame is circling the drain.

It is suggested that they perform a good will gesture somewhere in the world in order to improve their PR, and hopefully resurrect the show and their careers. They choose the story of a young girl in Indiana being denied the opportunity to attend her prom with her lesbian lover, and set off immediately to make things right, as only actors can.

It is, in fact a full musical on the scale of Mamma Mia, absent the beautiful scenery. And the humor. And memorable music. The movie takes place largely in a school gymnasium, with some external home and mall settings that aren’t terribly inspired in their design.

The story shows an intense amount of promise, in terms of cultural relevance, and sadly the script is somewhat insulting in its simplicity. The most disappointing aspect of the movie is that although it is a musical, and very much so with easily more than 80% of it consisting of song and dance numbers, the music itself, and to a lesser degree the choreography, is nothing special.

That such a lofty endeavor falls so flat with so much potential is an uncomfortable disappointment all through the movie. However, as a full artistic piece, it still holds much value, and the detriments listed above while disappointing, do not damage a beautifully messaged love letter to conservative America one bit.

The script is at times boring. There was not one original piece of humor written in the entire show. But while I never laughed, at many points I found myself smiling at the warmth of the story, a very worthy story indeed.

There is humanity behind the cardboard masks, delivering truths from the mouths of entertainers we trust. It is a story of multi-sided acceptance and generosity. Ultimately, the play that masquerades as a movie brings us into the hearts of many characters at different ages, experiencing the tragedies of intolerance, in ways that are meant to help the next youngest broken heart.

The song “Love Thy Neighbor” very clearly presents the message missed by many hyper-conservatives that we don’t just get to pick our sins. The tragedy of this song is that it is comprised of some of the most inspired lyrics trapped within some of the most pedestrian music with bland choreography in a mall setting that rarely exists any more.

Most of the music is precisely that, tragic misses diminishing good messages. Still there are a few other standout pieces including a much-needed early number “Just Breathe,” by Emma, and the ending number “Just Dance” which is actually quite good, but with an energy better suited to an opening number.

There is so SO much singing in this movie, more care should have been taken to ensure that more of the music was significantly more special than “better than average,” which is the best that can be said for the score as a whole.

But finally, in a turning point in the movie, Emma goes online and streams herself singing “Unruly Heart,” eventually joined in by the numerous marginalized children of the world that fall outside of the conventional molds.

This is by far the most beautiful of all the music, especially given its place in the movie, and could even be good enough for a Best Song nomination. And it is Jo Ellen Pellman who gives the most believable performance as a teen suffering inexplicable social banishment, as well as romantic disappointments and crises of courage.

The grace and patience directed toward her oppressors are an inspiration for how heroes overcome unreasonable odds. It may not be enough for an Oscar nod, but this is a star in the making. While Meryl, James, and Kerry do their best to serve the message, it is pretty clear that they are being themselves in roles simply designed to move conversations forward, and that’s okay.

Nicole Kidman comes closest to giving a performance out of the zone, but even then the script limited her. Still, the message they share is beautiful, with a lot of understanding towards those that fear or do not understand gay love, and that is the true strength of this movie.

It has the theatrical chops of an old 80’s Afterschool Special, but the warmth and understanding of one as well. It is a love letter to LGTBQ children in the midst of doubt, confusion, shame or fear, that they are truly loved, and are worthy of that love.

I give The Prom 3.5/5 stars and recommend it for anyone with an open mind needing reminders of how we are meant to judge others different than we are, and even more for anyone discovering emotions that fall outside their family norms, experiencing that judgement.

This ridiculous bag of musical hope is probably just what the world needs.