This is a remake of the classic musical The Music Man (1962). It is faithful to the original with strong performances by Matthew Broderick and especially Kristin Chenoweth (who I was first introduced to as Olive Snook on Pushing Daisies—now I see her everywhere). The supporting cast (Victor Garber, Molly Shannon, Debra Monk) does a fair job but aren’t as likable as the originals. Matthew Broderick is no Robert Preston but is charming enough. The songs, music, and dance numbers are arguably the main attraction anyway and those do not disappoint. Overall, it’s a decent remake and a movie the entire family can enjoy, although I do still prefer the original.

The Music Man (2003) (Netflix)

The Music Man (1962) (Netflix)

Comments

1. rik on 2008-03-18 21:30:34 wrote: you know, it’d be really hard to beat the original music man…i grew up on that one. =] i haven’t seen the remake, but i do like matthew broderick, so i think i’ll eventually have to check it out (probably late at night, after my wife has gone to bed…she just doesn’t get the music man). thanks for the review!