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BWW Column: Five Things About... the JERSEY BOYS Movie
By: Matt Tamanini Sep. 04, 2015
As part of my 366 articles in 366 days challenge, I will occasionally be taking a look back at movies that have theatrical roots and connections, in a series called "Five Things About..." These won't necessarily be reviews, since most of the movies will have been out for a year or more. Instead, it will just be my random observations from watching, or rewatching, the film; some substantive, some silly.
Today, I am kicking off the series with "Five Things About the JERSEY BOYS Movie," a film that I failed to see in the theater because all of the horrendous reviews Clint Eastwood's direction received. Released in June 2014, the movie tells the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. Based on the Tony and Grammy winning musical of the same name, the film adaptation went through a number of iterations during development. Initially Tony-winning playwright, and celebrated TV and movie scribe, John Logan was to pen the screenplay and Jon Favreau (of ELF, IRON MAN, and SWINGERS fame) was slated to direct.
As things often do, changes were made and legendary song-and-dance man (kidding) Eastwood was brought on to direct, with original book writers Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice credited with the screenplay.
1) He's Directing JERSEY BOYS?
I didn't get around to seeing JERSEY BOYS on stage until the national tour came through Atlanta in 2011, almost six years after it debuted on Broadway. I had nothing against the show, in fact every time that I saw the cast perform on TV or here on BroadwayWorld I was entertained. I mean, who with any semblance of a heart doesn't enjoy The Four Seasons' music? However, each time I would travel to New York, it just never seemed to make it to the top of my show priority list.
So, when I finally saw it as part of the Broadway Series at the Fabulous Fox Theatre, I was thoroughly and completely surprised by just how deep, nuanced, and (most importantly) fun the show was. In my opinion, it is physiologically impossible to walk out of JERSEY BOYS without a smile on your face.
Therefore, my most pressing question about the movie adaptation is, "How in the world did they make this into an ungodly boring film?" I'm serious, a show that is so full of energy and uses such a bright, colorful palette is transformed into a lifeless, grey, melancholy exercise.
Obviously, the person I blame for this is Eastwood. Other than MYSTIC RIVER, I have never loved his directorial style, but despite his accolades, who thought Dirty Harry would make a good musical director? I can't think of a single film that he has directed in the past two decades that had a single laugh in it, let alone an 11 o'clock number.
I know he has movie musical experience form 1969's PAINT YOUR WAGON (don't worry, that will be the subject of a future "Five Things"), but this is the guy who carried on a semi-coherent conversation with a chair at the Republican National Convention; and his all-too realistic performance in GRAN TORINO cemented him as Hollywood's ultimate no-fun, "Get off my lawn" guy.
I understand that his involvement in a project still brings some gravitas, but I can't help but think that this film was doomed to fail as soon as he signed on to direct. Per his style, he played down the fun and played up the gritty, Mafioso, juvenile delinquent aspects of the story, and ultimately, I think it robbed the movie of the stage show's greatest strengths.
2) Did Telsey do the Casting?
One thing that I will give to Eastwood is that I appreciated that he fought to have the main roles played by actors who had experience with the musical on stage. John Lloyd Young obviously won a Tony for playing Frankie Valli on Broadway, so while I can't imagine that the experience of seeing him on film was comparable to that of seeing him on stage, I was glad that I got the opportunity to experience it in one form or another.
Likewise Erich Bergen had played Bob Gaudio and Michael Lomenda had played Nick Massi at various times during the First National Tour.
While it was more shocking when it didn't happen in the heyday of movie musicals, it is rare nowadays to see stage stars have the opportunity to recreate their roles in movie musical adaptations. So, for that (and that alone), thumbs up Mr. Eastwood.
3) "They're Putting Walken in a Musical Again?
Now, don't get me wrong, I love Christopher Walken as much as the next red-blooded American movie fan; the "gold watch" monologue from PULP FICTION is one of the most amazing cameos in movie history; but I don't understand how this 72-year-old one-time dancer has become Hollywood's go to guy for musical adaptations.
Actually, I do understand it, and we have Fatboy Slim to blame:
Like everybody else in 2001, I was mesmerized by the completely random video for Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice," and the then-57-year-old Walken soft-shoeing up a storm in an abandoned hotel. Before this, I only knew him for playing soldiers, mobsters, and crooked politicians, but since that video, he has opened up and shown us the funny, goofy side of Walken (need I say more than, "I've got a fever,"?), which is something that I normally love. However, even though Gyp DeCarlo in JERSEY BOYS doesn't require any singing, he still feels out of place in musicals to me.
After his magical dancing (and flying) in the Fatboy Slim video, Walken has played Wilbur Turnblad in the HAIRSPRAY musical movie, Gyp in JERSEY BOYS, Hook in PETER PAN LIVE!, and in next year's live-action remake of THE JUNGLE BOOK, he will play orangutan King Louie (coincidently the film is being directed by Favreau). The film will feature songs from the original animated version, and new tunes by Richard M. Sherman, but there has been no word as to whether Louie will be scatting in this update or not.
So, I love Walken, he is one of America's most eclectic actors, but quit with the musicals Chris; the movie-going public will thank you.
4) Am I a Clown?
I don't know if anyone else does this, but in nearly every conversation that my brother and I have, eventually one of us will end an argument by looking something up on either BoxOfficeMojo.com (JERSEY BOYS did a respectable $67.5 million in worldwide grosses, by the way) or CelebrityNetWorth.com. Now, I am pretty confident in the information that I get from Box Office Mojo, as they site their sources, but I honestly have no idea how accurate the information on Celebrity Net Worth is; so take the rest of this with a standard sized dose of internet-related salt.
Towards the end of JERSEY BOYS (both the play and the movie), Tommy DeVito mentions that at the time his fourth-wall- breaking monologue is taking place, that he had become so financially destitute that he was now on the payroll of actor Joe Pesci (who is also a pivotal supporting character in the story). It is a little meta that "Tommy DeVito" is the name of Pesci's iconic character in GOODFELLAS.
This of course made me curious, so, I pulled up Celebrity Net Worth and saw that Pesci is worth $50 million, and DeVito is now worth $20 million. DeVito has given interviews in which he talks about cleaning houses in Las Vegas until just before JERSEY BOYS became a hit, and that it took years after that before he could convince Pesci to take him off of his payroll, so I'm not questioning the accuracy of that part of the story, I just think that it's incredible the highs and lows that have happened in this man's life. In fact, I could see a sequel. How do you feel about Joe Pesci as Tommy DeVito in VEGAS MAN?
5) What Might Have Been?
As I mentioned above, at one point, Favreau was attached to JERSEY BOYS. Perhaps it is because I am more in the SWINGERS generation, but I really wish he had stayed with this project. Favreau has made a career on fun movies that have the ability to veer into serious topics without losing their sense of humor. Look at SWINGERS, or MADE, or how he balanced the action and the humor in the first two IRON MAN movies. After seeing Eastwood's attempt, I can't shake the feeling that Favreau's version of the film would have maintained far more of the vibrancy and excitement that cased audiences to fall in love with JERSEY BOYS in the first place.
What did you think of the JERSEY BOYS film adaptation? Let me know in the comments below, or on Twitter @BWWMatt. If you want to follow along with my "366 in 366" articles, you can check out #BWW366in366 on Twitter. Also, don't forget to follow @BWWMoviesWorld on Twitter and Like us on Facebook for all of the latest TV news, reviews, and recaps.
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