Two Excellent Movies You Could See Over and Over and Not Miss a Beat

My Fair Lady - 4 Stars (Excellent)tragedies of our time is a dearth of musicals;
The 1964 musical My Fair Lady is one of the bestthank goodness for the arrival of Chicago in 2002.
movies ever made, earning 12 Oscar nominationsThe Phantom of the Opera - 4 Stars (Excellent)
and winning 8 Oscars, including Best Picture, BestThe release of The Phantom of the Opera in
Director (George Cukor) and Best Actor (Rex2004 was such an exciting event, bringing this
Harrison) among major awards.great play to film so millions could see the
Only Mary Poppins (with 5 Oscars) and Chicagoexcellence of this masterpiece, which garnered
(with 6 Oscars) has had more nominations (13)only 3 nominations and no Oscars at the
than My Fair Lady, and only West Side Story hasAcademy Awards. No matter.
more Oscars (10) with 11 nominations. CabaretPerhaps the earlier success of Andrew Lloyd
earned 8 Oscars with 10 nominations. OutstandingWebber's musical composition of The Phantom of
company to say the least. Personal favorites ofthe Opera, based on the novel The Phantom of
mine also include Camelot and Fiddler on the Roof.the Opera by Gaston Leroux, was too successful
My Fair Lady finds a professor of phonetics,to give the movie version much acclaim.
Henry Higgins (Rex Harrison), entering into aAndrew Lloyd Webber's musical opened in London
wager that he can take an illiterate, uneducatedin 1986 and in New York in 1988 and still runs
flower girl from the wrong side of town andtoday as the longest running Broadway musical of
make her into a sophisticated lady, and does byall time. It has become the highest-grossing
correcting her speech, grammar, carriage, bearingentertainment event of all time, selling 80 million
and charm to create a perfect lady for Londontickets and generating a worldwide gross of $3.3
society.billion, topping the best-grossing film of all
My Fair Lady is a must see with some of thetime-Titanic-by $1.3 billion.
best lyrics and music ever written by Alan JayThis Phantom of the Opera movie has it all: a
Lerner and Frederick Loewe. This Broadwaystory line, plot, great writing, great presentation,
musical by Lerner and Loewe would become aand even better music and lyrics.
movie with Audrey Hepburn as the CockneyA cast of unknowns was used; there is no
flower girl Eliza Doolittle alongside Rex Harrison.headliner, but the female lead (Emmy Rossum as
When the professor gloats over his triumphantChristine) is attractive and, much more important,
victory, his perfect lady walks out on him, leavingan opera singer who can actually sing without
the professor mystified by her ingratitude. In thehaving her voice dubbed in.
end, he realizes his feelings for Eliza, and sheSome reviewers panned this movie because the
tentatively returns, a happy ending that was notbad guy (Gerard Butler as The Phantom who lives
part of George Bernard Shaw's original playunder the opera house) is not ugly enough. With
Pygmalion.this mentality, the actress who wins the next
The Broadway play, My Fair Lady, opened in 1956Oscar for female lead will have to have a perfect
in New York with Rex Harrison and Julie Andrewsbody and perfect face to win. Sometimes,
in the role of Eliza Doolittle, and ran for 2,717common sense prevails, otherwise, Meryl Streep
performances, a Broadway record at the time.would never have garnered 12 nominations and
With such a great heritage and Rex Harrison intwo Oscars.
the movie (he did win the Oscar for Best Actor),This Phantom is not perfect, but it is very well
this is a truly great film with a marvelous score,done, and the music could not be better. There
and great acting that gives us an absolutelyare so many great songs (as it is with all great
heartwarming story.musicals); and I loved the voice of Emmy
See My Fair Lady with your children at home, andRossum. See this film when you can, you will be
give them a wonderful introduction to culture andbetter for the experience.
breeding in the process. One of the great