Reviews

Really, what can one say about this little TV-movie to expresses its greatness? Along with "A Charlie Brown Christmas," "The Great Pumpkin" is a Peanuts masterpiece. The kids are just as we love them best - witty, precocious, adorable, sweet, and frustrated! Everyone should grow up watching this movie: Charlie Brown getting rocks in his bag, Linus' unwavering belief in the Great Pumpkin, Sally's calls of "Sweet Baboo," Lucy...being Lucy. All these superb comic elements blend to create one of the best holiday specials - or not even just for the holidays! - in history. If you've had the misfortune to never see this great piece, please go find it and watch it! You'll enjoy it no matter what your age. Have fun!

Okay, I'm one of the biggest and most loyal Marilyn fans, but this movie sucks. Her character is at times cute but not nearly as cute/lovable as her other "dumb blonde" roles such as The Girl in "The Seven Year Itch." I do not like Yves Montand or his character - sorry to go with stereotypes, but he is the "Dirty Frenchman," spying on her, finding out her address and personal information, twisting things to get her affection, being cloyingly (and not convincingly) sweet to "win" her...And as far as theplay that was going on...okay, though I loved the number, what does "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" have to do with the play's supposed point? And if you'll notice, Yves is not very good at anything, even after all those people try to help him sing, but funny, etc. Yet they keep him on the play when Amanda's boyfriend is doing all the rehearsing for the Jean-Marc character. So does he have teh part or not? And if not, why is her still there?! Nothing in this movie fits with what it's supposed to be doing! I've read that Marilyn did not like this role, and neither did I. She may "have a heart of gold," and all those other cliches, but the character is just dumb (despite her going to night school - she should get her money back). Like I said, I love Marilyn but...even she saw how absurd this film was! If you're interested in Marilyn's best "dumb blonde" characters, I suggest you go see "The Seven Year Itch," "Some Like It Hot," or "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" with its superb "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend" song (though her character in this movie is not really dumb...go see it, you'll know what I mean.)

Let me say first that I love this movie! I'll give you a brief summary since I've noticed one is missing. Scott Hastings is a champion ballroom dancer, but he is tired of dancing the same boring steps as everyone else. He wants to dance his own steps, but when he does so at a competition, he loses the trophy, his partner, and everyone in the ballroom world wonders what his problem is. Fran - just Fran - is a beginner who boldly and bravely tells Scott she wants to be his partner and dance his steps, his way at the Pan Pacific Grand Prix, a competition Scott has been working toward since he was six years old. Scott takes a chance on her, and as Scott's overbearing mother Shirley, teacher Les and ballroom friends speculate about his not having a partner, Scott and Fran work in secret. Fran, always referred to as an "ugly duckling," begins to change her appearance as she works all this time with Scott, who at first tells her that the rumba is "the dance of love, but it's pretend" to try to ward off any amorous feelings. Of course, the two do begin to have feelings toward one another. However, before the two can try out and become real partners, a mix up ensues and Scott has Tina Sparkle, a Pan Pacific champion, as a partner. I won't give this part, my favorite, away so I'll just say Scott and Fran are back as partners and are being taught the "Paso Doble," a Spanish dance by Fran's Spanish father and grandmother. However, a "secret" from Scott's parents' past makes him once again dump Fran as his partner, but he finally realizes winning doesn't matter - it's dancing his steps with Fran that does.

The dancing is great, my favorite scene being Scott and Fran's secret dance behind the curtains. It's very sweet, but not like most modern cinema where the audience is drowning in sap. And there's not the obligatory breakup scene between the two lovers. You know - the huge blowout, leading to an in-your-face over-the-top lovefest at the end. Scott and Fran never even come out and say, "I love you," but the audience knows and we feel that warm glow as we fall in love too, with the film. Scott's kid sister Kylie is adorable, giving out clever and funny one-liners. Scott's mother is hilarious as are Liz, Scott's original partner, Wayne, Scott's friend and fellow competitor, drunk Ken Railings and all the rest of the ballroom folk, who are obsessed with their ballroom dancing world. The beginning is like a documentary of ballroom dancing and it too is very comical. The film seems to make fun of ballroom dancers but it's in a good-natured way. Parts of the film are ridiculous but that's why it's so fun! This is one of my top ten films and I recommend everyone to watch it!