Yes, No, Maybe So: "Joyful Noise"
Monday, September 26, 2011 at 1:20PM Warning: I am kind of unfairly in hate with this movie through no fault of its own. I accidentally deleted this entire post after it was all written, photo'ed and scheduled to publish. Argh. In the process of rewriting and reconstructing the likely disposability of it all became aggravating. But I sally dolly forth!
When i hear the rare words "new musical" I immediately perk up. But, given the difficulties of making a good one, the perking-up is chased by a flurry of "who? when? what kind? how so?" panic. Have you even heard of this new film from Todd Graff starring Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah? It's called Joyful Noise. If it's as fun as Burlesque -- which it will inevitably be compared -- than we're in for a treat.
Don't let that screencap fool you. Though this appears to be a jukebox musical in which only already famous songs are sung (argh! the sub genre has replaced its parent genre entirely) Dolly will not be singing the Ultimate Gay Showtune "I Am What I Am" from La Cage Aux Folles even though I could totally see Queen Latifah as George and Dolly would make a great "Zaza".
In fact, I misheard the line. She actually says "I am who I am" to which Queen Latifah mouths back.
Maybe you were five procedures ago."
Um. Ha ha?
Let's watch the trailer and break it down with our Yes No Maybe So™ system after the jump.
YES
- Well Dolly is Dolly whether we're talking five procedures ago or five procedures hence.
- Remember how adorable Keke Palmer was in Akeelah and the Bee? (sorry that I have not seen her work since but I'm not watching those Madea movies.)
- Um... people are singing.
NO
- The jokes such as they are seem altogether predictable and moldy.
- Why must the plot involve a singing competition? Singing competitions are practically mandatory every night of the week on the small screen now and you can watch those for free. Movie musicals should be larger and less reality-show-contest feeling.
- Unless the trailer is constructed really oddly it seems like they're singing Michael Jackson's sentimental 1987 epic "Man in the Mirror" AFTER making the case that they shouldn't be singing old songs. Is "Man in the Mirror" meant to be cutting edge and modern? If so: Yikes.
- I don't want to get killed for this in the comments but Queen Latifah strikes me as a lazy actor, ever coasting on her (considerable) charm.
- Opening in January. UhOh.
MAYBE SO
- The success of this movie -- provided it's not doomed in the script stage -- will totally depend on chemistry. Are Dolly & Queen funny together? Will Jeremy Jordan and Keke Palmer work as the young romantic couple. You can't tell these things from trailers usually.
- Dolly will always be Dolly and the excessive plastic surgery on her is an easier sell than on most celebrities since she's always been a self-actualized cartoon... but how will the new face look blown up on the big screen? Dolly was once a very good actor [She's better than Oscar-nominated Julia Roberts in "Steel Magnolias". Discuss] but if you rest you rust...
- Todd Graff's Camp was kinda fun.
So you tell me: Yes, No, or Maybe So? Are Dolly and Queen Latifah favorites of yours? Have you ever sung in a church choir? Should they scrap this and just remake La Cage Aux Folles?
Previously on "Yes, No, Maybe So"
Dragon Tattoo | J. Edgar | Damon at the Zoo
Dolly Parton, Queen Latifah, Yes No Maybe So, musicals
Reader Comments (20)
Although I am hopelessly devoted to Dolly, I don't expect greatness from this movie, which seems like a Sister Act/Glee mash-up. That said, there will be at least one or two original songs in the film. I caught Dolly in concert a couple months ago, and she played the title track, "Joyful Noise," which she apparently wrote.
Steel Magnolias is well-acted. But I would go so far as to say Dolly does the best actressing of all -- with Sally Field a close second. Of course, I watch the film through butterfly-shaped glasses that obscure all things non-Dolly.
I love musicals, Dolly, Camp, and even Keke...but it's just not a good sign that this post is the first I've ever heard about the existence of this film. And yeah - January? Yikes.
I would've been marginally more interested if they replaced Latifah with Whoopi and just sold it as Sister Act 3. But only if they added a little Maggie Smith...
"Queen Latifah strikes me as a lazy actor, ever coasting on her (considerable) charm."
Not to mention her considerable Beyonce.
lol. i know u didn't
Yeah, I haven't seen this anywhere else so I'll just pretend you somehow convinced all these people to make a fake trailer of a bad movie that doesn't exist.
In the trailer alone we hear them sing songs by Michael Jackson and Chris Brown - maybe their shtick is they only sing songs by scandal-magnet pop stars? Which gives them a deep well to draw from. Looking forward to their cover of "Faith".
What really does it for me (aside from Queen Dolly) is that Jeremy Jordan is staring in this. Come January, the theatre crowd will know him from staring as Clyde in "Bonnie & Clyde: The Musical" and Jack Kelly in "Newsies". So I will probably see this movie for him (and Dolly, of course).
I have to agree on Queen Latifah being a "lazy" actor-not a bad one at all, but a lazy one.
I think that all former Oscar winners and nominees should be required to do a challenging film (mainstream or independent) at least once a decade for as long as they are working. If they refuse, your Oscar nomination automatically goes to Mia Farrow.
No. When I saw the photo of Dolly at the top I nearly hid under my bed (scary monsters!) that said, she has always been a self-made cartoon, and I have to give her props for being able to laugh at herself (the procedures joke, and the Edward Scissorhands joke.)
Other than that - can they stuff any more cliches into the trailer if they tried? (And this is just the trailer, ugh.) In addition to the Sister Act/Glee mash-up Dusty mentioned (and I also thought about both of those immediately), there's also that "losing team/kids from the wrong side of the tracks etc/unteachable kids whom every one else has given up on led to greatness by an inspiring teacher" (insert your favorite example - ad nauseum, ad infinitum.)
I'm sure this has a built-in audience (or two) and might do very very well at the box office - families looking for "entertainment" for everyone, including but not limited to Christian families, plus anyone who is a fan of the aforementioned Glee, etc. I'm curious actually as to whether this will do equally well with blacks and whites or not. (Is it a bold gambit having families of different races face off, only to learn to respect one another, or just another hoary cliche?)
I've heard of this movie before, probably because I frequent music boards (especially those concerning R&B/Hip Hop artists). I'm a little excited for it, because I am a fan of Keke Palmer, but I'm not expecting anything great. Keke's done some pretty good work since "Akeelah and the Bee" such as her Nickelodeon series (which just ended) "True Jackson, VP" as well as supporting roles in indie films ("Shrink" w/Kevin Spacey, "Cleaner" w/Samuel L Jackson). I haven't caught her performance in that one Tyler Perry movie, but I hope that w/the end of her TV series, she'll have time again for another great leading role.
About Queen Latifah, I do think she's comfortable in these comedic roles (because she was so good in "Living Single"), I would like to see her do more drama. That HBO film "Life Support" was pretty good, as well as her turn in "The Secret Life of Bees." Perhaps it's a case of there not being anything worthwhile offered to her?
Nat, I took the "old songs" remark to mean old GOSPEL songs, not "Man in the Mirror."
That said, this looks exceedingly cheesy...too cheesy for even my tastes.
@JohnT, I think that idea about nominees (and Mia Farrow) is brilliant. Let's implement that!
Danny and Johnny -- hear hear. I'll co-sign it.
Jeremy Jordan is probably why I won't see this in theaters. I don't think he's a particularly great singer. I hate what I've heard of him in Newsies, I hate what I've heard of him in Bonnie & Clyde, I hated him in West Side Story and I despise that awful riff he does in the canyon/natural rock formation in this trailer. It sounds like a goat is being kicked in the utters before slaughter. He swallows every note trying to alter the sound of his voice and it drives me nuts.
I was a YES since this was first announced a year and a half ago. Now I've seen it...and I'm still a YES. The moment Dolly sang, my ticket was bought.
It saddens me because I know Queen Latifah is capable of much more. :/
And wtf is this hot mess of a movie? Lol.
hells yes. a mess waiting to happen, and in a wonderful way. this will require lots of alcohol, but it looks like a drinking game waiting to happen.
on the latifah tip, i'll echo the comments about lazy. between set it off, living out loud, and chicago, she proved her considerable charisma was just part of the arsenal. and everything since (pizza hut included) has been to bely that potential. and monique has surpassed her. go figure.
as for todd graff, sure camp was light and whatnot, but it's one of those movies that almost always gets a look when its on. so i give him full ability to deliver a rote musical full of cliches and a warm fuzz at the end.
and then there's dolly. i could give two padiddles about her ridiculous plastic surgery, she's extremely compelling as a screen presence and is fully aware of her camp requirements when she needs to turn that on.
i can't wait!
This will be a HUGE hit in January when audiences are looking for a feel-good movie. The trailer makes you want to stand up and cheer. A YES for me.
It's like a Ghetto Glee..with a little Sister Act in the mix. I'm just glad they didn't call it 'Joyful Noize'.
This reminds me of Glee. & I hate Glee. But I like Queen...
Yeah, I won't see this.