MovieChat Forums > Mamma Mia! (2008) Discussion > Embarrassing

Embarrassing

posted 9 years ago by neslover89
15 replies | jump to latest

I was 17 when this movie came out. I saw it around that time and loved it. Now I'm 25 and saw it again after all these years. I gotta say...it's downright terrible. I'm a fan of Meryl Streep, Baranski, and Brosnan, but this movie is an embarrassment to their careers. I mean seriously, it's not funny, they can't sing, Baranski and Streep are 50 year olds dressing and acting like immature 15 year olds, it's embarrassing! They must've needed the check and was bored over the summer. Yes, it's lighthearted and *ahem* "cute" but it doesn't make me feel like I did as a teen...I watch it now and just feel the awkwardness and embarrassment for these professional actors.

[–] louiseculmer 9 years ago

i found it quite amusing, but the plot is very silly, and all of the older characters are too old for the parts they are playing. And brosnan's singing in particular is painful.

[–] eileen-guthrie555 8 years ago

I thought some of the notes he tried to hit would break all the glass in the house. I hope he never tries to sing ever again. When my cat tucks her ears in, it's not a good thing. She ran from the room and hid under the bed. And, my Golden Retrieve is a critic of singers. She would howl a lot during this film. She also hated American Idol, she would just howl. It was actually very funny. 

[–] louiseculmer 8 years ago

Oh, that is funny! You have very musical pets!

[–] eileen-guthrie555 8 years ago

I had. They both passed away. One in 2014 and the other in 2015. The Golden loved music and needed to hear the radio or CD in the car. If she didn't like what she was listening to, she let me know right away with some grumbling. Her favorite was Josh Grogan and country music. She would sit back and smiled. She was very sweet, shy, intelligent, fun, uncomplicated and gorgeous (very tall for a female and I called her my super model) dog who loved to play and smiled. I still miss her so much but I've still have her younger sister and my memories of her. 

[–] taticat 9 years ago

I couldn't agree more with OP's opinion. This is one of the most preposterous and, put simply, embarrassing efforts of all time. I'm embarrassed for everyone affiliated with this, and even more so for the sheeple who don't have the education and life experience to understand that this entire play/movie/storyline is just stupid.

[–] SealordJohn 9 years ago

At the time the movie was released,
- Meryl Streep (Donna) was 59
- Christine Baranski (Tanya) was 56
- Julie Waters (Rosie) was 58
- Stellan Skarsgård (Bill) was 57
- Pierce Brosnan (Sam) was 55
- Colin Firth (Harry) was 48

When the girls performed together, they wore a clothing style that was common in the 1970s. That is why I assume that is when Donna had the affairs with Bill, Sam and Harry. Since 1975 is the middle of that decade, if we use that as a reference, this film was released 33 years after 1975.
Subtracting 33 from each of their ages above, we get
- Meryl Streep (Donna) was 26 in 1975
- Christine Baranski (Tanya) was 23 in 1975
- Julie Waters (Rosie) was 25 in 1975
- Stellan Skarsgård (Bill) was 24 in 1975
- Pierce Brosnan (Sam) was 22 in 1975
- Colin Firth (Harry) was 15 in 1975

So you see, except for Colin Firth, the ages for these actors in the film are realistic. Also, you might find it strange to see older people reminiscing about their youth when they dress up in similar clothing. I see nothing wrong with that especially when they are performing. At other times, I believe they dressed conservatively for their age.

[–] velcronewsletter 9 years ago

just to add to that, in the musical, only donna and harry's ages are mentioned. donna is 40 and harry is 38 if he met her on a 6th form trip (assuming that he was 18 and in upper sixth). the rest we don't know although i think that they could be up to 5 years older than donna. the other dynamos and dads don't necessarily have to be exactly 40

[–] cryjoz 9 years ago

That would make Sophie in her 30's...

[–] louiseculmer 9 years ago

Meryl Streep's daughter is only 20 though, she would have to be in her mid 30s for the age of the actors to be realistic.

[–] asmomo 9 years ago

I've seen this at the theater at the time and I almost walked out, something I have never done after more than 1000 times at the theater.

I hate musicals to begin with and I didn't know this was one, I just went to see a silly romcom (at the time I was going to see everything so it was not my first choice but just the last movie I hadn't seen yet).

Wow, what a disappointment. At least if it had been a good musical I'd have not regretted my mistake, but that's not the case. A silly romcom I would have forgotten all about by know, instead I remember this crap vividly.

[–] cristscu 8 years ago

watch it again in 20 years. you'll be the joke, because you'll still want to feel young and make a foul out of yourself, but most younger ppl around you would be embarassed.

[–] prplayer 8 years ago

it's up there with the cheesiest, most schmaltzy and corniest movies ever

so many movies, so little time

[–] markleonard0131 8 years ago

What a load of rubbish..! Earlier this year I had Radiotherapy for Cancer (7 weeks). On my first day I noticed I was the youngest and the mood was very low... So, I suggested everyone watched Mamma Mia over the Weekend and we sang the songs the following Week.

I was amazed, virtually everyone watched it and we had such a laugh trying to sing the songs. The mood changed immediately and even the nurses joined in.

Is it a brilliant film - no. Is a fun film - absolutely, if you allow it to be.

[–] goldengold-1 8 years ago

When you see a movie don't bother about the real ages. Actors usually do not display real ages in their roles.