Ricky and The Flash

This was possibly my first Meryl Streep movie in a theater, or atleast after a long long while. Possibly after Kramer Vs Kramer, so in itself a treat. 

It's Meryl in a  really different kind of gig.... she plays a rock 'n roll singer and guitarist.... and I thought she put the stage on fire. When she's singing on stage, I almost forgot it was a movie, and wanted to clap after a number. The energy she brings in is captivating.

Her love interest in the movie was played by Rick Springfield, an Australian guitarist, and per girija, he was h.h.hot . Music was good, it had something like 12 to 13 numbers, mostly by the band Ricky and Flash, his band.

But in terms of a story and depth of emotions I thought it sort of fell short, unless the intent was to do a shallow touch of some really complex and deep feelings.

She is a one time wife and mother, who left behind her husband and three little children to follow her dream, and she is called back to be with her daughter, who is depressed and suicidal because her husband left her for another woman.  It's about her chance for redemption kinds, how she deals with the resentment and anger of her three children, the difficult daughter, a son who is engaged but doesn't want his mother at the engagement, and the other son who is gay but feels she never accepted his being gay.

She struggles with the whole situation, you see signs of pain, fear, guilt maybe.....she does what she can, and does it the way she knows best, even if it means getting her daughter to skip a therapy session and have an evening smoking marijuana. And it seems to work too.

The eventual loyalty to her dream and clarity of thought was endearing. The nice part was that she stays loyal to her dream, her music and is comfortable admitting to the world that she might have fallen short as a mother in giving to the children, but the one thing she could give was her music. 

The scene of a confrontation with her husbands wife was well done, where the now wife is this cocksure, confident, nice person but who puts Meryl into a defensive position as she's showing her who's mom now......and in that state Meryl is at her weakest and the cracks show....but guess it goes to show those cracks could surface, long as you can deal with them and deep down you fundamentally know.

Also, liked the last scene at her sons wedding, where she's standing by the side with her daughter, which was like the final acceptance from the daughter, and this was played by her real daughter, Mamie Gummer. This one....

Another Meryl Streep winner....as just a movie, I'd say ok,ok.....but if you're a big one for Meryl Streep and or for Music, you should go.

Thanks Girija, and with this, you sure become our full time planner for movies and events :)