The Tony-nominated Broadway musical The Prom makes its way to Netflix in the form of a star-studded film adaptation directed by Ryan Murphy. Yet those who come for the performances by huge names like Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman and James Corden may find they stay for the witty, toe-tapping music and joyful vibes.
The Prom is both a satire of celebrity narcissism and an earnest story of a high-school girl’s fight to be able to take her girlfriend to the prom. When Broadway stars Dee Dee Allen (Streep) and Barry Glickman’s (Corden) new musical Eleanor!, a bio-musical about Eleanor Roosevelt, closes after a single performance, the self-centered pair's public images are in desperate need of rehab. They reason the quickest way to do that is to get involved in a cause, and they find just what they’re looking for when they happen upon the story of a conservative Indiana town that cancelled the high-school prom in order to prevent Emma Nolan (Jo Ellen Pellman) from taking a girl as her date.
Dee Dee and Barry team up with Angie Dickinson (Kidman), who’s been in the chorus of Chicago for 20 years, and Trent Oliver (Andrew Rannells), a Julliard grad whose only brush with fame was a sitcom called Talk to the Hand, to right the injustice. However, once the group descends on the small Midwestern town and start to get to know Emma and her one public ally, the school principal Tom Hawkins (Keegan-Michael Key), they find they care more than they bargained for, and actually want to help Emma live her prom dreams.
The movie’s mixture of self-absorbed celebrities and heartfelt plea for tolerance may seem strange, but it mostly works. The satire cuts through some of the sentimentality and the sentimental moments keep the satire from becoming too cynical. Plus, the songs are sensational. Funny and full of clever word-play, they not only move the film along, they make it easy to ignore many of the story’s weaknesses.
This is also helped by the game cast. Streep, Corden, Kidman and Rannells appear to be having a blast mocking the entitled celebrities they themselves might be mistaken for. The self-awareness of their performances is part of what makes the story work. Key does his more dramatic role justice and reveals he’s also a solid singer, and Tony-nominee Ariana DeBose -- who will also star in Steven Spielberg’s upcoming West Side Story as Anita -- is fantastic as closeted teen, Alyssa. Pellman, in her first major role, is a real find. As Emma, she more than holds her own opposite the Hollywood heavyweights while infusing her character with hope and heart. Meanwhile, Kerry Washington, as Alyssa’s mother Mrs. Greene, and the head of the Parent-Teacher Association that cancels prom, does what she can with a thankless role.
It’s easy to see why Murphy would want to turn this particular musical into a movie. The story touches on the LGBTQ+ themes that often animate his work, and the musical elements are a natural fit for the over-the-top maximalism he frequently incorporates. On the other hand, because Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin, who wrote the book for the stage show also wrote the script for the film, it doesn’t dip excessively into the stylized melodrama or grandiose scenarios Murphy’s work often indulges in. Moreover, Murphy does a good job committing the best parts of a Broadway show to film while still making the adaptation cinematic. There are plenty of dance breaks and songs that play to the camera as well as many moments that are fully immersed in all angles of the movie’s locations or intercut between scenes to more fully illustrate a song.
When it comes down to it though, the best thing about The Prom is that it's exuberant, uplifting fun. Sure, things work out a little too easily in the end and it’s a bit too long, but it also keeps you laughing and smiling throughout its run-time while also being touching enough to elicit some tears too. The movie’s message of LGBTQ+ acceptance is topical, but will also speak to almost anyone who’s ever felt judged for some part of who they are -- which is to say pretty much all of us. It's been a singularly challenging year, but for a little over two hours, The Prom’s energetic optimism serves as counterprogramming.
Directed by Ryan Murphy and starring Meryl Streep, James Corden, Nicole Kidman, Keegan-Michael Key, Andrew Rannells, Ariana DeBose, Jo Ellen Pellman and Kerry Washington, The Prom premieres Friday, Dec. 11 on Netflix.