The Fantasticks | 
| Director: Michael Ritchie
Actors: Joel Grey, Barnard Hughes, Jean Louisa Kelly, Joey Mcintyre, Jonathon Morris
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.98
Buy New: $2.99
You Save: $11.99 (80%)
New (22) Used (16) from $1.97
Rating:  75 reviews
Sales Rank: 20242
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Dvd, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), French (Original Language), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 87 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.6
MPN: D1001533D
ISBN: 0792848497
UPC: 027616858443
EAN: 9780792848493
ASIN: B000056KE9
Theatrical Release Date: 1995
Release Date: February 27, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
A fresh new spin on americas longest-running musical this romeo & juliet story comes alive with stunning visuals much-loved songs and a romance for the ages. Special features: subtitles in french and spanish. Studio: Tcfhe/mgm Release Date: 04/15/2003 Starring: Joel Grey Jean Louisa Kelly Run time: 87 minutes Rating: Pg Director: Michael Ritchie
Amazon.com
Having opened off-Broadway in 1960 and still going strong, The Fantasticks would seem a natural for the movies. Or would it? The musical's charm hangs on a particular kind of intimate magic incubated exclusively in live theater. This didn't stop the chiefs of rudderless United Artists from bankrolling a film version in 1995, closely scripted from the play by original authors Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt. With the movie finished, the studio deduced there was no mass audience for the old-fashioned, stage-struck musical, and promptly set it on the shelf for five years. A slimmer version of the film was briefly released to theaters in 2000, after being cut by Francis Coppola (with the approval of director Michael Ritchie). The cutting, sometimes within songs, seems capricious--if the movie was destined to be a flop either way, why not let it play out at full length? All of this ought to set off alarm bells... and yet, it turns out there's a bit of theatrical pixie dust left in the old thing after all. Ritchie and topnotch cinematographer Fred Murphy shoot many of the songs beautifully, setting them in the film's postcard-Midwest magic hour (best seen on the widescreen DVD). The genial tone, though admittedly precious, makes for a pleasant ride. It's a movie preadolescent girls can watch with their grandmothers without embarrassment on either side. Playing the archetypal boy and girl are former New Kid on the Block Joe McIntyre and Mr. Holland's Opus songbird Jean Louisa Kelly; he fits the part of an amiable doofus very well, while Kelly has the breathless dreaminess of youth and an intriguing undercurrent of restlessness. Their feuding fathers are the able Joel Grey and Brad Sullivan, and Jonathan Morris looks every inch the carnival maestro who gives these simple folk a glimpse at their dreams. Curiously, the show's signature song ("Try to Remember") is given only an abbreviated airing at the end. And how dare they cut "Plant a Radish"? --Robert Horton
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| Customer Reviews: Read 70 more reviews...
Francis Ford Coppola hack job June 20, 2009
John A. Eldon (San Diego CA, USA)
Unlike some of the reviewers, I actually like Jonathon Morris' interpretation of El Gallo. I do wish we could get a director's cut, with the musical score intact -- cutting the opening "Try to Remember" was an unforgivable blunder. The scenes with the cop added something. Joel Grey was good, but I do wish they had found two father actors who could carry a tune.
 If You Liked the Play March 28, 2009
Daniel McCreedy (University Place, WA USA)
If you liked the play, you would like the movie production of it where there is time to savor details that otherwise can fly by quickly on stage. The extras on the DVD, that includes a commentary, provide additional enjoyment for follow-up. Recommended reading: other comments on the play available on internet websites, including Amazon.
 A cottom candy romance of a musical December 9, 2008
R. Bagula (Lakeside, Ca United States)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This film seems to have never found an audience.
I think it may have been the casting of Jean Louisa Kelly
in the lead role. Although she is beautiful and talented,
that is an acquired taste by those who know her work.
The almost too slick stagging would have learned something from
the musical "Oklahoma" in depicting the Midwestern American community.
The carnival never has an carnival "feel" to it
that it should have had like in "State Fair".
In this case failure may not have been a learning experience?
 Shockingly Bad February 25, 2008
Tom George (Wash. DC)
There was a reason why this film played in theaters for about 5 minutes, people stayed away in record numbers!! Goes into the "What Were They Thinking?" file. Terribly done, a misguided mess that ruins the score and plot,is totally void of charm. The performances are mediocre , at best. Transposing The Fantastiks to a realistic setting was a huge mistake and robs the audience of it's imagination, which is the key to The Fantastiks success. Should have been filmed on a black soundstage, much in the same way as the stage production. Stay away from this, go see a local community theater production instead, you'll enjoy it far more.
An interesting take... January 14, 2008
J. Kallen (Greenville, SC USA)
The Fantasticks is a delightful show, full of metaphor. If you don't like metaphor, don't bother. If you do, this is a must for your collection. The two fathers make the show for me, so bumbling, but so in love with their children they'd do whatever it takes to make it work. Joel Gray is superb. And at this point in my life, "Try to Remember" always brings a tear...
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