Into the Woods Hits the Big Screen

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The movie production of Into the Woods is finally coming out!!! Those of us who are theater nerds have been waiting for this day for a long time! I recently got to attend a screening and it was worth the wait!

It has surprised me how many people were not already familiar with the long standing Into the Woods that was written by the legendary Stephen Sondheim.So for those of you who don’t know… This takes a few fairy tales and wonders if everyone always gets a happy ending. I believe the tag line is “Be careful what you wish for”. This isn’t a 1950’s song and dance musical but a deeper story with a slower score that speaks more to issues and deeper themes. And you need to know that before you take the 8 year old and she gets lost and finds the music a little boring.

All that said. Loved it! I can’t wait for my kids to watch it too.

The acting was great! The effects were breath taking. And is there anything Meryl Streep can’t do? Then there was the music. I was introduced to this music by listening to Bernadette Peters and Mandy Patinkin. “No One is Alone” holds such a special place in my heart it makes me cry. So I was prepared to be a little disappointed in the music but a girl can’t have everything, right? Wrong! The music was top notch! The cast was amazing!

I loved this movie!

I actually spoke to a variety of people after the screening to see what they thought and the mix really surprised me. When I spoke to adults who familiar with the stage version the praise was overwhelming! It turned out better than any dared hoped for. But then I spoke with some homeschool families that I knew who were there. They weren’t so positive. The only thing they knew before viewing it was that it was a Disney musical about fairy tales. They were disappointed. They enjoyed the first half (the more traditional part of the story) but then hated the second half. The parents said if they hadn’t expected a kids’ movie that they might have enjoyed it more. The kids, they didn’t care for it. They didn’t track the story well and found the music boring. But I really think that all had to do with expectations. If you are expecting Frozen or even Mary Poppins you will be disappointed.

My final analysis: I loved it. I felt the PG rating was very good because you need to look into it and figure out if this is something your own kids will like. I personally love the fact that it is an adult depth movie with very family friendly staging. I loved it and I recommend it!

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