If only high school
had been as enjoyable as portrayed in “High School Musical,” which
hit the Disney Channel in January 2006, and in the sequel “High
School Musical 2” that debuted on Friday, August 17.
Dating back to the
early days of Hollywood, the most beloved musicals tend to be
idealized, feel good affairs. It’s enjoyable escapism. That’s the
case with both “HSM” and “HSM2.”
Movie reviewers in
leading newspapers, though, tend not to be big fans of positive,
relatively wholesome and innocent entertainment. Throw in some
catchy pop tunes and high-energy dancing, and one can just hear
Sharpay-like screams of revulsion emanating from critics.
For example, reviewer
Anita Gates served up a snarky piece on “High School Musical” in the
January 20, 2006, New York Times. Gates was simply disgusted,
calling the television movie “dippy” and “treacle,” and the
directing influences “unfathomable.”
As it turned out,
young children, tweens, teens and, yes, parents had quite different
views. Commercial success swamped the negative reviews. On August
17, The Wall Street Journal noted that “High School Musical” cost a
mere $4.2 million to make, and has raked in more than $100 million
in profits. The report added: “That movie has so far drawn 200
million TV viewers world-wide and spawned a DVD, a chart-topping CD,
a concert tour, school productions, a stage musical, a book series,
and stationary.” Various estimates peg the value of “High School
Musical” at between $500 million and more than $1 billion.
Reviews of “High
School Musical 2” seem a little more careful given the wild success
of the first film. But the negativism is unmistakable. In Newsday,
Diane Werts wrote: “And how uber-slick the entire production is,
afraid to stray to anything unexpected, unwilling to attempt even a
moment of subtlety or character depth, satisfied to merely feed the
tween need for more of the same. ‘HSM2’ succeeds as what it’s
designed to be – a good-enough for the kids, clean enough for the
parents, profitable enough for Disney.”
Even if all of this
were true (which I do not think is the case), at the great risk of
being labeled a Neanderthal, I have to ask: What’s so bad about
that?
And again, the
initial numbers point to continued success with “HSM2.” USA Today
reported that on its first night, the sequel “exceeded the
original’s 7.8 million viewers – as well as everything else that has
ever aired on basic cable. HSM2’s preliminary 17.2 million viewers
set not only a Nielsen cable record for total viewers, but also
records for TV entertainment among the young: 6.1 million viewers
ages 6-11, and 5.9 million more ages 9-14 (the latter ranking behind
only 2004’s Super Bowl).”
Of course, it’s not
just reviewers who dislike this kind of entertainment. After all,
Hollywood largely discarded the fun, positive musical decades ago.
But Disney saw an
opportunity. What reviewers and much of Hollywood have missed is
that a market exists for joyful, safe entertainment with a positive
message – if it is done well. Both “HSM” and “HSM2” accomplish
exactly this.
When it comes to a
musical, the music and dancing perhaps matter most.
The “HSM” soundtrack
ranked number one in 2006. “Stick to the Status Quo” and “We’re All
in This Together” are foot stompers, and “Start of Something New”
builds nicely. As for the dancing, the basketball number for
“Get’cha Head in the Game” is inventive, and a light comedic touch
can be found elsewhere as well.
“HSM2” gets the music
and dancing right as well. “What Time Is It” gets people on their
feet and singing. “Fabulous” is a catchy throwback with amusing
lines, including: “Iced tea imported from England / Lifeguards
imported from Spain / Towels imported from Turkey / And turkey
imported from Maine.” And “You Are the Music in Me” is a neat
up-tempo love song. Meanwhile, dancing in the kitchen to “Work This
Out,” on the baseball field in “West Side Story”-fashion to “I Don’t
Dance,” and poolside with a “Beach Party” flavor to “All for One”
work well.
What about the
characters? Well, this is a musical, so it’s not surprising that the
characters fit certain types. While some are over the top, each
offers enough to get the audience to care about them, including the
basketball star and good guy Troy Bolton (Zac Efron); the pretty and
nice math wiz Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Hudgens); the spoiled head
of the drama club Sharpay Evans (Ashley Tisdale) and her brother
Ryan (Lucas Grabeel); along with Chad (Corbin Bleu) and Taylor
(Monique Coleman), best friends of Troy and Gabriella, respectively.
And finally, the
story? This is where common ground is found among kids and parents.
The stories are
simple and formulaic, but not stupid. With any musical, of course,
there also is the requirement that the audience be willing to
suspend reality. After all, people do not usually break into song
and dance in school, poolside or on the baseball diamond.
But it is the message
and the means that should be embraced. Here is one of the few
franchises that’s wildly popular among young people, yet is in no
way offensive, whether in terms of language, sex or violence. In
fact, it’s downright positive. “HSM” was about overcoming peer
pressure, following your dreams, putting aside stereotypes, and
respecting others. “HSM2” hits on keeping promises, staying true to
your values and friends, and not succumbing to self-absorption.
The “High School
Musical” phenomenon, therefore, is encouraging when it comes to our
youth, the music business and Hollywood. There’s talk about making a
“High School Musical 3” for theatrical release. It reportedly would
be set in the senior prom and graduation. I’m betting the focus will
not be on partying, drinking and prom sex, and that might just have
a positive effect.
In the end, the popularity of “High
School Musical” seems rooted in a common desire among the young to
have a positive, rewarding and fun high school experience, and in a
similar wish by parents for their children. So, a “High School
Musical 3” is well worth looking forward to for this reason alone –
not to mention the next batch of catchy dance tunes.
Raymond J. Keating, also a columnist
with Newsday, is the editor and publisher of the “On the Church &
Society Report.” This column is from the latest issue of the “On
the Church & Society Report,” which features several articles on
Harry Potter -- “Harry Potter and Christian Allegory,” “Harry
Potter and the Fire Breathing Fundamentalists,” “Considering the
Anti-Potters,” and “Prince Caspian and Harry Potter.” To receive a
free four-issue trial of “On the Church & Society Report,” send an e-mail request to
ChurchandSociety@aol.com.
