Adapted for the screen of the musical of the same name, The Prom, by Ryan Murphy, arrives on Netflix ! In line with feel good movies, this film aims to be an entertaining hymn to tolerance, with a five-star cast.
Take out the sequins and wigs, and get your dance moves ready! The Prom comes to put a good mood in your month of December. Ryan Murphy, father of Glee, once again demonstrates his special attachment to the LGBTQ+ community, with his colorful and jovial paw. After Ratched this fall, Netflix subscribers discover Ryan Murphy's new film, in a completely different register.
Demolished by American critics, two narcissistic stars of Broadway Dee Dee Allen (Meryl Streep) and Barry Glickman (James Corden), decide to restore their image. Accompanied by Angie (Nicole Kidman) and Trent (Andrew Rannells), they leave the hustle and bustle of New York for a small town in Indiana where intolerance reigns supreme. Their goal? Help Emma (Jo Ellen Pellman), a lesbian girl, banned from high school prom. The prom, which, in the United States, is a real institution.
Carrying the banner of inclusion
The tone is set from the beginning of the film, and the subject goes straight to the point. Two camps clash: that of Puritanism and that of tolerance. A vision that might seem Manichean, but which in the end, is rather in line with the mentality of some American states.
Mrs. Greene (Kerry Washington) is the voice of Puritanism, while the celebrity quartet and high school principal (Keegan-Michael Key) unite for tolerance. For the principal, banning Emma from prom is an attack on civil rights.
The Prom's commitment to inclusion is a no-brainer, especially since it's also a personal subject in the eyes of its director, Ryan Murphy. Touched by the story when he saw the show on stage, he chose to bring it to the screen. If each of the characters carries this cause, it is especially a sensitive subject for Barry (James Corden).
Most of the scenes are under the sign of inclusion, but the most striking is undoubtedly that of Love Thy Neighbor, effective in the message it carries but also in the interpretation of Andrew Rannells. In the name of their Christian values, the majority of high school students at the small Indiana school reject homosexuality, while they have nothing against divorce or pre-marital sex. They choose what they do or do not apply in their reading of the Bible.
Barry Glickman (James Corden), Angie Dickinson (Nicole Kidman), Dee Dee Allen (Meryl Streep) & Tom Hawkins (Keegan-Michael Key)A sharp criticism of Puritanism and show business
The Prom sharply criticizes Puritanism and its contradictions, as we saw with our previous example. It is surely for this reason that the characters of Mrs. Greene and other high school students often turn to caricature, with a good touch of humor. This is also a political dimension, with such a thumb of the nose at the Conservatives.
In addition, the world of show business is also strongly criticized. From the beginning of the film, we see that criticism influences the career of artists, and can make them fall into oblivion from one day to the next. Criticism here sometimes turns into personal judgment, particularly vexing for artists.
These are not all white, they also caricatured with this quartet of actors in need of glory. Ready to do anything to restore their image, even if it means using the life of a young girl, they are the archetype of falsely committed stars – the narcissism illustrated by It's Not About Me.
Broadwesque passages and good feelings punctuate The Prom, inscribed in American traditions with its prom, cheerleaders and criticism of Puritanism. However, it can sometimes be criticized for lacking teeth and nuances. Without involving huge twists and turns, it remains positive, engaged, and entertaining, carrying high the values of inclusion and tolerance.
