Brosnan and Streep go ABBA in Mama Mia!

Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan sing and dance ABBA – 4 Stars ****

By Gabrielle Pantera

HOLLYWOOD, CA (Hollywood Today) 12/23/2008 – “The goat house turned out to be this sheer wall,” says Mamma Mia star Meryl Streep. “I was told that I was going to climb up the goat house wall while singing Mamma Mia.I thought, how big could a goat house be? I was basically doing a Spider-Man stunt. I got in shape really quickly.”

Mamma Mia! is the ultimate feel good movie. It has set a record for the #1 grossing film in the UK surpassing Titanic’s record, It’s also the top grossing film of the year in 15 other countries.

When your watching Mamma Mia, you’re not just watching it, you’re part of it. You want to get up and dance and sing and join the party. And you can with the DVD, because the 2-disc special edition DVD includes a sing along with the words for all 22 musical numbers.

“Everyone has their favorite song,” says Mamma Mia star Pierce Brosnan. “Everyone’s listened to ABBA. Everyone’s danced to ABBA. Everyone’s sung ABBA. Ultimately, people just love the songs and they have a place in their hearts for them. I experienced sheer terror at the idea [of singing]. I don’t think I have ever been so nervous about a job. In the end, I just surrendered to the whole experience, and had a great time doing it. It’s actually quite exhilarating to sing and to express your emotions that way.”

Mamma Mia! is the story of the young woman Sophie told as a musical set to the music of ABBA. Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) lives on a Greek Island and is getting married. She wants her father to walk her down the isle. Problem. She doesn’t know who he is. Sophie sends three wedding invitations to the three men mentioned in her mother’s diary from the year she was born, hoping that one of them is her father. Sophie’s mom (Meryl Streep) doesn’t know how to deal with this invasion from her past and tries to get rid of them, but with the wedding upon her it’s impossible.

“We dreamt of asking Meryl to play Donna,” says Mamma Mia director Phyllida Lloyd. “She combines everything that’s required. She’s one of those unique actors who can laugh the world’s laughs and cry the world’s tears. That’s what Mamma Mia! needed, and we have it in her. We knew she sang. We knew she wanted to do a musical.”

“Working with Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus on recording the songs was very interesting,” says Streep. “I did it in advance of really knowing who my character was or what her voice was. I found, as we shot the film and recorded live, the voice I was singing in was quite different to the one I was hearing in my earphone. So the voice evolved, and it was great to have the option of doing it live too, as the energy and the physicality of the acting performance dictates how the song is delivered in a way I couldn’t have known when we first recorded it.”

“The songs are timeless,” says Streep. “They just enter your body. When I came to learn them I found I knew every single one. They have amazing hooks and great melodies. I’m really doing this to embarrass my 20-something-year-old children. The dancing part will mortify them. They’ll have to move to Alaska or someplace. Just the overalls alone are gonna do it for them.”

“When it came time to record, I walked into the studios and there’s Benny and Björn, and there’s Phyllida and Judy…and it’s show time,” says Brosnan. “As for my singing, they just said, great. They liked what I did, and it was very easy. I wasn’t alone because I had Stellan and Colin right there, equally terrified.”

“Martin Lowe instilled such confidence in me,” says Brosnan. “He came out to California; we set up in my office one day and just started banging out the songs. For the next few months, I just listened to them day in and day out, driving the kids to school.”
“The movie is all about past mistakes-your big fat regrets, your dreams, your hopes, your happiness-right there where you live,” say Streep.
I wish there were more deleted scenes and outtakes that they had given us.

Extras: Sing along with the words for all 22 musical numbers. Feature Commentary with Phyllida Lloyd. The making of Mamma Mia! The Movie, A look inside Mamma Mia! Anatomy of a musical number: “Lay all your love on me”, Gimmi! Gimmi! Gimmi! Music Video, Becoming a singer, Björn Ulvaeus Cameo, Behind the scenes with Amada, Deleted Scenes and outtakes, On Location in Greece and a digital copy for a limited time.

Cast: Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Julie Walters, Dominic Cooper, Amanda Seyfried, Christine Baranski

Mamma Mia!
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some sex-related comments
Running Time: 1 hour, 48 minutes
DVD Release date: 12/16/08 (USA)