The Prom (film)

The Prom is a 2020 American musical comedy film directed by Ryan Murphy and adapted to the screen by Chad Beguelin and Bob Martin, from their and Matthew Sklar's 2018 Broadway musical of the same name. The film stars Meryl Streep, James Corden, Nicole Kidman, Keegan-Michael Key, Andrew Rannells, Ariana DeBose, Kerry Washington, and introducing Jo Ellen Pellman as Emma Nolan.

This article is about the Netflix musical film. For the Disney film, see Prom (film).

The Prom
Official release poster
Directed byRyan Murphy
Produced by
Screenplay by
Based on
The Prom
by
Starring
Music by
  • Matthew Sklar
  • David Klotz
CinematographyMatthew Libatique
Edited by
  • Peggy Tachdjian
  • Danielle Wang
Production
company
Ryan Murphy Productions
Distributed byNetflix
Release date
  • December 4, 2020 (2020-12-04) (United States)
Running time
131 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$187,430[1]

The Prom had a limited theatrical release on December 4, 2020, prior to streaming on Netflix on December 11, 2020.[2][3] The film received mixed reviews from critics praising the musical numbers, cast performances, moral, production values, and faithfulness to its source material, but mostly criticizing the narrative, characterizations, and stereotypes.

Plot

In Edgewater, Indiana, head of the James Madison High School PTA, Mrs. Greene (Kerry Washington), announces the school's prom will be canceled because female student Emma Nolan (Jo Ellen Pellman) wanted to take a girl to the dance, defying their traditional beliefs and much to the dismay of their principal, Tom Hawkins (Keegan-Michael Key), who supports Emma.

Meanwhile, in New York City, narcissistic Broadway stars Dee Dee Allen (Meryl Streep) and Barry Glickman (James Corden) are disappointed after their show Eleanor! The Eleanor Roosevelt Story closes on opening night due to negative reviews. They are comforted by Trent Oliver (Andrew Rannells), a Juilliard graduate who is between acting jobs, and Angie Dickinson (Nicole Kidman), a performer who has just quit her part in the chorus of Chicago. They realize Dee Dee and Barry need a cause to seem caring and selfless, and after finding Emma's story on Twitter, they drive to Indiana with the cast of Godspell.

At school, Emma is bullied and harassed for being a lesbian and for the cancellation of the prom. The actors barge into the next PTA meeting in favor of Emma and while Mrs. Greene is furious, Hawkins reveals he is a big fan of Dee Dee. Emma and her secretly closeted girlfriend, Alyssa (Ariana DeBose), Mrs. Greene's daughter, meet in private and talk about Alyssa coming out to her mother. The actors arrive at a motel and perform at a monster truck rally event, but are booed off the stage. Hawkins tells them the Indiana Supreme Court wants the school to hold a prom for Emma and invites Dee Dee to have dinner with him at Applebee's, where the pair bond. The next day, a number of promposals occur and Alyssa's cheerleader friends Kaylee and Shelby find out about Alyssa's plan to come out. At Emma's grandmother's house, Grandma Bea (Mary Kay Place) reveals Emma was kicked out by her parents at sixteen when she came out, and Barry tells her he left his house before his parents had the chance to make him leave. Afterward, it is revealed that the PTA arranged a separate prom for her, with the real prom being held at a private club. A furious Emma calls Alyssa, who tells her she did not know and she is not ready to come out yet. Dee Dee accidentally reveals they came to Indiana to improve their image, leaving Principal Hawkins disappointed with her.

The next day, Mrs. Greene addresses the media frenzy that followed the separate proms. Angie comforts a heartbroken Emma, Barry tells Dee Dee to get Emma on her ex-husband Eddie Sharp's show while she tells him to call his mother, Vera, but they both are reluctant. Dee Dee meets up and apologizes to Hawkins and they reconcile. Emma meets up with Alyssa and breaks up with her, despite her apology. Trent convinces the students that being gay is not wrong and they agree to apologize to Emma for their homophobia. Dee Dee arrives at the motel and tells everyone she agreed to give away her house in The Hamptons in order to get Emma on Eddie's show. She turns this offer down to tell her story her own way and sings a song she wrote during a livestream, which goes viral online. Trent confronts Kaylee, Shelby, their boyfriends Nick and Kevin, and three unnamed students and persuades them to support Emma with help from the Godspell cast.

Realizing they truly care for her, the actors decide to throw her an inclusive prom themselves and contribute to the budget, including Dee Dee with her American Express Card. Afterward, Dee Dee tells Barry she called Vera (Tracey Ullman), who wants to talk to him. Vera tells Barry that although she cannot undo what she did, she always wanted a relationship with him, and they make up. Kaylee and Shelby, Nick, and Kevin show up at the gym and apologize to Alyssa and Emma. Mrs. Greene also arrives to stop the preparations for the prom but Alyssa finally comes out to her mother and Mrs. Greene leaves silently. Alyssa and Emma reconcile.

Later that night, Emma and Alyssa show up early to meet with the actors. The students and many teens from the LGBT community show up for support. Angie receives a message about getting the lead role in Chicago, Trent signs on to be the school's drama teacher, Barry arrives with Vera and is crowned prom queen, while Dee Dee and Hawkins share a kiss and start a relationship. After the dance begins, Mrs. Greene arrives, apologizes, and embraces Alyssa, accepting her for who she is. Emma and Alyssa finally share a public kiss and everyone celebrates.

Cast
  • Meryl Streep as Dee Dee Allen, a narcissistic two-time Tony award-winning Broadway actress.
  • James Corden as Barry Glickman, a narcissistic Broadway actor.
    • Sam Pillow as a young Barry Glickman
  • Nicole Kidman as Angie Dickinson, a chorus girl.
  • Kerry Washington as Mrs. Greene, the head of Edgewater's PTA.
  • Keegan-Michael Key as Principal Hawkins, the principal of James Madison High School.
  • Andrew Rannells as Trent Oliver, a Julliard graduate who is between gigs and starred in the sitcom Talk to the Hand.
  • Jo Ellen Pellman as Emma Nolan, a lesbian teenage girl.
  • Ariana DeBose as Alyssa Greene, Emma's girlfriend and the daughter of Mrs. Greene.
  • Tracey Ullman as Vera Glickman, Barry's mother.
  • Kevin Chamberlin as Sheldon Saperstein, Dee Dee and Barry's publicist.
  • Mary Kay Place as Grandma Bea, Emma's supportive grandmother who raised her when Emma's parents kicked her out of their house.
  • Logan Riley Hassel as Kaylee, Alyssa's friend and Nick's girlfriend who disapproves of Emma taking a girl to prom.
  • Sofia Deler as Shelby, Alyssa and Kaylee's friend and Kevin's girlfriend who also disapproves of Emma taking a girl to prom.
  • Nico Greetham as Nick, Kaylee's boyfriend whose parents are divorced.
  • Nathaniel J. Potvin as Kevin, Shelby's boyfriend.

Soundtrack
The Prom
(Music from the Netflix Film)
Soundtrack album by
Matthew Sklar, Chad Beguelin, Adam Anders, and Peer Astrom
ReleasedDecember 4, 2020 (2020-12-04)
Genre
Length60:00
Label
  • Maisie Music
Singles from The Prom
(Music from the Netflix Film)
  1. "Tonight Belongs to You"
    Released: November 20, 2020
  2. "Wear Your Crown"
    Released: November 20, 2020

The soundtrack was released digitally on December 4, 2020 by Maisie Music, with a physical release on December 18.[4]

Song list

All tracks are written by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin, except where indicated.

No.TitleWriter(s)Performer(s)Length
1."Changing Lives" Meryl Streep, James Corden and Ensemble3:09
2."Changing Lives (Reprise)" Streep, Corden, Nicole Kidman and Andrew Rannells1:54
3."Just Breathe" Jo Ellen Pellman2:54
4."It's Not About Me" Streep, Corden, Kidman, Rannells, Keegan-Michael Key, Kerry Washington and Ensemble3:59
5."Dance with You" Pellman and Ariana DeBose2:35
6."The Acceptance Song" Rannells and Ensemble3:22
7."You Happened" Pellman, DeBose, Nathaniel J. Potvin, Nico Greetham and Ensemble3:11
8."We Look to You" Key2:49
9."Tonight Belongs to You" Cast5:26
10."Tonight Belongs to You (Reprise)" Pellman0:43
11."Zazz" Kidman and Pellman3:08
12."The Lady's Improving" Streep2:39
13."Alyssa Greene" DeBose2:20
14."Love Thy Neighbor" Rannells, Sofia Deler, Potvin, Greetham, Logan Riley and Ensemble4:31
15."Barry Is Going to Prom" Corden2:35
16."Unruly Heart" Pellman and Ensemble3:59
17."It's Time to Dance" Pellman, DeBose, Corden, Streep, Rannells, Kidman, Key, Kevin Chamberlin and Ensemble5:05
18."Wear Your Crown" (end credits)Skar, Beguelin, Adam Anders, Peer ÅströmDeBose, Pellman, Washington, Kidman and Streep3:05
19."Simply Love" (end credits)Anders, Beguelin, SklarCorden2:50
Total length:1:00:14

Production

The film is based on the same premise as the musical of the same name, that uses music by Matthew Sklar, lyrics by Chad Beguelin, and a book by Bob Martin and Beguelin, based on an original concept by Jack Viertel.[5]

CNN notes the film project is on "theme with Murphy's advocacy for more inclusivity in Hollywood" including his spearheading the 2017 Half Initiative, to "create equal representation for women and minorities behind the camera".[6] Murphy announced plans for the adaptation during a charity performance of the musical at New York's Longacre Theatre in April 2019.[7][8]

On June 25, 2019, Meryl Streep, James Corden, Andrew Rannells and Nicole Kidman were revealed to be cast as the four leads, with Keegan-Michael Key as the school principal.[9][10] Ariana Grande was initially cast as Alyssa Greene, a popular but closeted cheerleader and Emma's girlfriend, but scheduling conflicts with the Sweetener World Tour forced Grande to drop out.[11] Kerry Washington was cast in October, with Ariana DeBose joining in November, replacing Grande in the role of Alyssa. Jo Ellen Pellman was also cast as Emma following a nationwide search.[12][13][14] The project is the first film under Murphy's $300 million deal with Netflix, and fifth overall.[9][15] On January 25, 2020, Awkwafina dropped out of the film due to scheduling conflicts and Kevin Chamberlin was recast as Sheldon Saperstein.[16][17] On June 25, 2020, Tracey Ullman and Mary Kay Place were revealed to star in the film.[18]

Filming commenced on December 11, 2019 in Los Angeles.[19] On March 12, 2020, production was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to this, the leads had wrapped filming, with only two days of second unit filming left, which was initially scheduled to resume in mid-April, but was ultimately delayed to summer.[20][21] Production resumed on July 23, 2020.[22]

Release

The Prom had an awards-qualifying limited theatrical release on December 4, 2020, before being released digitally on December 11 by Netflix.[2] It was the second-most watched film over its first weekend on the platform, before falling to tenth in its second week.[23][24]

Critical reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 56% based on 193 reviews, with an average rating of 5.90/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Through fiery songs and dance breaks, The Prom's bonanza of glitz, glitter, and jazz hands might be enough to whisk audiences away."[25] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 55 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[26]

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave the film four out of five stars, writing that it is "so goofy that you just have to enjoy it". He went on to praise the musical numbers and the film's message of self-love.[27] Brian Pruitt of USA Today also gave the film four stars out of four, calling it a "joyous adaptation".[28]

Of the opposing opinion, Mary Sollosi of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a "D" grade calling it "narratively sloppy, emotionally false, visually ugly, morally superior, and at least 15 minutes too long".[29] Jesse Hassenger of The A.V. Club gave the film a "D+" describing it as "all-star, feel-good, zazzy nonsense".[30]

James Corden's performance was criticized as offensive by some; Corden himself is straight while the character is gay and some said his performance perpetuated, and capitalized on, stereotypes of gay white men.[31]

Accolades
Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
GLAAD Media Awards April 2021 Outstanding Film – Wide Release The Prom Pending [32]
Golden Globe Awards February 28, 2021 Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy The Prom Pending [33]
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy James Corden Pending
Satellite Awards February 15, 2021 Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical Meryl Streep Pending [34]
Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Nicole Kidman Pending
Best Art Direction and Production Design Jamie Walker McCall and Gene Serdena Pending
Best Sound (Editing and Mixing) Gary Megregian, David Giammarco, Mark Paterson & Steven A. Morrow Pending

Novelization

The UK and Commonwealth novelization rights of the film, written by Saundra Mitchell, were acquired by Penguin Random House’s editorial and media development director Holly Harris, who did a pre-emptive deal with Creative Artists Agency and William Morris Endeavor.[35]

References
  1. "The Prom (2020)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  2. Caruso, Nick (September 13, 2020). "The Prom, Ryan Murphy's Netflix Musical, Sets December Premiere Date". TVLine. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  3. Rooney, David (December 1, 2020). "'The Prom': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  4. "The Prom (Music from the Netflix Film) by The Cast Of Netflix's Film The Prom on Apple Music". music.apple.com. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  5. Bryant, Kenzie (June 13, 2018). "First Look: The Prom Will Bring Gay Teen Romantic Farce to Broadway This Fall". Vanity Fair. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
  6. Friedlander, Whitney (June 25, 2019). "Ryan Murphy adapting 'The Prom' for Netflix with all-star cast". CNN. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  7. Gardner, Chris (April 9, 2019). "Ryan Murphy Sets Movie Adaptation of Broadway Musical 'The Prom' at Netflix". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  8. Peikert, Mark (April 9, 2019). "Broadway's The Prom to Become Netflix Movie Event". Playbill. ISSN 0551-0678. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  9. Vlessing, Etan (June 25, 2019). "Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman Lead Cast for Ryan Murphy's 'The Prom' Movie at Netflix". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  10. Friedlander, Whitney (June 25, 2019). "Meryl Streep set to star in Ryan Murphy's all-star adaptation of 'The Prom'". CNN. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  11. Rossignol, Derrick. "Updated: Ariana Grande Will Not Be Involved In Netflix's Musical Adaptation Of 'The Prom'". Uproxx. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  12. N'Duka, Amanda (October 10, 2019). "Kerry Washington Joins Meryl Streep & Nicole Kidman In Ryan Murphy's 'The Prom'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  13. N'Duka, Amanda (November 1, 2019). "'The Prom': Ryan Murphy Netflix Adaptation Adds 'West Side Story' Actress Ariana Debose". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  14. N'Duka, Amanda (November 25, 2019). "'The Prom': Ryan Murphy Sets Newcomer Jo Ellen Pellman For Lead As Netflix Film Adaptation Rounds Out Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  15. Daw, Stephen (June 25, 2019). "Ryan Murphy Casts Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman & More in Netflix's 'The Prom' Adaptation". Billboard. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  16. "Ryan Murphy Sets Netflix 'Prom' Musical: Streep, Corden, Kidman, Ariana Grande, Awkwafina, Key, Rannells To Star". Deadline. June 25, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  17. "The Prom". Production List. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  18. "ACTOR KEVIN CHAMBERLIN CHATS ABOUT BROADWAY, PLAYING BERTRAM ON JESSE ON THE DISNEY CHANNEL AND FILMING THE UPCOMING NETFLIX RYAN MURPHY FILM THE PROM". I Love My Wife Podcast. June 25, 2020. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  19. Evans, Chris (December 11, 2019). "Meryl Streep project The Prom begins filming in LA". www.kftv.com. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  20. Patten, Dominic (March 12, 2020). "Ryan Murphy's 'The Prom' Film Shuts Down Production Over Coronavirus Concerns". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  21. Lawrence, Gregory (April 30, 2020). "Ryan Murphy Says His Netflix Movie 'The Prom' Is Nearly Complete". Collider. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
  22. Elise Sandberg, Bryn (July 22, 2020). "Ryan Murphy's 'The Prom' to Restart Production in Los Angeles (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  23. Brueggemann, Tom (December 14, 2020). "'Holiday Cheer, New and Old, Leads VOD and Netflix Charts". IndieWire. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  24. Brueggemann, Tom (December 21, 2020). "'The Croods: A New Age' Beats Out 'Tenet' On VOD in Surprising Shakeup". IndieWire. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  25. "The Prom (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  26. "The Prom Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  27. Bradshaw, Peter. "The Prom review – is Ryan Murphy's musical the first film of the Biden era?". The Guardian. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  28. Truitt, Brian (December 1, 2020). "Netflix's stellar musical 'The Prom' goes big with Meryl Streep, James Corden and inclusion". USA Today. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  29. Sollosi, Mary (December 1, 2020). "Please, by all means, call off The Prom: Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  30. Hassenger, Jesse (December 1, 2020). "An all-star cast goes to The Prom in Ryan Murphy's insufferable Broadway adaptation". The A.V. Club. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  31. "Why Are Critics Outraged Over James Corden? Debating Ryan Murphy's 'Prom' Casting". IndieWire. December 12, 2020. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  32. Ramos, Dino-Ray (January 28, 2021). "GLAAD Unveils Nominees For 32nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards; Deadline's New Hollywood Podcast Honored With Special Recognition Award". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  33. Oganesyan & Moreau, Natalie & Jordan (February 3, 2021). "Golden Globes 2021: The Complete Nominations List". Variety. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  34. Van Blaricom, Mirjana (February 1, 2021). "25th Satellite Awards Nominees for Motion Pictures and Television Announced". International Press Academy. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  35. Eyre, Charlotte (July 9, 2019). "PRH acquires novelisation of Netflix film The Prom | The Bookseller". The Bookseller. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
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