Mamma Mia and All Girl Things

On Sunday, my good friend Mary Ann and I went to see "Mamma Mia". Mary Ann had seen the stage play several times prior to this viewing, and was worried the movie might be a disappointment. Not so!! We both absolutely loved this movie, and I don't think I have laughed so often or so long since perhaps watching a Chevy Chase comedy. Meryl Streep is fabulous, as always, and so is her supporting cast. There are some interesting interplays between the three groups of three people: Meryl Streep's character and her two zany friends, her sweet daughter and her two friends, and the three gorgeous men from her past. This is a joyful movie that makes the viewer want to jump up, dance and sing with abandon, just like the characters in the movie. This is not an art film requiring great intellectual understanding, nor is it a story with a complicated plot. Beyond the question of who the daughter's father is, there isn't any great mystery. Though I do believe this is a film to be identified with and enjoyed primarily by women, men might enjoy a couple of hours of pure fun, too. I am not one to view a movie more than once or read a book more than once. The only prior exceptions to this personal choice were "Gone With the Wind" and "The Piano". I have read both books and viewed both films more than once. I would have gladly sat through another showing of "Mamma Mia" immediately after seeing it the first time, and I will watch it again one day -- soon, I hope!