The characters of Amélie’s childhood and mother reappear on stage, reminding her never to get too close to anyone (“Halfway to Go”). In all these cases, Amélie avoids the spotlight, carefully arranging these healing interventions without being discovered. Emboldened by this adventure, she similarly works to bless the hard lives of her cafe compatriots: a frustrated poet, a bitter widow, a hypochondriac, a woman hater, a corner store employee, a reclusive artist, and eventually, her own grieving father. Under the cloak of anonymity, she watches as her gift to the man heals the broken relationship he has with his wife and son. She finds a tin of toys hidden away in her apartment, and in a moment of inspiration, works to track down the now-grown adult and return to him this lost piece of childhood. It’s that control-freak nature that Amélie brings with her as she relocates to Paris and begins serving in a cafe. While the film posits that Amélie’s childhood is the foundation for her quirkiness, the musical paints Amélie’s childhood, marked by fear and isolation, as an obstacle to overcome. In the opening sequence (“World Best Dad, World’s Best Friend, World’s Best Mom”), Amélie’s parents are presented as control freaks, giving her daily health checkups, taking away her pet goldfish, and isolating her from the outside world. One of the big differences that drives the musical (not the film) is the relationship between Amélie and her parents. But most of the films memorable moments are still here: Zorro mask, the Travelocity gnome, the R-rated jokes, the photo booth romance. Alerte spoil!Ī few starting notes: the show’s music is completely original, so don’t go in expecting the dreamy, swaying, carnival soundtrack from the film. Why in the world would someone turn that movie into a musical? We expected the whimsy and fun of the movie, but we weren’t expecting an on-the-nose parable story of how love and control cannot coexist. ![]() That’s what my wife and I did, and frankly, half the reason we went was curiosity. Attendees at last week’s NYC conference could have taken the N train to Midtown and seen Amélie on Broadway. ![]() Once you’ve caught up by seeing the movie, you can join the rest of the viewers in confusion over the reality that Amélie is now a musical. It’s on Netflix right now–if you’ve got time this week, put the kids to bed, snuggle up with a loved one, pop open a bottle of wine, and enjoy a bit of that inimitable French joie de vivre. ![]() Readers of the blog may be familiar with the 2001 French film Amélie, an indie love story powered by actor Audrey Tautou’s impish smile and director Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s whimsical storytelling.
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