Forever in Peace May You Wave

FANTASTIC FANTASTIC FANTASTIC

That is all that can be said!  Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) truly has the stuff that great films are made of: song, dance, joy, lovable characters and actors, while preserving a piece of the American spirit that many of my generation never knew existed.  This film is the story of broadway-musical guru George M. Cohan.  He grew up traveling the country with his family who performed vaudeville and various musical acts together, and he went on to produce some of the most well-known patriotic songs in our country's history, i.e. "You're a Grand Old Flag" as well as songs that fed the flames of American patriotism during World War I, "Over There".

I have never been drawn to films made before my own lifetime mainly because I don't find them as complex or interesting as the movies made today.  Whether that be due to technological effects or acting technique, I am not sure...  I don't use this as a general rule of thumb, I just know my own taste in film.  Yankee Doodle Dandy does not possess any of the negative qualities I often find with classic film: the acting was not overdramatic, the plot kept me interested throughout the entire 2 hours, and the lack of visual effects or color did not deter me at all.  The actors' glamour and charisma was undeniable, the tap dancing was heart-stopping, and the story swept me away into a different world.  Many shy away from anything associated with "Broadway", but in the case of this movie that would be a HUGE mistake.  The end of the film left me feeling uplifted with an utmost sense of pride, something that no movie-fan will be able to dismiss.

Historical significance + attention grabbing plot + lovable characters + out-of-this-world song and dance abilities????  Definitely equals one of the top movies of all time.

"You're a grand old flag,

you're a high flying flag,

and forever in peace may you wave.

You're the emblem of

the land I love,

the home of the free and the brave.

Every heart beats true

'neath the red white and blue,

where there's never a boast or a brag.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot

keep your eye on the grand old flag."

My Rating:

Visual - 8

Acting - 9

Script/Plot - 10

Attention - 8

Emotion - 10

Total = 45/50