I think everybody has their own idea about what Clint Eastwood is like in real life.
I’m sure many envision him as the grizzled, squinting guy they’ve seen in Sergio Leone westerns, or perhaps they think he’s more similar to Dirty Harry, wondering if they feel lucky…punk.
However, in actuality, Eastwood’s got a softer side to him, and he LOVES music (one of his passion projects was a movie about Charlie Parker called Bird!). Well, Bird flopped, and so did Eastwood’s film adaptation of the hit Broadway show, Jersey Boys. That said, the 2014 movie is actually a really fascinating artifact, and I want to talk about it.
Honestly, It’s Relatively Close To The Broadway Musical, Though A Bit Edgier
Quite recently, I watched the Michael Jackson musical on Broadway, and I was struck by just how different it was from the somewhat recent movie. It’s not like I thought they would be 1:1 in their storylines (I knew, after all, that the play and the movie had nothing to do with each other), but I was surprised by just how different they were, given that they’re both biographical stories. Plus, the play even included a lot more of my favorite MJ songs than the film did (Like “Stranger in Moscow!”).
However, when it comes to stage-to-film adaptations, I don’t think you could get much closer than Jersey Boys. In fact, that might be a bit too much of a problem. You see, the Broadway musical is interesting in how stripped down it is. The main focus is always on the four leads, and the way the story is told through their songs is expertly done. The pacing never lets up.
That said, even though the film follows all the story beats from the play very closely (with perhaps a bit more grit), it still feels like there’s more focus on replicating the time period itself than on the characters and their experiences. This is actually a much bigger issue than I’d like it to be.
Eastwood Kind Of Seems Out Of His Depth With This One
Clint Eastwood is a master director, and I don’t think anybody will disagree. Films like Mystic River (an absolute gem), Million Dollar Baby (One of the best sports movies ever), and Unforgiven (possibly his best western) are proof positive that Eastwood could tackle many different genres.
That said, the musical might not be one of them, since Eastwood very much falters with this one. Again, it’s not the translation, as Eastwood adapts the storyline and fourth-wall-breaking setup from the musical expertly. Even so, the energy just isn’t the same as the stage play. Eastwood is known for getting films done quickly and doing minimal takes, but perhaps he should have sat with this one a bit longer, since some of the lines feel wonky, and the acting is kind of bad.
That’s not to say that the film still isn’t serviceable. But Jersey Boys isn’t the kind of movie musical (like Wicked Part 1…but not Wicked For Good) where I would say, “You don’t even need to see it on Broadway. Just watch the movie.” No, if you’re going to see Jersey Boys, see the musical. Eastwood was a little out of his depth with this one, and certainly not as good as Spielberg was when he did his excellent West Side Story adaptation.
Overall, It’s Not The Best Movie Musical, But It’s An Interesting Artifact
Is the 2014 Jersey Boys film great? No, not really. But, it’s still an interesting artifact.
To date, it’s Eastwood’s only musical based on a Broadway show (that he’s directed), and it’s also based on a fairly popular one. The same actor – John Lloyd Young – plays Frankie Valli in the original show, and in the movie, and the effort is definitely there…if not always meeting the mark.
However, it’s fascinating in that there’s no other movie like it in Eastwood’s filmography, and I think that’s kind of special. Personally, I enjoy it, despite its many flaws. What about you? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
