WHAT I ALREADY KNEW ABOUT THE MOVIE:
Only that it was some sort of patriotic musical.
LET ME EXPLAIN...
This movie certainly had patriotism and music, so I was mostly correct in what I knew about it. However, I didn't realize that this was essentially a biography picture of George M. Cohan. I had no idea who George M. Cohan was, but he was evidently a singer, songwriter, dancer, producer, writer, and actor, and he "owned" Broadway in the early 20th century and is considered the father of American musical comedy. I'm a bit embarrassed I didn't know any of this already.
Also, a couple songs George Cohan wrote were inspiration for the US military through World War I and World War II, leading him to receive a special Congressional Medal of Honor. Neat.
I think I've established that George Cohan was quite a guy. As for the film itself, my wife and I weren't that into it because - as I mentioned earlier - we didn't know who George M. Cohan was and didn't really have any interest in knowing more about him. Don't get me wrong, it was a very well-done musical, and James Cagney did an outstanding job playing the lead role, but the content would almost be like if you made a movie about "Aunt Ruth". I don't know your Aunt Ruth, and I don't really have much interest to learn about her life. If I had to watch the movie, I'd think "hey, good for Ruth!" but I wouldn't be super excited with learning more about her.
What makes this a "Top 100" Movie?
Well, it is the AMERICAN Film Institute's Top 100 List, and this is the most patriotic film I've seen yet. It's also a tribute to (apparently) one of the greatest entertainers and creative minds in the history of live theatre, and it's one of the sharpest-made musicals I've seen. It deservedly won three Academy Awards for Best Music, Best Sound, and Best Actor for James Cagney's performance (check out the video below to see the scene where he tap dances down a flight of stairs...crazy!).
Complaints?
For some reason, the first scene with George Cohan and the President didn't really seem to be acted all that well. Fortunately, that was the only time I didn't think Cagney's performance was stellar, as he was excellent in every other scene.
LET ME SUM UP...
Good musical with a very patriotic feel. It's got classic American songs in it which makes it fun, but unless you know who George M. Cohan was and you want to know more about his life, it might not be the most riveting story. But it's a decent film, nonetheless.
MY RATING: 5.5/10
TOTAL # OF FILMS WATCHED: 80
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