When you think of movie musicals, a host of people come to mind: Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, Liza Minnelli and Julie Andrews, just to name a few. This last individual arguably did more for the musical than any other movie star. Really, who hasn't seen her sing of hills that are alive with the sound of music? What child didn't want the loveable, quirky Ms. Poppins to come knock on their door? Her career was unique in this way; she chose a wide array of work to produce. But Andrews is the poster child of a generation of film stars whose mark is sadly missing from film today.
Nowadays, we live in a world where Julie Andrews no longer makes melodies come alive onscreen. Without her, our lives — and our cinema — have become much less musical. She remains representative of decades of actors and actresses who treated musical films seriously. These men and women incorporated the works of famous musicals alongside more dramatic fare.
This isn't to say we live in a world devoid of musicals and the fun that comes along with them. Trust us, we think that Catherine Zeta−Jones was fierce in "Chicago"(2002), like many other sassy cinema−lovers. And it's hard to ignore the cultural zeitgeist of "Glee" — it may be a TV show, but it shows that people still love themselves a musical.
But this leaves us thinking, where have all the Julies gone? Musicals are becoming less and less like the star vehicles they used to be. "Hairspray" (2007) serves as a great example. It had a Hollywood−studded cast, but left the lead role to the previously unknown Nikki Blonsky. While the movie tried to provide audiences with a "star is born" moment, it didn't take. Look at her career since — it's been comprised of Lifetime and ABC Family fare.
Basically, if we want to see more musical films in the future, we need more stars like Julie. So where does one begin on the quest to find the next Julie Andrews? A good start may well be to look at one of her former co−stars. Anne Hathaway had a promising career start with the pair of "Princess Diaries" films. She adequately displayed a humorous sensibility while being very beautiful. Recently, she displayed major revelatory moments when she sang on the Oscars telecasts in 2009 and 2011.
But Hathaway lacks the same good−girl, squeaky−clean charm that made Andrews so beloved by America. She may do a good job of playing lighter roles — look no further than her spoof of Mary Poppins from her appearance on "Saturday Night Live" — but those don't constitute the bulk of her upcoming parts.
So whom else can we turn to? Well, there aren't that many stars to choose from. There certainly could be crossover potential for many of the "Glee" stars if they ever consider a more pronounced move to the larger screen. But let's face it: Lea Michele is trying to be Barbra Streisand, not Julie Andrews. No, we'd place our bets on one star in particular. We think Amy Adams has great potential to take the reins.
With "The Muppets" (2011), Adams showed that her brilliant musical turn in "Enchanted" (2007) was no fluke. She is not afraid of lighthearted roles, and displays the acting chops to turn them into revelations. It isn't a surprise that some critics' organizations gave her Best Actress nominations for her role in the farcical "Enchanted" (2007). Moreover, Adams displays the same quirky yet squeaky−clean sensibility that made Andrews beloved by so many. So while Adams may be busy now filming movies about Scientology (the upcoming "The Master"), we wouldn't be surprised if her next visit to the Kodak Theater as a nominee coincides with something more melodic.
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Jacob Passy is a junior majoring in international relations. He can be reached at Jacob.Passy@tufts.edu. Alex Kaufman is a sophomore majoring in sociology. He can be reached at Alexander.Kaufman@tufts.edu.
