17. South Pacific (2001) - Glenn Close, Harry Connick, Jr. This is about the navy (?) and nurses stationed in the South Pacific (hence the title) in WW2. Glenn Close is a nurse in charge of all the other nurses who falls in love with a French plantation owner after she meets him once and they sing a song together. Harry Connick, Jr. is a marine who gets sent to the island to go on a dangerous mission, and ends up falling in love with a girl from a mysterious island who gets pimped out by her mom. (Seriously.)
I have in my possession the 1958 version, but I watched the tv movie version with a friend of mine the other night. Before I write it off completely, I will give it another chance, because the whole time I couldn't get over the tv movie feel of the whole thing. Plus, I don't really like Glenn Close, and I really like Mitzi Gaynor, who plays the same role in the older version.
Anyway. What I liked were the songs, and the scenery, and that it was actually filmed in Australia, Tahiti, and French Polynesia instead of somewhere like L.A. (I always find that extremely disappointing.) Also, the French dude was fairly attractive and his kids were really cute.
What I did not like were several things. First of all, the racism came out of NOWHERE. Yes, Glenn Close mentions several times she is from the Southern United States, which is perhaps supposed to explain to the viewers that she is a Racist Hick from the South, but she treats all the non-Caucasian characters with affection and respect for the whole movie. And then she finds out that her French boyfriend has kids with a "coloured woman" and FLIPS OUT. All of a sudden she can't marry him, and finds his kids repugnant, and wants to move away. If you hate non-Caucasian people that much, that the thought of your boyfriend being married to one previously disgusts you enough to break off an engagement you were ecstatic about two seconds earlier, it must come out in your behaviour before that. It's like she was all, "Oh, right. I'm supposed to be a racist. Ew, your kids are gross."
Same with Harry Connick, Jr, and the lady he falls in love with. Maybe I just don't understand the racism of the time, and how it actually ended up affecting your behaviour - but he's pals with this lady Bloody Mary, and then he meets her daughter and has sex with her a million times (the daughter), but when Bloody Mary says he has to marry her he's all, "Oh wait, no, I'm a racist. I completely forgot I'm supposed to find you disgusting."
Another thing I disliked was that the navy asks the French plantation guy to go on this super dangerous mission for them, which will help turn the tide of the war, but he will probably die. The thing is, he's only just met Glenn Close, whom he quite likes. So he's all, "No way, man. I've got something to live for."
Which is fine, except that after she suddenly remembers her deep-rooted prejudice and breaks up with him, he changes his mind and decides to go on this suicide mission EVEN THOUGH HE HAS TWO YOUNG CHILDREN AT HOME. "I won't risk my life when there's the possibility of hooking up with a pretty girl I just met, but my kids? Psh, I've got an old guy who takes care of them. Bring on the probably death by Japanese soldiers!"
Also, I was confused by the lack of proper military protocol. All I know about military protocol I know from watching tv shows and from talking with an EA at my school who used to be in the military, but this I know: they are trained to show RESPECT. Like, forced to show respect. Like, when the Commander or whatever is on the stage before the half-naked girls come on, the rest of the navy would NOT be throwing things at him and telling him to get off the stage. And a bunch of young officers would NOT only get thrown in the brig for beating up a marine. COME ON.
Anyway. In sum, there were some good parts, but I didn't really like this version. A contributing factor was probably that Glenn Close's haircut did not suit her face at all. Hopefully Mitzi Gaynor made a wiser choice.
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