Bye Bye Birdie (1995)

This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

A different way of telling a story

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

Yes, there is definitely a deserving cult following for the 1963 version of "Birdie", the surprise smash Broadway musical from 1960, but the changes which Columbia made were certainly jarring for those who originally saw it. Yes, Dick Van Dyke's presence was worthwhile as nobody else in 1963 could have done justice with what he had done on stage a few years ago. Like Robert Preston in "The Music Man" and Rex Harrison in "My Fair Lady", I'm sure those who turned down this part (if there were offers) indicated that they wouldn't even see the movie if Van Dyke wasn't in it. The less said about Janet Leigh replacing Chita Rivera the better.For the T.V. movie version, the writers really took a long look at the original book of the Broadway show which hadn't been revived as of yet. Had they seen the 2009 Broadway revival, they might have reconsidered, but what didn't work back then wasn't the book, but uninspired casting and dull staging. Jason Alexander and Vanessa Williams are at first an odd pairing for the roles of Albert and Rose, but they actually play really well off of each other. Alexander, a stage veteran who found fame on T.V., is quite charming in the role of the song writer whom Williams begs to leave the business to become "An English Teacher". In spite of the fact that Rose is supposed to be Hispanic, Williams is very convincing in the role. (After all, Debbie Allen too had score in another Chita Rivera Broadway role as Anita in "West Side Story", and she was obviously not Puerto Rican.) Her "Spanish Rose" is filled with the passion that Rivera exhilarated and not at all laughably unbelievable when Janet Leigh played the role.The weakest casting comes with Chynna Phillips who is obviously way over 17, even making Ann-Margret acceptable in that part. But the emphasis is on Albert and Rose, not on Kim, Hugo and Birdie. Broadway vet Marc Kudisch had played Birdie on stage (on tour) and gives the ego-centric character a lot of humor. George Wendt makes Harry McAfee a lot more masculine and adds a different comic touch than Paul Lynde did, although Lynde's casting and personality made his moments on stage and screen truly show-stopping. (It would have been very ironic for those who were lucky enough to see Van Dyke's understudy, Charles Nelson Reilly, playing opposite Lynde.) Back in the story is the character of Gloria Rasputin (Vicki Lewis) whom Mrs. Peterson (Tyne Daly) utilizes to try and break Albert and Rose up. Daly, having won acclaim for her Mama Rose on Broadway in "Gypsy", is given a number, but it is pretty obvious that Charles Strouse and Lee Adams were forced to rush it together. Fortunately, the remainder of the original Broadway score returns, and "Put on a Happy Face" is returned to its original slot in the story, sung by Albert to a bunch of sad fans rather than made another duet for Albert and Rose. Alexander also gets "Talk to Me" back, cut from the movie, while a few new songs written for him and Williams aren't too bad. The direction is also very good, giving Gene Saks a second chance after the debacle that was the "Mame" movie.

It's not a minor problem that ten minutes into the opening, I had trouble buying the premise, that Vanessa Williams had waited eight years for Jason Alexander to become an English professor and marry her. In the original, Dick Van Dyke and Chita seemed like a match made in heaven, so I was on board from the word go. Otherwise, I thought the casting was great, although Chinna Phyllips didn't have the voice of either Susan Watson (stage) or Ann Margrett (screen), and she couldn't do her songs justice. I thought Reinking's choreography was a bit claustrophobic, although the kids were energetic and adorable and really evoked a sixties innocence. Strouse was about 30 when he wrote the music, which I think epitomizes the melodiousness of the best of Broadway musicals. Every number is catchy and so many remain in the canon of unforgettable theater hits. As for the book, the farcical treatment of small town America is hilarious, but I think you need to have been alive in the early sixties to appreciate it fully. Finally, if you need the best excuse to check out this version, it's Tyne Daley as Alexander's bullying mother. Having played in Birdie and Gypsy (as Mama Rose), she has established herself as the comic mother from hell, her franchise for all time. It's like she's possessed, and her performance is mesmerizing.

I found this to be a charming adaptation, very lively and full of fun. With the exception of a couple of major errors, the cast is wonderful. I have to echo some of the earlier comments -- Chynna Phillips is horribly miscast as a teenager. At 27, she's just too old (and, yes, it DOES show), and lacks the singing "chops" for Broadway-style music. Vanessa Williams is a decent-enough singer and, for a non-dancer, she's adequate. However, she is NOT Latina, and her character definitely is. She's also very STRIDENT throughout, which gets tiresome.The girls of Sweet Apple's Conrad Birdie fan club really sparkle -- with special kudos to Brigitta Dau and Chiara Zanni. I also enjoyed Tyne Daly's performance, though I'm not generally a fan of her work. Finally, the dancing Shriners are a riot, especially the dorky three in the bar.The movie is suitable for the whole family, and I highly recommend it.

I guess I am coming late to the party. I just saw this 1995 version of Bye Bye Birdy on Sky TV. I didn't know it existed and was fully prepared to see the 1963 film version when I turned it on.I played Albert a long time ago and I am thinking of putting on an amateur production of the show because I remembered it as being so much fun to do. I was not impressed with this newer version. It just wasn't enough fun. It was not colorful. It lacked the exuberance of youth. The lighting was bad. No one seemed to mention this fact. This is not a moody musical, it is bright and up beat. The lighting decision was a poor creative choice.Bye Bye Birdy is a farce, a comedy of errors. I got no sense of that in this version. The lighting was awful and it dulled the overall performances. The dance numbers seemed anemic as well. We do have music videos these day. At least the dance numbers should have measured up to some of the best of those, or how about some of the best of Broadway. The choreographer was asleep at the wheel it seemed.Although all the actors were supremely talented, there were some really bad casting choices. Vanessa Williams is not Latin, and with so many talented Latin performers out there, wouldn't it have been more correct to cast one of them in the role of Rosie. Vanessa is African American, lovely and talented, but bad casting. Jason Alexander's effort was astounding, he always does intelligent work, but he just wasn't Albert. He was miscast and I think that is obvious to most people who see this version.The medium of film is not the medium of stage. There needs to be translation from one medium to another. The exuberance and the flash of stage musical must be TRANSLATED to film. There is no merit being faithful to a stage script when it is being filmed. The spirit, the essence of the production must be brought forth. To me the 1963 film production of Bye Bye Birdy was bright and lively, while the 1995 production was as gloomy as the lighting and as lackluster as the dance numbers. It turned out to be an unfortunate waste of effort by many really talented people.