December 7: Musical Monday

Back in June, I was in Manhattan, just after the Tony Awards, and managed to score a great seat to the award-winning revival of Hair. The show, which is admittedly more of a revue than an actual book musical, was performed by a cast with zeal and an infectious spirit that I don't think anyone left the theater except in a jolly good mood. I had seen the 1979 Milos Forman-directed film when it first was released (and rather enjoyed it then), but a later viewing left me cold. Maybe I was just in a mood that day or something because I happened to catch the film again on the MGMHD channel (had no idea this even existed -- when I upgraded, it was among the listings) the other night and was captivated by it.

Screenwriter Michael Weller takes a lot of liberties with the rather skimpy original plot but much of what he concocted makes sense. He also includes homages to the stage show, including the infamous nude scene that closes the first act (now a skinny dip in a pond in Central Park) and an acid trip that on stage sometimes seems twee and perhaps even a tad tedious -- but here is a reflection of Claude's inner feelings.

In the film's story, Claude (John Savage) is from Oklahoma, has just been drafted and heads to New York City for some fun before shipping out. He encounters a group of hippies, led by George Berger (Treat Williams), and he eventually falls into their "tribe" that includes the pregnant Jeannie (Annie Golden), Woof (Don Dacus) and African American Hud (Dorsey Wright). Along the way they cross paths with society girl Sheila (Beverly D'Angelo) who also abandons the tony suburbs and joins the group.

Weller manages to work into the script nearly all of the catchy songs that Galt McDermot and James Rado and Gerome Ragni wrote. Forman uses "Aquarius" to frame the film and from the opening shots in Central Park, one immediately wants to go on this ride of a movie. Twyla Tharp did the choreography and there's some terrific staging involving horses in that opening number that still can cause one to stop and go "how did they accomplish that?" She also does terrific work on the numbers "Black Boys" and "White Boys" which inject humor and touch of silliness to the project (and the scenes involving these numbers include Laurie Beechman, Michael Jeter and Nell Carter -- who all left us too soon -- as well as Charlayne Woodard and Ellen Foley).

Forman is to be commended because he hired actors who could sing (several had stage credits) rather than relying on movie star names with questionable abilities. Williams is a charismatic ringleader (see the "I Got Life" number where he disrupts a staid suburban dinner party) and emerges as the genuine star of the movie. He's matched well, though, by Savage, who takes what might have been a cliche and turns him into a real person. D'Angelo is terrific as the not as uptight as you might expect debutante, while Golden invest her character with heart.

But hands down, the most electrifying moments come from Cheryl Barnes when she sings "Easy To Be Hard" as an anthem full of pain and hurt. The woman has amazing screen presence and a voice that is unbelievable. Every time I hear her or see this sequence, I get goosebumps. Even the time I watched the film and wasn't into it, her scene just touched me immeasurably. She's gone on to pursue a singing career, but I wish someone would have cast her in at least another movie. (I can dream.) This song alone elevates the film to a different level.

The film's ending (which I won't detail for anyone unfamiliar with the material) hits a bull's-eye and catches one short. It makes one angry, sad and respectful without succumbing to pathos.

When Hair was first released in 1979, it wasn't a box-office success, perhaps because film audiences were only open to dramatic fare about Vietnam. The previous year, The Deer Hunter and Coming Home had dominated the Academy Awards and Platoon and Full Metal Jacket were yet to be. Musicals weren't in vogue at the time, despite the yeoman work of Forman and his cast and crew. Over time, some have come to appreciate the film as among the director's better efforts. Now, more than 40 years after the original premiered on stage, and 30 years since the movie opened in theaters, it seems ripe for re-exploring. Try to catch it when it runs on cable or rent or buy the DVD. It's worth it.

Rating: B+