Grease [PG]

A summer romance finds sugary sweet Sandy Olsson and hip heartthrob Danny Zuko in each other’s arms at the beach and proclaiming their love for one another. But then summer ends and Danny goes back to being the cool leader of a gang of greasers whilst Sandy goes back to Australia. But then, as fate would have it, a change of plans brings Sandy to Rydell High School and Danny faces a multitude of challenges as he is forced to choose between his image and his heart. 

Grease is the word, is the word that you heard. It’s got groove, it’s got meaning. Grease is the time, is the place, is the motion. Grease is the way we are feeling. 

The clichéd and classic musical that everyone has to come know and most have come to love, Grease has to be the best high school movie ever made as it still continues to entertain and appeal to audiences of all ages, decades after its premiere. The story, the characters, the costumes, and most of all, the music makes Grease a wonder that has earned its place in The Book and secured its place in musical cinematic history. 

A summer romance finds sugary sweet Sandy Olsson and hip heartthrob Danny Zuko in each other’s arms at the beach and proclaiming their love for one another. But then the summer ends and Danny goes back to being the hip leather-clad leader of a gang of greasers whilst Sandy goes back to Australia. But then, as fate would have it, a change of plans brings Sandy to Rydell High School and Danny faces a multitude of challenges as he is forced to choose between his image and his heart. 

Set against the backdrop of high school in the 50s, which really is the best era for high school movies, Grease is a classic example of what happens when you take a little bit of everything, chuck it altogether and then let it completely raise in the oven. It’s a delightful quiche of drama, comedy, romance, and style. 

The basic story is as old as the hills, but it’s still a story that touches every girl’s romantic fancy: boy meets girl and although they are from completely different worlds, they overcome adversity and prove that love conquers all. Since Grease, we have seen that romance tale time and time again in Aladdin, Cinderella, Pretty In Pink, and even the Twilight saga. 

But it’s not the story that makes Grease the phenomenal film that it is. Patrick Swayze can dirty dance his way out of the spotlight because every girl’s dream guy is brought to life through John Travolta’s memorable performance as the bad-boy-on-the-outside-but-heart-of-gold-within…although Johnny Depp in Cry Baby could give him a bit of a run for his money. With his leather jacket, his tight jeans, and his lustrous locks, any woman who does not swoon when she sees John on the screen should be shot. As if a greaser John is not enough, we see him dish out some phenomenal musical numbers as well as dance sequences. Seriously, Greased Lightnin’ has everyone in front of their TV doing the moves along with the actors. Even the people who say they hate the film. Don’t deny it! 

The other actor who deserves a special mention is Stockard Channing who plays renowned school tart, Rizzo. Stockard is a very strong actress and though hers was a supporting role, she really made her presence known and her character not only brought much of the maturity and drama to the movie, but she also gave us that memorable and tear-jerking performance when she sang one of my all-time favourite songs: There Are Worse Things I Could Do. 

Without a doubt, the music was the defining feature of this film as it goes through a range of genres from the boppy pop sound of Summer Lovin’ to the hard rock ‘n’ roll of Greased Lightnin’ to the sentimental and romantic Beauty School Drop-Out. You cannot help but sing along with every single song that comes up in this film, whether it be the heartfelt Hopelessly Devoted to You or the sarcastic Look At Me, I’m Sandra Dee. 

And on top of the romantic story and the high school dramas, there is a layer of comedy, which manifests itself in many forms, but none so memorable as the clichéd beginning and the terrible cheesy ending. No more needs to be said, but if you’ve been living under and floorboard and have not seen either, you’d better run down to your local Blockbuster and get a copy. 

Starring Olivia Newton-John, Jeff Conaway, Barry Pearl, Michael Tucci, Kelly Ward, Didi Conn, Jamie Donnelly, Dinah Manoff, Eve Arden, Joan Blondell, Edd Byrnes, Sid Caesar, Sha-Na-Na, and Frankie Avalon, Grease is a wonderful and completely classic film that is filled with leather, cars, action, romance, comedy, drama, dancing, and good old-fashioned everything. It’s just a load of fun and I absolutely love it to bits.