Chapter forty-three: The PROM(!!!)

GOSH! That was good, and I have the pleasure of telling you about it. It's like reliving the excitement for a second time! Let's see if I'll be able to convey it in my writing, shall we?

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The conflict of this film is best stated by the seventeen-year-old main character, Emma Nolan (Jo Ellen Pellman:)

"Note to self: Don't be gay in Indiana."

Emma is a teenager from Edgewater, Indiana, who identifies as a lesbian. Her prom was canceled by the PTA because she requested to dress in a tux and bring her girlfriend Alyssa (Ariana DeBose) to dance with. Alyssa is actually the daughter of the PTA President (Kerry Washington) but hasn't come out to her perfectionist mother yet. Not wanting to exclude Emma from the prom, the PTA decided the best thing to do was cancel it entirely. News of Emma's story travels to four mildly-narcissistic Broadway actors who are down on their luck:

1. Dee Dee Allen (the diva) - Meryl

2. Barry Glickman (the flamboyant one) - James Corden

3. Angle Dickinson (the sweet one) - Nicole Kidman

4. & Trent Oliver (the handsome one) - Andrew Rennelis.

Dee Dee and Barry are coming off of a show based on the Roosevelts that closed opening nights because the reviews were so bad, and the critics would have preferably killed themselves than bought tickets. Angie is struggling to play her dream role as Chicago's Roxie Hart, and Trent is a Juilliard graduate who won't shut up about it and is"in-between gigs." In their slumps, the foursome decides to take up a cause for some good public representation. They find Emma on Twitter and decide to become the biggest thing in Indiana since...ever.

At Emma's school, the actors make an unexpected entrance, and Dee Dee breaks into a song and dance that tops it all, let me tell you. The school's principal, Mr. Hawkins (Keegan-Michael Key,) is quite a fan of Dee Dee, and so he is very moved by her message, and they even go out for dinner; both single.

The Indiana lifestyle apart from New York is troublesome for Dee Dee and Barry, who have to accept that the hotels have no suites, and if you want to go shopping, you have to do it at Kmart. But as they adjust, their arrival has stirred up the desired commotion, and an inclusive prom has been planned. Only, so has a second, non-inclusive one. Emma is left standing alone in a gymnasium, and it motivates the actors to fight harder. Although the secret's out that they originally came for publicity, and Mr. Hawkins has lost respect for Dee Dee, by now, they truly are invested in the cause. Angie and Emma become particularly close through a song I like called Zazz. It's message being, don't be nervous. Channel your nervous energy into finding your spark.

Soon, the actors become more human. Dee Dee makes mention of the fact that she is divorced from a fifteen-year marriage because her husband used her for the money and cheated on her repeatedly until his talk show picked up and she figured him out. She left but had to give him half her money in the process. Barry also has had a painful past. He acts as Emma's close confidant because his parents rejected him like her's. After spilling their guts to each other in a hotel room, Barry motivates Dee Dee to get Mr. Hawkins back, and Dee Dee tells Barry to call his mother.

In the following scene, Dee Dee sings The Lady's Improving to Mr. Hawkins and regains his loyalty to her. It's a song about admitting your faults but improving in spite of them. It's a song that feeds me spiritually and one that I take to heart because I feel that I improved this year; it's a great song on all four corners. I sing it in the shower more times than what is probably healthy.

Now, everyone is on board, and all Emma has to do is share her story. Alyssa can't do it with her for fear of her own mother; the girls break up. Dee Dee can get Emma on her ex-husband's talk show, but it comes at the price of losing her Hampton's House. She makes the call, but Emma has already shot her own video. Dee Dee is so proud to have put the needs of others before her own, but hearing that Emma has shot her own video sends her into literal attack mode,

"You owe me a house! She took my house!"

Emma's video goes viral, and the actors plan a prom with all of the money they have left before they go bankrupt- even Dee Dee. At this moment, Alyssa makes a grand gesture by coming out to her mother in front of Emma. They get back together, but Alyssa's mom doesn't take it well. The prom goes on. It's so colorful and looks like SO MUCH FUN. The end result is Dee Dee with Mr. Hawkins, Barry and his mother have made up, Angie got the call to play the role of Roxie Hart, Trent is the school's new theater director, Emma and Alyssa can dance together, and Alyssa's mother has put her petty viewpoint aside. It's a wonderful work for theater with an empowering message that love will prevail. It's very uplifting, and I encourage you to watch it. If you aren't persuaded to watch it by my writing, at least watch it for the A-list cast. James Corden is really funny.

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This musical is based on a true story and is a Netflix adaptation of the Broadway musical. I cannot stress enough how much I adored this movie. I know I've made mention before that I am an utter nerd for musicals, but it was especially prevalent tonight. As a young girl who comes from Indiana with a majority of gay friends, it rings a cord for me. I've seen my friends struggle on account of their sexuality, and it's hard to watch them feel like an outcast even in their own families. It's films like these that only strengthen my passion for writing. To be able to create something like this that handles a minority viewpoint in a state where that viewpoint is not widely shared amongst people sends me into rapture.

As always, thank you for the entertainment, Meryl.