I haven’t been feeling just the best this weekend. I have something that’s making me shaky and a little sick to my stomach. So in an effort to make myself feel better, I pulled out the film that’s been my “sick movie” since I was 8–Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.
This 1954 MGM musical is a quirky tale of Adam Pontipee, the eldest of seven brothers, who goes to town one day determined to find a wife. And he does in Milly (played by Jane Powell). But Milly has dreams of a farm and home all to themselves, until she meets Adam’s six brothers, who all live on the farm in the Oregon Territory too.
But Milly quickly learns to love her brothers and teaches them how to court and dance and takes them to a barn raising where they all meet the girls of their dreams. The brothers are all love-sick until Adam suggests that they go off and kidnap their women–“like the Romans did.” Things turn bad when they forget to kidnap the parson, and Milly is furious. But count on a classic musical to wrap it up neatly in no time at all.
As I rewatched this last night, I was reminded that it is terribly cheesy. Yet I have great memories of when I was a kid and I got sick, and we didn’t have a tv at the time. We were packed up to move out of the country, and I got sick. So my dad did the 10 minute, Reader’s Digest version for me … including singing and dancing and the whole bit. How could I ever have another favorite sick movie?
If you haven’t seen this classic, go rent it! It’s totally worth it! Until next time. -LJ