Video/DVD Review: Grease
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this movie is full of somewhat
racy material, although most of it isn't any more shocking than
the content of today's teen flicks and television shows. Still,
you might want to give it a quick "refresher" watch before
showing it to kids under 13 to make sure you remember exactly
what they'll be seeing.
Families can talk about how some things about high school are
always the same, even if you're not singing about them in
poodle skirts. Why do the Pink Ladies tease Sandy? Why does she
feel like she needs to conform? What does Rizzo's song "There
Are Worse Things I Could Do" convey about her personality?
This movie covers quintessential high school moments: the big pep rally, the school dance, worrying about image, and, of course, falling in love. Though viewers shouldn't expect a highly accurate portrayal of life in the 1950s, the relationships between characters will feel like familiar emotional ground to many viewers. When it comes to an entertaining mix of singing, dancing, and comedy, GREASE -- which won a People's Choice Award -- is hard to beat. Adolescents will especially enjoy seeing John Travolta in his early days (boy, can he dance!).
Grease was the word when this movie came out in 1978, and the word is still alive and well today, as evidenced by the movie's ever-growing legion of fans. In fact, it is the most profitable movie musical of all time, whose biggest hit, "Summer Nights," remains a standard at weddings, karaoke parties, and dances. Although the story is somewhat weak, the music and contagious energy more than make up for it, as do stellar performances by John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing, and Jeff Conaway.
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