Anything Goes!

Authors: Al
Location: New York

“Anything Goes!”

Directed by Baz Luhrmann
Written by Bill Condon
Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter
Additional Music by Danny Elfman

Principal Cast:

Reno Sweeney: Catherine Zeta-Jones
Billy Crocker: Harry Connick, Jr.
Moonface Martin: Billy Crystal
Bonnie: Kristin Chenoweth
Sir Evelyn Oakleigh: Tim Curry
Hope Harcourt: Rachel Weisz
Mrs. Wadsworth T. Harcourt: Carol Burnett
Elisha J. Whitney: Mel Brooks

Cameos:

Kelsey Grammer as The Captain
Hunter Foster as The Purser
Jon Stewart as The Cameraman
Jamie Foxx as The Reporter

Tagline: "The renowned Cole Porter creates a musical classic where anything goes!"

Synopsis: The classic Broadway musical by Cole Porter finally makes it to the silver screen in this fond look back at the extravagances of the early 1930’s.

Reno Sweeney is a famous nightclub singer/evangelist on a cruise across the Atlantic . Also on board is her friend, Billy, a stowaway dodging his cantankerous, senile boss Whitney and trying to win the heart of Hope Harcourt, who is also on the boat. Only one hitch: Evelyn Oakleigh, a stuffy British lord trapped in a loveless engagement with Hope orchestrated by her domineering, class-obsessed mother Mrs. Harcourt. Also, the bumbling Moonface Martin, Public Enemy #13 is on board with his ditzy moll Bonnie, posing as a preacher to escape the American authorities. Reno and Moonface help Billy to drive away Evelyn, while Reno might be falling in love with him. Anything Goes is a cornucopia of mistaken identities, romantic mishaps, and true love, creating a perfect replication of the classic movie musicals of old, supplemented by eye-popping musical numbers written by Cole Porter including classics like “Anything Goes”, “You’re the Top”, “I Get A Kick Out of You”, “It’s De-Lovely”, “Let’s Do It” and a special extra number written by Stephen Sondheim himself.

What the press would say:

“Outstanding. ‘Anything Goes’ provides plenty of good times on its musical roller-coaster ride of a movie. Baz Luhrmann is given an all-star, multi-talented cast and uses them to stir up the joy of peppy musical films like ‘Singing in the Rain’. Luhrmann has the perfect mixture of fantasy and reality, and his lavish song-and-dance numbers are almost perfect. Catherine Zeta-Jones is absolutely radiant, and so is Harry Connick Jr., in one of his first major motion picture roles. Billy Crystal, Tim Curry and Rachel Weisz are all terrific. Carol Burnett does a great job of replicating an over-protective mother. Mel Brooks is still hilarious after all these years, but special mention goes to Kristin Chenoweth, who proves herself as an extraordinary actress to movie audiences after winning 2 Tonys and Broadway acclaim. She turns a role that could have been clichéd into an absolute delight. Bill Condon’s script is one of his best yet, and the entire spectacle of the whole thing might even trump “Chicago” and “Moulin Rouge”.

For Your Consideration:

Best Picture
Best Director: Baz Luhrmann
Best Actress: Catherine Zeta-Jones
Best Actor: Harry Connick, Jr.
Best Supporting Actor: Tim Curry
Best Supporting Actress: Kristin Chenoweth
Best Supporting Actress: Carol Burnett
Best Adapted Screenplay: Bill Condon
Best Art Direction
Best Costume Design
Best Makeup
Best Sound
Best Original Song: “I’ve Been There” Catherine Zeta-Jones and Kristin Chenoweth, written by Stephen Sondheim