Mermania

Authors: Alex / Brian
Location: Washington State / Arizona

“Mermania"

Directed by Milos Forman
Written by Taylor Hackford & James Mangold
Music by Danny Elfman
A Weinstein Brother’s Release

Principal Cast:

Stockard Channing (Ethel Merman)
Glenn Close (Mary Martin)
Jeremy Irons (William Smith)
Bob Hoskins (Robert Levitt)
Jeffrey Tambor (Robert Six)
Robin Williams (Ernest Borgnine)
Sean Penn (Al Siegel)
Bebe Neuwirth (Jacqueline Susann)
Evan Rachel Wood (Ethel Levitt, Jr.)
Toby Maguire (Bobby Levitt)
Kevin Kline (Cole Porter)
Ben Kingsley (Irving Berlin)
Kevin Pollack (George Gershwin)
Liza Minnelli (Rosalind Russell)
George Clooney (Bing Crosby)
Kevin Spacey (Bob Hope)
Abigail Breslin (Young Ethel)
Jodie Foster (Alice Brady)

Tagline: "N/A"

Synopsis: She wasn’t beautiful. She had an ego the size of a small country. Many disliked her voice. But she was the queen of Broadway.

This is the story of Ethel Merman. It begins when she witnesses the success of her childhood hero, actress Alice Brady, and goes on to star in Broadway’s “Girl Crazy”, only to be followed by a huge stream of success. She starred in legendary musicals like “Annie, Get Your Gun”, “Anything Goes”, “Call me Madam” and “Gypsy”, becoming arguably the most popular Broadway diva of all time. The film also examines her rivalry and friendship with Mary Martin, her four husbands William Smith, Robert Levitt, Robert Six and Ernest Borgnine, her children, one of which died of a drug overdose (Ethel Jr.), as well as her friends, children, co-workers, rivals, her accompanist Al Siegel and her secret lesbian lover Jacqueline Susann.

The real star of the film is Merman’s ego, which grows and grows as she becomes more popular. All this leads up to her death by brain cancer in 1983. And, long after her death, she remains a theater legend.

What the press would say:

Even if you aren’t a fan of biopics, Broadway, or Ethel Merman, this film will get you begging on your knees for more of all those things. Stockard Channing gives the best performance of the decade as Broadway diva Ethel Merman; her casting is a Godsend. Amazing performances are also given from Glenn Close, Bebe Neuwirth, Robin Williams, and Sean Penn. “Mermania” lives up to all the hype it has been producing throughout the year, and is destined to be a major Oscar contender with a strong campaign in the following categories…

Best Picture
Best Director (Milos Forman)
Best Actress (Stockard Channing)
Best Supporting Actor (Robin Williams, Sean Penn)
Best Supporting Actress (Glenn Close, Bebe Neuwirth)
Best Original Screenplay (Taylor Hackford, James Mangold)
Best Original Score (Danny Elfman)
Best Costume Design
Best Film Editing