| What the flames is Newsies? |
| Here's what it says on the back of the movie case: *big announcer voice* "Starring Academy Award winner Robert Duvall and screen favorite Ann-Margret, here's the true story of a courageous group of newsboys who become unlikely heroes when they team up to fight an unscrupulous newspaper tycoon. Determined to make their dreams come true, they find the courage to challenge the powerful!" Blah blah blah... Okay, that's all well and good, and I guess it's all true, but what does it REALLY tell you? Not much. Who cares about old actors like Robert Duvall and the chic from Bye Bye, Birdie? They weren't even main characters in the movie. (No offense whatsoever to Duvall - who played in The Godfather...two thumbs up for the Italian mafia ;P) ANYWHO Newsies/Newsboys are the children you see in old movies standing on the street corner yelling "Extra! Extra! Read all about it!" trying to sell newspapers. Here's how it worked - the newsies bought newspapers from individual papers like The New York Times, The New York World, and The New York Sun. The original price that the newsies paid was 1/2 a penny per paper, and they sold their papers to the public for one cent each, thus making a profit. In the summer of 1899, Joseph Pulitzer and the other newspaper owners decided to raise the price that the newsies had to pay to get their papers, but leave the amount they sold it for the same. Basically, the newsies were making less money, and they weren't happy about it. So they chose to go on strike - refusing to sell papers. This created a problem for the newspaper owners because they weren't making nearly as much money as before. That - in a nut shell - is the plot of the movie. The reason I love Newsies so much is not because of its brilliant plot. Newsies is a musical. It's got singing, dancing - the whole bit. The music makes me wanna get up and sing and dance right along with the beautiful boys onscreen. *sigh* Now I know not everyone likes musicals...and if you don't like them, then you might not like Newsies. I would just like to say that, for the record, almost everyone I know who's seen Newsies, likes it. Just this year, it was rereleased on VHS and DVD, due to the great fan movement. If you've read all of this, and if Newsies seems interesting to you - then I suggest you go and rent it right this minute. Enjoy. :) |