There’s few words needed to describe audience reactions when Mamma Mia! The Movie hit the big screen this summer – “a laugh a minute” and “zany fun.” Who would that film starring mostly over 50 talents and featuring songs from the 1980s would be the talk of the town.
Meryl Streep (The Devil Wears Prada) and Pierce Brosnan (Die Another Day) star in a musical about a young girl who is about to be married on an exotic island but can’t invite her father because she doesn’t know who he is.
Enter mom, the unorthodox but still sexy Donna Sheridan. She’s excited that Sophia (Amanda Seyfried) is getting married even if she seems too young. Donna invites her best chums – Tanya (Christine Baranski) and Rosie (Julie Walters) to help prepare for and celebrate the occasion.
Christine Baranski, Meryl Streep & Julie Waters
The girls tell Donna she should invite Sophia’s dad. She confesses she’s not sure who he is. These three actresses together are a modern day version of the Marx Brothers.
Stellan Skarsgard, Pierce Brosnan & Colin Firth
Somehow all three prospects – Sam (Pierce Brosnan), Harry (Colin Firth) and Bill (Stellan Skarsgard) – show up and celebrate they all do from dancing on tables and prancing around the island to songbook of Abba tunes. To say most of these crooners (except Streep & Seyfried) aren’t as good as American Idol contestants is an understatement but it’s not singers that make this movie hilariously fun. It’s how they sing and how zany the complete story is. Even the men that were dragged along with wives and girlfriends commented they would see it again.
Maybe that’s why the DVD, out December 16, has hit pay dirt! Mamma Mia! The Movie, the most successful film musical of all time worldwide, saw first day domestic DVD and Blu-ray consumers spend more than $30 million. Universal Studios Home Entertainment sold over 2.25 million units of the Golden Globe -nominated blockbuster on December 16, 2008. An unprecedented worldwide box office phenomenon, Mamma Mia! The Movie has already been proclaimed the fastest selling DVD of all time in the U.K. after first-day sales reached 1.6 million units, surpassing the previous decade-long record holder Titanic on November 24, 2008 by over a half-million units, or 50 percent of total sales.
Overflowing with high-spirited fun, Mamma Mia! The Movie is the ultimate film for every “Dancing Queen” to enjoy at home this holiday season, and makes the perfect gift for the whole family. The film recently garnered two Golden Globe nominations including Best Picture (Musical or Comedy) and Best Actress in Musical or Comedy for Meryl Streep.
“Adding spectacular star power to the record-breaking popularity of the global stage hit and the unforgettable music of ABBA has made Mamma Mia! The Movie the must-see film event of the year,” said Craig Kornblau, President, Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Universal Pictures Digital Platform. “That unbeatable combination has created extraordinary demand for the new DVD and Blu-ray releases, as demonstrated by its phenomenal success in the U.S. and all over the world.”
Die-hard ABBA fans aren’t the only ones dancing on their feet to own this DVD. Available for a limited time only, the most infectiously fun movie of the year comes in two-disc Special Edition widescreen DVD and two-disc Blu-ray Hi-Def with digital copy. Both versions are packed with bonus materials including a deleted musical number, “Name of the Game,” and a sing-along feature that provides onscreen lyrics to the film’s 22 musical numbers. And, only on Blu-ray, fans can create their own video, audio or text track to watch with the movie and share with friends.
Special Features
• Feature Commentary with Director Phyllida Lloyd
• Sing Along – On-screen lyrics for 22 Musical Numbers
• Deleted Musical Number – “The Name of the Game”
Photo credits: Peteer Mountain/Universal Pictures
