My mom had not been to a movie theater since seeing Meet the Parents with my dad in 2000. His prolonged battle with alzheimers made it impossible. My sister took her to see Jersey Boys on stage a couple years ago. She hinted strongly that she wanted to see the new movie, directed by Clint Eastwood. So, we piled into the minivan last night and drove to Rio Grande to see the movie.
It was well worth the trip. I love The Four Seasons music. It is timeless and holds up to this day. I didn’t know the back story behind the band. It was a fascinating character analysis. Clint Eastwood should be up for best director, and the movie should get Oscar consideration. The musical numbers were fantastic. Even my teenage sons liked the movie and the music.
John Lloyd Young as Franky Valli does an outstanding job. His singing is as close as you can get to Franky Valli’s unmistakeable sound. Christopher Walken is funny and understated as the man behind the scenes, protecting the group. Vincent Piazza does a great job as the bad boy that breaks up the group. I bet you didn’t know Joe Pesci had a major role in the formation of the Four Seasons.
Of course, Avalon had a personal connection to the movie. On one of her Daily Show excursions to NYC a month ago, her and her friend entered an unassuming Irish Pub and sat at the bar. The guy next to them asked if they wanted to play some sort of dice game. They said sure. Eventually his girlfriend arrived and they continued to talk. The girlfriend then revealed that his name was Donnie Kehr and he was in the Jersey Boys movie, after appearing in the Broadway version. He played the mob guy who Tommy owed $162,000. It’s a small world for Avalon.
Here are some of my favorite Four Seasons tunes on Fourth of July:
Holy Shit. Mapquest shows that Wildwood to Rio Grande is 1,948 miles. You are one dedicated little monkey.
Thanks for the recommendation. Ms Freud is insisting on doing something to celebrate the holiday. I’ve pretty much had my fill with fireworks. I’m going to suggest we see this movie.
Clint Eastwood is proving himself to be one of the best directors of all time.
Ditto to everything Admin says about the movie.
I did some research on Frankie Valli after I saw the movie. He had a stepdaughter who accidentally fell to her death about 6 months before the Francine tragedy. They decided to leave it out of the movie because they felt it was too unbelievable. Frankie remarried and divorced two more times and had five more kids with third wife.
He will be one of the performers on PBS’s “A Capital Fourth” this evening.
Stucky says:
“Clint Eastwood is proving himself to be one of the best directors of all time.”
Spike Lee, he of the ‘feel free to reach out and touch him’ tweet, had a jealous professional squabble with Dirty Harry. It appears the empty (directors) chair lost.
Loved the movie!
My favorite song from movie
Me with Donnie Kehr
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Great pic Avalon — Bee–U-T- Full – women right there now.
Great pic indeed. But watch out, Admin-looks like Donnie is on the prowl. You know those Jersey Boys:-). Wishing a great vacation to you & yours.
Wife wanted to see “Echo” (she likes kids movies–don’t make me explain.)…I had shied away from “Jersey Boys” but should have suggested that instead. Eastwood is as good a director as an actor.
Anyway, my favorite Four Seasons song is “Dawn”–love the drumming:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPQ_jBwlbB8