Great cast but there wasn't the chemistry or magic of the movie it's based on, The Shop Around The Corner. And somehow, though each of the stars had shone brightly in other movies, they somehow seem uncomfortable in this one and are not seen at their best. It's hard remaking a great film and while they stole some of the lines directly from the first movie, they chose to diverge from the original in ways that watered down the story's effect. Somehow you don't care as much about any of these characters as much as you cared about all of the characters in the original - short of Vadas (whose character is not represented in this film as some others from the original are). Suffers, too, from its being made into a musical - too much the typical Judy Garland film where music doesn't always have a reason to be in a scene...it's just done to play to Judy's talents - not always a good move for a movie's integrity. Here, the plot gets lost in the stereotypical scenes where Judy is supposed to show off her talents. Judy Garland fans will enjoy this film, however, because here she seems truly happy and is at the peak of her singing talents. Perhaps if I weren't such a big fan of the original, I'd have liked this more. But, sorry, I found it a bit boring in comparison.
Review of In the Good Old Summertime
