I must confess that I’m not a big fan of the musical film genre, but I have to admit that there are great ones that blend very well the language of Broadway shows (music, choreography, feathers and sequins) in an organic way within the plot, story and narrative structure like the cult movies “Grease”, “Hair Spray”, “Moulin Rouge” and “Mamma Mia!”. Today I am going to focus on Mamma Mia! which is an inspiring, dazzling and charming movie homage to the Swedish pop group ABBA and its songs.  

“Mamma Mia!” was released in 2008 and it was an adaptation to the cinema of the homonymous musical play, created a decade earlier by Catherine Johnson. The film was directed by Phyllida Lloyd and written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus.  

As usual, Meryl Streep is stunning in the role of Donna Sheridan, the protagonist of the musical who in the past had an affair with three young lads. Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgård play the roles of three ex-love affairs of Donna who are trying to figure out which one is the father of her daughter Sophie, a role played by Amanda Seyfried. The three men suddenly resurface from the past for Sophie’s wedding to torment Donna and bring out some of her big little secrets. Julie Walters and Christine Baranski bring to life Donna’s best friends and partners in crime. 

The film features a simple plot idea, with a stellar cast and shots in stunning locations on the Greek island of Skiathos, in the Sporades. However, the best ‘artistic device’ in this movie is the tribute to ABBA. The Swedish pop group became very popular worldwide after winning the edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, in 1974.

Mamma Mia! The Movie Soundtrack

Released on July 8, 2008 by Decca and Polydor Records in the United States and internationally, respectively, it features performances by the film’s cast including Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, Dominic Cooper, Stellan Skarsgård, Colin Firth, Julie Walters, Christine Baranski, Ashley Lilley, and Rachel McDowall.

The recording was produced by Benny Andersson who along with Björn Ulvaeus had produced the original ABBA recordings. Additionally, many of the musicians from the original ABBA recordings participated in making the soundtrack album.

The album peaked at #1 in the USA on the Billboard 200 albums chart in August 2008. It was certified Platinum by the RIAA on August 18, 2008, and has sold 1,694,000 copies in the United States as of July 2014. Worldwide, the soundtrack has sold over 5 million copies to date, spending a total of 2 weeks at #1 on the world charts.

Mamma Mia! movie soundtrack features a good vibe! It’s just one of the greatest movie soundtracks ever.

Click the play button below and have some fun!