The Producers

Directed by Susan Stroman

Sony Pictures

3 Stars



“Even though we’re sitting down, we’re giving you a standing ovation,” says an excited Max Bialystock (Nathan Lane) after an impromptu dance performance by the voluptuous secretary, Ulla (Uma Thurman).

Such bawdy, off-color humor is characteristic of Mel Brooks’ comedic genius, the writer/director of classics as “Spaceballs,” “Blazing Saddles,” and “Robin Hood: Men in Tights.” His newest venture is the film adaptation of his monstrously successful Broadway comedy musical, “The Producers,” itself an adaptation of his directorial debut.

Brooks’ Broadway production won the most Tony Awards in history, and the star pairing of Lane and Matthew Broderick shone brightly onstage. A film version with the original cast is sure to be pure comic gold, right? Well, kind of. The uninspired adaptation loses it charm because of the flat direction from Broadway choreographer/debut director Susan Stroman and over-the-top performances from its leads.

The magic of the musical doesn’t fully translate; the film looks and feels unnecessary, as if it was made for the sole purpose of getting another dime out of a third adaptation.

Tony-winners Lane and Broderick return to their celebrated roles as Max Bialystock, the devious Broadway producer, and Leo Bloom, his timid and mentally-unstable accountant, who devise a plan to embezzle a fortune. They figure that by raising more money than needed to produce a show, they can keep the difference if the show flops–so begins the search for the worst musical ever.

Seemingly, they find just that in “Springtime for Hitler,” a neo-Nazi romp by Fascist-sympathizer (and then some) Franz Liebkind, played to zany perfection by Will Ferrell—a new addition for the movie. Their plan is set into motion when they also enlist the worst director in the business, the flamboyant (to put it mildly) Roger De Bris, played by scene-stealing Gary Beach.

And fate comes knocking when Ulla, a sexy aspiring actress with a heavy Swedish accent, shows up at their doorstep. Although they hire her as a secretary/receptionist, sparks fly between her and Leo. All seems well until, despite their best efforts, the show opens and accidentally becomes a runaway success.

The Broadway production improved immeasurably upon its source material—the 1968 Best Original Screenplay Oscar winner starring Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel—in large part to the chemistry between Broderick and Lane. But now, after the original film and the stage version, the new film is, basically, the Broadway show caught on tape.

Susan Stroman is a master at stage directing and won the Best Director Tony for her work on “The Producers.” But in her first foray as a feature film director, she falters because the movie is too attached to the stage production. Out of fear of losing what was best about the show, the creative team has changed almost nothing. The sets, the costumes, and the performances are carbon copies of its predecessor.

Recent movie musicals such as “Chicago” and “Moulin Rouge” were successes because they went beyond the limitations of a stage production. In “The Producers,” a static camera, minimal editing and washed-out lighting give the impression of a banal sitcom.

The cast also fails to adapt stage acting to film acting—Broderick in particular. Huge over-the-top motions and facial expressions are necessary to convey the emotion onstage; but film acting, even in a Mel Brooks film, should be more subdued. Everyone in the cast is so hyped up that the audience sometimes misses the punch line.

There are moments in “The Producers” that are laugh-out-loud funny, especially in the second act, where one can almost forget about the film’s missteps. Brooks’ music and comedy remain sharp and witty; if you missed Lane and Broderick’s performances on Broadway, the film does give you the chance to see them in action.

But better yet, instead of watching Brooks’ brilliant material miss its mark onscreen, skip the multiplex and go see Broderick and Lane reunite on Broadway in the superb revival of Neil Simon’s “The Odd Couple.”