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Alright, it’s been a few days, and I am legally allowing myself to geek out about Wicked: Part 1. And man, do I have a lot to say about this film, but there’s one scene that really hit me so much harder than the stage production.
Let me preface this by saying that I have been looking forward to Wicked for many years. For the entirety of the 2024 movie schedule, I was constantly on the lookout for this film and hoping that it was no longer delayed. Thankfully, it dropped, broke pre-Thanksgiving records, and ended up becoming a huge smash hit.
There’s so much I could praise in this film, but I’m going to talk about one specific scene that really got my emotions going – and personally, I think was so much better than the stage musical. Let’s get into it.
First Off, The Film Was Fantastic From Beginning To End
Before I say anything about this scene, I have to give praise to the musical in general.
When it comes to movie musicals, they can be very hard to make. You could have a beautiful success like the West Side Story cast and Steven Spielberg‘s fantastic remake. You could have a jukebox musical like the wonderful Ella Enchanted or the rewatchable Mamma Mia!, which isn’t necessarily an original musical but consists of famous songs that we all love.
And then you could have… Cats. Which no one wants.
But thankfully, Wicked: Part 1 was seriously on the good side of the spectrum. In fact, it was even better than I thought it would be, especially as a modern-musical fan who has been in love with anything on Broadway for the last twenty years or so. The choreography was phenomenal. The singing was out of this world. The casting was excellent. Everything was done so well and picked so carefully that I fully felt immersed in the world of Oz.
The only complaint I have is about some of the lighting in the film, and how it could have been better. However, the rest of the movie knocked it out of the park. But what does this have to do with this particular scene? I’ll tell you.
The Scene At The Party Really Hit Harder For Me
For the most part, Wicked: Part 1 is similar to the first act of the Wicked musical. Granted, it’s been some time since I’ve seen it, but there were plenty of moments that I was expecting to happen, and they did. One of those happened to be the Ozdust Ballroom scene, where there’s a shift in the friendship between Elphaba and Glinda.
You have to understand that in Broadway musicals, there’s a lot of music – and that isn’t a bad thing. But because of the inherent nature of musicals, we don’t always have time to marinate with scenes and really see the emotions play out on actor’s faces. We might not get to feel the moment as much. And that’s kind of how it was for me in the stage production.
We see Glinda and Elphaba become closer, but it really happens quite quickly, and before we know it, we are thrown right into “Popular,” one of the best Wicked songs. But the scene in the movie is so much different because we really see and feel the moment. We watch when Elphaba walks in with that hat Glinda gave her and see the hesitation, and then her refusal to back down even if their harsh words hurt her. We also see the look of regret in Glinda’s face and body language.
And the amount of emotions that are displayed through just their eyes… it’s more than I ever expected.
Cynthia Erivo Perfectly Captured Elphaba’s Trauma, Including Her Tears
I’ve been a fan of Cynthia Erivo for years, ever since her time in the Broadway musical The Color Purple—which has been turned into another fantastic musical adaptation and features an amazing The Color Purple cast. But let me tell you; it’s about time that she got another incredible starring role in a movie like Wicked: Part 1 because not only does she sing incredibly well, but her acting in this scene moved me to tears.
As someone who grew up bullied for her looks, I sympathized with Elphaba on a deeper level and always have. Still, Erivo was not only able to capture the character’s sheer will to rise above the teasing names but also the broken feelings and trauma she holds within from the years’ worth of abuse she has tolerated from not only her peers but her family as well.
We see those tears come down her face the moment Glinda stands up for her and dances by her side, that sweet whispering, ‘It’s okay’ to her that makes your heart clench because it’s exactly what she needed. She may have never said it, but her heart yearned for someone, anyone, to stand up for her. And then there was Glinda, right there.
Ariana Grande’s Shift In Feelings Towards Elphaba Was So Well-Done
And that’s another thing – Ariana Grande as Glinda was the perfect choice.
Again, I’ve been a fan of Grande’s for years—way before she became the pop superstar that she is now. But seeing her as Glinda altered something in my brain chemistry, and I am not the same person I was before I saw her in this role. I genuinely don’t think there’s another person out there who can play her as well as she did—aside from Kristin Chenoweth herself.
This scene, where we see Glinda’s perspective on Elphaba change, was also expertly done. Grande showed such a strong depth of range that I honestly wasn’t expecting, but it moves you. The moment she decides to step up, we spot it in her eyes, and her smile slowly begins to spread as she and Elphaba begin to dance together.
And then everyone else begins to join in with them, and that moment of vulnerability turns to utter joy between two newfound friends, all because Glinda had a change of heart. It’s a beautiful moment.
I Hope That Part 2 Further Expands On Moments Like This
This is my biggest wish for the upcoming Wicked: Part 2. The films were filmed back to back, so it’s not like they haven’t finished it already. But I truly hope, from the bottom of my heart, that the second movie continues to do what the first one did—expand on moments like this.
We might forget about these kinds of scenes in stage productions because we are so focused on the musical aspect. But when you’re given the proper time to expand on a moment, it can turn into something beautiful like this. And I can only wish that Part 2 will continue that.
And honestly, I hope that is the case. If I’m being truthful, the second act of Wicked is less memorable for me than the first (except “For Good”), so I genuinely pray that they find a way to expand on this story to make it that much better so we have two excellent musical movies back to back. Only time will tell.
Now, all I have to do is wait for the 2025 movie schedule to keep on coming along. But knowing my luck, time is about to move by very, very slowly.
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