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DIRECTOR'S CUT: Movie Family Therapy: MAMMA MIA

Why do we lie? What happens when we lie?

Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright are taking a look at the complicated family in Mamma Mia! They’re talking about honesty and what happens to relationships when we lie. Jonathan explains Sophie’s tendency to lie, where that comes from, and why we all lie. They talk about the stellar cast, less than stellar singing, and why this bad movie is so dang fun to watch.

DIRECTOR'S CUT: Movie Family Therapy: MAMMA MIA

Comments

I don't think they were paying very much attention to continuity. They were just trying to spin out a sequel. And things are probably going to be stretched out even more; I heard they started planning a third one. I didn't hate the sequel, but I did notice the timeline flailing all directions. That's not why I watch Mamma Mia though, cause nothing of the story attracted me, but rather the music, the performances and the spirit.

Wiwik Anggraini

Sean Astin is a beautiful real-life example of a situation like this where everyone tells the truth (or tries to). His mother, Patty Duke, had had overlapping relationships with Michael Tell and Desi Arnaz Jr when she got pregnant; she thought Arnaz was the father, although later on it turned out it was Tell, but she was open with both of them and with her son about the situation. Then she married John Astin, who adopted Sean, and, after their divorce, Mike Pearce. All four men were father figures for Sean, who is close to all of them and has said that he has four dads and can pick up the phone and call any of them whenever he wants. It's so beautifully, un-traditionally wholesome.

Katizaris Leanisillis

A few weeks on, and because of this episode, I'm now somewhat obsessed with this movie. Before you reacted to the movie I had never seen it. Now I've seen several times already.

Wiwik Anggraini

I watched this epidsode and was inspired to tell a friend something I was dreading to tell her. And what I learned was that sometimes there is a reason you dread telling them. I too impusilvely just told her because I thought it was probably all in my head. I should have anticipated more the emotional impact it could have an her. Because me telling her started a full fledged fight. So the truth can hurt.

Anna-Lea Blümel

Yes Yes Yes. Do " Repo! The Genetic Opera"

Heather George

I wasn't sure, so I had to go back and look at the relevant scenes. Yes - the canon timeline from the first movie is that she slept with Sam on 17 July, Bill on 4 August, and Harry on 11 August. The sequel has her sleeping with Harry *first* for some reason and that's such an obvious continuity error. I mean, honestly, her sleeping with Sam first is so integral to the actual plot of the first movie that I'm super hard pressed to believe that either the director didn't notice or that someone, *somewhere* else also didn't notice and bring it up. That said, I didn't hate the sequel, but I didn't love it nearly so much as the first movie. I've watched the original one just SO many times as a guilty pleasure because it's such a stupid and riDONKulous movie and I just love it so much. But the biggest issue for me for the second one is the way they made Donna's mother out to be a hyper-repressed super judgmental religious type, and then made her...Cher. Then again the timeline is just as goofy with the second as with the first when you start doing the math. Especially when you start trying to work out what war Ruby and Fernando were involved in... But my hands-down biggest issue with the second movie is mostly that they killed off Donna. From what I understand, Streep didn't want to be in the film. For me, her performance was very obviously a major part of what made the original successful despite the movie's, let's be honest, rank stupidity. So it was pointless to try to capitalize off of the first movie's success without its main attraction, and they should have just not bothered trying.

Amy Petty

Also, am I the only one who was super confused when the second movie came out and they completely changed the timeline of Donna hooking up with all 3 of them or the order implied in the first film? Like I understood form what Pierce Brosnan, Donna's diary and Donna herself said that Donna was first with him and was so heartbroken when he left that she hooked up with the other 2 guys later. I loved the performances in the first movie and its a fun movie overall but I found I couldn't stand the second one. They repeated songs, changed things so much to make them inconsistent and I just... I mean inventing a story out of some songs is a stretch... but a second part it's far too much of a stretch!

Kate Ackerley

While I'm thinking about you guys critiquing cheesy-arse movies...I know I'm one person so I can't expect much, but...I would dearly love you guys to do deep dives on the Christopher Reeve line of Super movies. ALL of them, but most especially I would love one on Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. It's a cheesy, campy, BAD movie and I know it is, but I'm also the original Superman fangirl and that movie came out shortly after I turned 10. I don't quite know how or when my love of Reeve-Supes began but his portrayal of the Big Blue Boy Scout is where my love of the character originated. I didn't expect there to BE a fourth Superman movie and then suddenly there was, and I was such a hardcore fangirl that it was the first time I felt like a movie had been made specifically FOR me. I remember the moment when I first saw the trailer and all but exploded with fangirl excitement that my parents had never seen before. Anyway, I would dearly love to see a critique of all the Supes films/that Supes film in particular. Either a deep dive into the filmmaking from Alan, or any hero/villain/relationship/couples therapy take from Jono (or both, yay!). It would be amazing if there was a way as a Patron to, I dunno, bribe y'all into it...

Amy Petty

Hey, Alan! Another thing that struck me immediately when I watched this movie the first time, is how BLUE it is! Can you comment on that? I've seen plenty of movies where the color scheme is part of the narrative, as it were. But pretty much always in terms of darkness and shadow...movies like any film in any of the Batman franchises, for example. Mamma Mia is the only one I can think of that just decided "make it blue" and leaned HARD into it.

Amy Petty

I love this movie so much. It's stupid and dumb and the plot is borked and the whole thing is just so glorious. The very first thing about it that I noticed, which always seemed GLARINGLY obvious to me but which too many of my friends apparently didn't pay attention to, was how completely screwball the timeline is. The technology in the film pretty clearly dates it to the present day (circa 2008 when it was released). They also explicitly give Sophie a canon age of 20. For those keeping track, that puts her birth at 1988. Yet her mother, "aunts" and her fathers all date THEMSELVES to the time "of the flower power". More to the point, The movie (and its sequel) all very clearly indicate that these characters were around the same age and quite young during the shenanigans around Sophie's...conception. The second movie solidly indicates that Donna would have been about 21 that summer, if we presume the typical age of a college graduate - and we have no reason not to. Even if we fudge a bit and have her turning 22 that summer, she's no older than 22 when Sophie is born. Which would put her at 42 at the time of the first movie - and which in turn dates her birth to about 1966. If you're still keeping track, that means that Donna would have been 6 years old in 1972 (a reasonable date for the end of the Flower Power era). Going further, even back when I first saw this movie after its release, I was weirded out by Donna and her friends talking about themselves as if they were senior citizens well into retirement age. I remember my parents and their friends when they were in their early 40s, and I'm 47 now, and know how I and my friends behave. But Donna and her peers all talk as if they have one foot in the grave rather than quite literally just entering into early middle age with decades of life and vigor ahead of them. Anyway, this movie is dumb as hell and I love every second of it. The film's absolute, total disregard for a coherent chronology is one of my favorite things about it. The story is just FUN enough for the sheer DUMB of it all to add to its charm rather than ruin it.

Amy Petty

I want them to do a video on ugly dolls so bad

SakuraCat

Opa!!

WhoDat

We've got a video featuring MBFGW coming soon!

Cinema Therapy

Could you do My Big Fat Greek Wedding

WhoDat

What a fun episode and analysis of this movie. I agree, it's not a great movie, but the singing and dancing is fun! It's one of those movies that can lift my spirits when I'm feeling down.

Lucinda Sage-Midgorden

I love “2008 Barbenheimer” - mostly because it and 2023 Barbenheimer both feature Cillian Murphy (2023 more so, obviously).

Catherine Ginn

When do we get a video on the Room? I feel like Jono is owed some vengeance after the Twilight movies.

Anders

It's not really a surprise that Meryl Streep is fantastic.

Anders

(I thought I had posted this already, but apparently not?) If you guys are doing modern musicals, you could definitely make an interesting episode out of Repo! The Genetic Opera. It has Anthony Stewart Head (who played Rupert Mannion in Ted Lasso), and he is an *excellent* singer. It's a very dark movie, but you could get a lot of content out of looking at parenting styles. That is, hiding your child away vs. spoiling your children. Also, you get to see Paris Hilton's face fall off, if that's your thing.

Gary & Caitlin Kleinpaste

So true! 😆

Cinema Therapy

When they were talking about the story not making sense all I could think of was it reminds me of Shakespearean style where no-one communicates. If they spent 5 minutes talking none of the mess would have happened (looking at you Romeo and Juliet and Much Ado About Nothing).

Drug Princess

I was expecting y’all to intercut the clip of Ted Lasso talking about how not being honest takes away the chance to gain trust.

Adam Shockley

This is hilarious. I do love this crappy film haha.

KrissyArtist

You should see some of the behind the scenes stuff. Meryl Streep pretty much demanded a role in this movie (but of course someone of her calibre can do that)

Shani Gribben

Meryl Streep can do no wrong!

Shani Gribben

YES!

Anna Murray

The Greek Chorus is fantastic! I see you Alan! Side note: I also have to get some Skar in my Gaard

Anna Murray

Quite right! 🤝

Sara Wagiström

I was born where they filmed it! Wallace is a huge part of my family history. The big town meeting scene is in my dad's highschool gym! 🥳

Smidge

Next up, "Three Men and a Baby"? ;)

Katharine Kroeber-Wiley

Thank you for the shout out to "Dante's Peak"!

Katharine Kroeber-Wiley

My mom grew up loving all sorts of music genres and that love was passed onto my brother and I . Long before Mamma Mia was turned into a Broadway Musical and then later the film , ABBA was one of the many car ride childhood staples! I love that this is your episode this week! Huzzah<3

Laura E

I remember when I was young and this came out in theaters. It was really hard for me to sit through as a kid but now as an adult I love all the wackiness and the mother daughter relationship and its my comfort movie. Really loved that you guys did a reaction on it

Happynapper 69

This movie was just sheer melted cheese on a shmick sprinkled with absolute bangers of songs. Story-wise, not the greatest, but it’s a story written around songs from ABBA.

Hikari Yamato

Love that for you! ❤️

Jimmy Danielle

Only because it’s hilarious, not because it’s healthy parenting. I understand that a child - even a grown one - is a lot to come to grips with, but he only really accepting and it when there’s less of it is kind of crap parenting.

Catherine Ginn

Yaaay! Thanks for the new episode guys! Until next time

Kambria

YES!!!

Paradigm Dad

Idk why, I just wanted to mention that my DVD for mamma Mia is sitting right next to my Moonstruck DVD.

Kambria

LET HIM COOK

Smidge

Eurovision is a great Pierce/musical combo.

Jimmy Danielle

Noooo, LET JONO SING!

SaucyJTD

Hey, I found out my mom lied about who my dad was until I found my birth certificate at age 10. Then at 28 I found out that was a lie too. My bio dad didn’t know I existed but we found each other on my 54th birthday 🥳 We have an amazing relationship! I also have a great stepmom and sister.

Sam Johnson

Dang it!!! 🤣🤣🤣

Paradigm Dad

Take a chance on me 🎶

SaucyJTD

Again… 🤣🤣🤣

Paradigm Dad

Pierce Brosnan was meant for being a dashing spy, and trying to stop tiny mountain towns from being devoured by volcanoes. Not singing.

Smidge

Hahaha Oh ABBA…. 😁

Hollywood and Wine

I absolutely love that Bill was so afraid when he thought Sophie was only his and then so relieved and excited when he said “I’ll take a third!”

Catherine Ginn

🤣🤣🤣

Paradigm Dad

Mine isn’t perfect, but I’m glad we picked each other.

Jimmy Danielle

That needs to be on a wall. Sheer poetry, Jono

Hikari Yamato

Can confirm!

SaucyJTD

Offspring: now available with a Greek Timeshare package!

Smidge

Same

Kambria

Absolutely

Paradigm Dad

Adoptive dads are awesome. ❤️

Jimmy Danielle

My version of Jono's accountability kink is a communication kink. The miscommunication trope bothers the ever loving hell out of me, but I do love the moment where all communication finally happens. In real life? I need someone who I don't need to drag communication and truth out of haha.

SaucyJTD

I see what you did there 😉

Desireé (Speak91)

This part always gets me :,)

Kambria

The last girl he Loved, Actually 🤭

Smidge

I love Colin Firth

Austin Bell

Steve! Steve! Steve!

Lauren Frey

Lol

Hollywood and Wine

Jer-RY! Jer-RY! Jer-RY!

Smidge

The priest’s confused face 😂

Jimmy Danielle

I shall watch after this!

Paradigm Dad

The end of the Phantom of the Opera episode had me like... whew, helllllooooooo 🤣🤣🤣.

SaucyJTD

The Greatest Showman EP about Zendaya and Zack Efron's characters has a little Jono karaoke moment too 🤭

Smidge

Oh, and some of his Mended Light videos covering music.

SaucyJTD

Look up the grab bags of mystery. I am pretty sure there’s a video of him doing karaoke.

Desireé (Speak91)

Oh, there's video! He's really good!

Wendy Darling

Watch the Theraoke video in the grab bags! Or the Phantom of the Opera video.

SaucyJTD

Prove it! 🤘🏾

Paradigm Dad

Karaoke FTW! 🎶🎵

Smidge

Jono can sing!?!

Paradigm Dad

That’s such a gut punch to play at that moment. It’s so beautiful.

Jimmy Danielle

Alan and I gave the exact response at the same time. Everything is the correct answer.

SaucyJTD

Ever since I watched this movie for the first time, I have wanted that music box that plays Slipping Through My Fingers.

Catherine Ginn

I’ll watch this with you, because I just watched the second one and need to revisit the original.

Jimmy Danielle

I missed him! 😭

Kambria

Same

Paradigm Dad

I’ve never seen this. I hate musicals. But I will watch this for the team.

Bryan Bowes

And Mrs. Doubtfire. Run by fruiting.

Austin Bell

GANDALF

SaucyJTD

Same

Jimmy Danielle

Thank God for the caveat about Louisville. I don’t live there, but I am from Kentucky, and I was about to go all Mama Bear about my home state in the comment section while sitting in my cubicle at work.

Catherine Ginn

Character growth, Alan! So proud haha.

SaucyJTD

Kentucky represent!!

Jimmy Danielle

Whenever someone asks if I wish my mom had lied to me about my bio father, this is the exact reason why my answer is no. The identity piece is important.

Jimmy Danielle

Less than halfway through and already getting completely g’d up for the breakdown of Mamma Mia 2 that is hopefully coming sometime soon.

Catherine Ginn

Dancing in flippers is incredible.

Jimmy Danielle

That scene in the musical is glow in the dark and insane. It’s actually played down in the movie. It is my favorite part.

Jimmy Danielle

I wouldn't mind a little Scar in my guard...LOL

BJ

I would have too if I was in the room! 🤣🤣🤣

Lauren Frey

Alan omgg 🤣

Kambria

LMAO. SKAR UP THAT GUARD. Jono runs away 🤣🤣🤣.

SaucyJTD

Oh Alan, those puns…

Lauren Frey

Lmfao!!!

Paradigm Dad

I do like the “grow back down” line. 😊

Lauren Frey

It’s a guilty pleasure

Hollywood and Wine

Yes I love this movie!

Happynapper 69

Mended Light is always fun to watch. Good stuff!

Kambria

The Greek chorus is my favorite joke

Janese Carstens

I love Christine so much 😂 she’s such a vibe.

Jimmy Danielle

Anyone wanting to listen to more about Jono talking about his dishonesty, check out his Mended Light, channel, too. It's fascinating to listen to him be open about it.

SaucyJTD

Team work makes the dream work

Jimmy Danielle

With your powers combined, you guys makes great dads haha.

SaucyJTD

UwU That's what she does

Kambria

She’s making manipulation look very lovable and cute. Charisma is fascinating.

Jimmy Danielle

The movie was adapted from the musical…which is why it’s so big!

Janese Carstens

Oof, my brain definitely did not go there 😬

Jimmy Danielle

LMAO. I love when they let their inner selves slip more hahaha.

SaucyJTD

So bad it's good! Pierce Brosnan really seems to love to sing and I regret my previous negative thoughts

Anna Murray

Omg! We did do early DarkMomma 😂

Jimmy Danielle

Beautiful

Kambria

BIGGER!

SaucyJTD

The edit with Simon is perfect. xD

IndyDraws

There's the Pierce hate lmao

SaucyJTD

This is bad. I love it! 😂

Desireé (Speak91)

Honestly this movie is terrible in the best way. The stage version is amazing, but this is so much fun.

Jimmy Danielle

It’s a crap movie. Yep. Lol but the music… yep. :)

IndyDraws

YES. Yes, Alan. Join us on enjoying this hahaha.

SaucyJTD

I need a "pitch, please" Jono shirt

Kambria

PITCH PLEASE. Pitch Perfect, when? Haha.

SaucyJTD

Let's goooo

Kambria

Having watched a few of Mended Light episodes on lying, I'm looking forward to this!

SaucyJTD

I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve seen this movie and the second one

Janese Carstens

I lie to avoid conflict and/or B.S.😑

Raiyu Lilliputian

Only if we’re lucky!

Janese Carstens

💃

SaucyJTD

I was watching this movie last night. Hah

Ping-Chung Wang

Bad!!! Who said it’s bad?!

Rainee Chapman

I’ve had SOS on repeat for the last week so this is fitting.

Bryan Bowes

Ooooh, can't wait! See you all soon!

Kambria

Christine Baranski 4Lyfe. 👌👌👌

Christy-Lee Bojarski

😂😂😂

Christy-Lee Bojarski

"Less than stellar singing," it's ok, you can say Pierce Brosnan

dragonsir

*roy kent voice* fuck yeah, mamma mia!

sopianae

Mentally preparing myself to now have the music stuck in my head for the rest of the day 🤣

Mary Beth Barba

Weeeee I'm early

Xena Lopez

ABBA is for everyone 🤣.

SaucyJTD

I’m gonna go ahead and guess that the movie is fun to a large part because of ABBA ✨ but I’m swedish so… not the most neutral viewer 😂

Sara Wagiström

Aaaah, yes. All the ABBA. I'm anticipating much karaoke 🤣.

SaucyJTD


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