“Will you share your life with me / for the next 10 minutes…”
Well, I suppose I’ll really be asking you to share 90 minutes as any day now, the South Branch’s copy of The Last 5 Years will arrive and be ready to circulate. Why am I telling you this? Because The Last 5 Years is easily one of the most underrated musicals of the 21st Century (in my humble opinion, at least). Two off-Broadway productions and cast recordings have given the show a bit of a cult following and when it first came out in 2001, Time magazine voted it one of the ten best musicals of the year. Unfortunately, it arrived off-Broadway shortly before the World Trade Center attacks and during the chaos and tragedy of that time, never quite garnered the steam it needed to move to Broadway proper, despite the amazing cast and soaring songs penned by Jason Robert Brown. Fortunately, director Richard LaGravenese took Jason Robert Brown’s one-act gem about a relationship that begins and ends in the span of 5 years (no real spoilers here, the movie opens with the relationship’s end) and immortalized it on film in a remarkably faithful production that captures the poignancy, emotion, optimism and heartbreak that couples can endure when trying (and failing) to make a relationship work. Unfortunately, the movie is nearly as underrated as the stage production with press mostly in the independent circuit and few advertising spots.
Innovative in its storytelling, the movie recounts the relationship of Jamie and Cathy as each alternates to tell his/her story. Cathy begins at the end and she works her way backwards to the couple’s first date. Jamie starts at the beginning and follows through to the couple’s inevitable (though still heartbreaking) end. Their stories cross over in the middle, at their wedding, with the show’s only true duet. The movie is able to capture New York almost as well as the relationship itself, with the City taking on a near-character role in a way that a stage production simply can’t offer. A slight temporal shift and a few contemporary updates keep the movie fresh, distinctive and relevant. There are also a few delightful treats for fans of the stage musical as several people involved with the original and revival productions (including Jason Robert Brown) appear in the movie, demonstrating just how much attention to detail went into this production.
The Last Five Years is almost entirely sung-through so, as much as I love it, I wouldn’t recommend it to people who don’t like musicals on principle. However, if you are an open-minded fan of a good story that examines the ups and downs of young love (or if you just plain love musicals), I can’t recommend this movie highly enough. It lends visuals to those who have loved the cast recording but never saw a live production, and is completely mesmerizing, making it easily stand on its own. Anna Kendrick (Cake) and Jeremy Jordan (Smash) both give stunning performances that, unless you’re singing along (<cough> like me), could make you forget you’re even watching a musical at all…
If after seeing this movie you just itching for similar experiences, here are some recommendations explore (also an option: watching it 3 times in one weekend, like I did):
If The Last Five Years leaves you in the musical mood, give Into the Woods a try. This is easily my favorite Stephen Sondheim musical (sorry, Sweeney Todd) and, like TL5Y, it examines the complexity of relationships. This dark take on classic fairy tales takes a closer look at what happens *after* “happily ever after” and it’s not always so happy… (Bonus pick: try checking out the recorded original Broadway production.)
If you simply can’t get enough Anna Kendrick but want a storyline that is inherently more cheerful, Pitch Perfect is an antidote to the tear-jerking you experienced in The Last Five Years. Light, funny and with a similar generational appeal as TL5Y this is a great option for laughing out loud with some musical flair. If they lyric “I will not be the girl / stuck at home in the burbs…” particularly resonates with you, this movie’s girl-power message will definitely hit home.
If you liked the time-shifting storyline in TL5Y, try (re)visiting Sliding Doors. While not the same concept (this is much more about alternative timelines, rather than the same timeline told from different angles), the back-and-forth play makes this a bit of a precursor to Brown’s concept. Plus, there’s Gwyneth Paltrow quoting Monty Python, so what have you got to lose?
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver:
Kingsolver is a lovely storyteller and there are some truly beautiful and moving passages here. While this book takes a look at relationships in a broader scope than TL5Y, it takes a similar approach of alternating between characters’ perspectives, this time representing five women, each relating her experience as a member of a missionary family in the Belgian Congo, Africa. If you enjoyed the concept of characters offering an individual perspective of the same events, this book is definitely worth the read.
One last note:
The Last 5 Years original cast recording: If you interested in hearing the original cast with the two Broadway powerhouses (Tony Award winner Norbert Leo Butz and Tony nominee Sherie Rene Scott as Jamie and Cathy, respectively) lending their talents to originate these characters, take a listen and compare.