Critique: Newsies (Film)

This musical was rather interesting. It’s about ‘newsies’ (paper boys) fighting for better pay based on real events in New York. This action is led by Jack and David. This is achieved through protests and the publication of the ‘Newsies Banner’, a paper printed by newsies themselves.

 

There was an abundance of humour that didn’t detract from the seriousness of the plot. A character on crutches complains that there are so many ‘fake cripples’ that the real ones are struggling. Someone can’t count to twenty with their shoes on.

 

Three areas in particular just didn’t work.

David is a classical good boy. Yet he trespasses a lot. It didn’t fit his character.

Jack’s romance seems completely unnecessary to the story. The only positive is that, otherwise, there is a complete lack of female characters in the story. But I don’t think that justifies an unnecessary plot point. Romance can add to a story but only when done correctly, in a way sympathetic to the plot.

One boy throws a bunch of Newsies Banners in the air so they scatter, landing on the floor and looking like litter. This makes for a good shot. But people don’t generally pick stuff up off the floor though, especially if it looks like litter. Thus throwing papers in the air is ineffective for the plot.

 

Four areas were thought provoking.

All the ‘er’ sounds come out as ‘oi’. From a linguistic viewpoint that’s fascinating. I’ve heard it before but I can never find out which New York accent to which it belongs.

Even though it looks like Jack betrays his fellow newsies, Jack agrees to work for the paper to keep the newsies out of jailed. I don’t understand why he doesn’t explain the situation, particularly to David: it’s clear the newsies would understand. Instead Jack just insults David, another action that makes no sense. I’m not criticising this as a plot point because it’s realistic behaviour, but it’s confusing realistic behaviour that I fail to understand.

The ‘Once and For All’ song was very moving. The rest of the soundtrack was mediocre at best yet this song hit the nail on the head. One line in particular stayed with me: ‘This is for the kids who shine shoes without having shoes of their own.’ It’s just so sad that so many people around the world provide a service for others when they can’t afford the thing being serviced.

One protest sign says, ‘We aynt slaves’. Now, I know that it should be spelt ‘ain’t’. however, ‘aynt’ makes a lot more sense grammatically. Apostrophes are either for possession or contraction, neither of which apply to ‘ain’t’. The ‘correct’ spelling of ‘ain’t’ is, in fact, grammatically incorrect.

 

The synopsis didn’t do anything for me but I’d been looking for a new musical to watch for a while. I was pleasantly surprised, even if it didn’t wow me.