The jukebox musical is a tough sell, oddly, for fans of the musical, movie or otherwise. Generally, it is a performance designed to bring in the normies by using music that they know. For those not in the know, a jukebox musical is a musical that does not use original songs, but instead, songs that people know and love. Some are from various artists (think Moulin Rouge) and others focus on a singular artist (Mamma Mia!). These two examples are, frankly, some of the best the genre has to offer on film. But usually, a jukebox musical is pretty underwhelming. Most do not have crossover appeal, especially when they focus on one artist. And that brings us to the jukebox musical inspired by the music of The Indigo Girls, Glitter & Doom.
Let’s put any biases out on the table. I am a fan of The Indigo Girls. I think they are one of the most supremely talented duos in my musical lifetime. That being said, Glitter & Doom left me cold and disappointed. There are things that make a musical great. There are different things that make a jukebox musical great. Glitter & Doom seems to avoid most, if not all of these points.
Glitter & Doom follows the titular characters; Glitter (Alex Diaz) is an aspiring clown and Doom (Alan Cammish) is an extremely serious, but failing musician. The film follows their meeting, romance, trials and tribulations, and familial struggles. This, on paper, should work. A queer love story backed by The Indigo Girls. And I kind of love the fact that they did not do what was expected, which would be a lesbian love story. But their particular brand of music is perfect for a story like this, as it tends to be focused on love, longing, and desire. And yet, it mostly falls flat. One of the truly strange choices from director Tom Gustafson is to repeatedly start songs with no musical backing whatsoever. I am sure that the goal was to showcase the talents of his leads, but frankly, they are not quite strong enough to carry these moments. Singing acapella is not for everyone, and the music of The Indigo Girls desperately needs, at a minimum, an acoustic guitar.
Another odd choice from a writing perspective is the use of lesser-known songs. Now, there are some real hits here, but they mostly save them for the last thirty minutes. Before that, there are repeated songs that don’t exactly hit the nostalgia button for many fans. And if you aren’t a fan? Listening to Diaz and Cammish have moments of struggle can be painful. It also feels as if Gustafson realizes the weakness of some of these moments, as he inserts a kind of queer chorus line as a distraction when things get a bit too slow. Sometimes, this works. But it tends to be an abrupt interruption at others.
Courtesy of Music Box Films.
There is a real lack of propulsion in Glitter & Doom. The great (or even very good) musicals have an energy, an urgency. This film attempts to insert this through a countdown to Glitter leaving for clown college, but it never actually feels like that clock is ticking. However, Glitter’s clowning backstory does give us a chance to see a truly game Ming-Na Wen playing his mother, Ivy. If you ever wanted to see her rock an eyepatch, here is your chance. Additionally, Missi Pyle shows off some of the best singing in the film, as Doom’s mother, Robin.
These backstories should allow for emotion, but Cammish especially is not a strong enough actor to pull this off. He shows us a sad face, but it never reads as truly genuine. This is surprising, as most musicals lend themselves to emotional release, but you never really feel it here.
Courtesy of Music Box Films.
The biggest mistake (but also a huge joy) is having both Glitter and Doom interact with the actual Indigo Girls (Amy Ray & Emily Saliers). All this achieves is making us wish we were listening to them instead of these halfway decent replacements. There is a version of an Indigo Girls musical that tugs on the heartstrings, makes us fall in love, and soothes us. Sadly, Glitter & Doom leaves us with fading hopes as the minutes tick away.
Glitter & Doom is currently playing in theaters courtesy of Music Box Films.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RU-dQJdM-E]
Sadly, Glitter & Doom leaves us with fading hopes as the minutes tick away.
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GVN Rating
Dave is a lifelong film fan who really got his start in the independent film heyday of the 90’s. Since then, he has tried to branch out into arthouse, international, and avant garde film. Despite that, he still enjoys a good romcom or action movie. His goal is to always expand his horizons, through writing and watching new movies.
