Guest Column - Newsies DVD
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(c) Disney

A Newsies Fan on the DVD

Ever since the first time I saw Newsies, when I was thirteen, it has been my favorite movie. I bought the soundtrack, the paperback, and spent hours with my best friend writing a sequel for it. Newsies is based on specific historic events about the newsboy strike at the turn of the century and more broadly the struggle between child laborers and employers. The cast includes the talent of Christian Bale, Robert Duvall, David Moscow, Bill Pullman, Ann-Margret, and the musical genius of Alan Menken and Jack Feldman.

It has been fun to first anticipate, and then to watch, the new special edition DVD release of Newsies. The simple menu is accented with video backgrounds and powerful score segments. I am so appreciative that they changed what was originally planned to be a dramatic movie to an inspirational musical. There are introspective songs such as Santa Fe and period pieces like Lovey-Dovey Baby and High Times, Hard Times. My favorites, however, are the show-stopping dance numbers like Carryin' the Banner, Seize the Day and The World Will Know. I would recommend Newsies to anyone who enjoys broadway-style movies like Annie and Oliver! (which I discovered was one of the movies screened to the young actors to familiarize them with movie musicals). A small complaint on behalf of the music fans out there is a preference that the songs be right at the beginning of the chapters entitled with the song, which only happens on chapter twenty - The World Will Know Reprise.

The additional audio features are Spanish audio and an audio commentary by director and co-choreographer Kenny Ortega, producer Michael Finnell, writer Bob Tzudiker & Noni White and co-choreographer Peggy Holmes. The audio commentary reflects how much fondness the production team has for this film and the respect for the cast as well. The comments also spotlight their concern with the historical aspect of the picture. Despite taking some artistic license, it was still quite important to them to put you in New York circa 1899. More information along those lines can be found in some amusing bonus material which I’ll leave as a surprise.

(c) Disney

The Strike! The True Story, one of the three approximately 20 minute specials on the DVD, presents the story of what life was like on the streets of New York at that time and what led up to Joseph Pulitzer's decision to charge the newsies more for their papers. Historians elaborate on how the strike was settled which isn't explained in the movie but doesn't appear to be refuted by the script. The Inside Story details costuming, rehearsals, filming and set design. You can really get a feel for what it was like working on the set from the interviews with actors, choreographers, director Kenny Ortega and composer Alan Menken interspersed with behind-the-scenes film footage.

It brought back memories seeing Newsies, Newsies See All About It! which is hosted by Max Casella (Racetrack), Aaron Lohr (Mush) and Arvie Lowe Jr. (Boots), who definitely enjoy riding around in a limo. Yet, this special also brought back the same confusion I had the first time I saw the segment regarding Christian Bale (Jack) learning to dance with a lasso. Those scenes don't appear in the movie! I'd love to find out someday why those scenes and some others that flash by in the theatrical trailers never made it onto the big screen. In the audio commentary someone mentions an original three-hour cut of the movie before it was reduced to the final version released in theaters. (Maybe a teaser for a director's cut DVD someday?)

In conclusion, I think every Newsies fan will love this DVD. Thanks for reading and seize the day!

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  Includes cast and crew list and much more.

-- Rachel Kaplan

-- Posted January 29, 2002