21 Perfect Galentine’s Day Movies
By Tina Wargo
Screengrab via Universal Pictures.
Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia!, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. You’re a musical, which immediately skyrockets you to the top of every watchlist I would ever dream of compiling. You’re directed by a woman. See above. You take three ladies, perhaps past the age super-hero saturated studios would consider you bankable, and showcase them in a capacity more interesting and entertaining than any dum-dum Marvel movie literally ending in “man” ever could. Your songs are already basically canon, so you’re an instant singalong for folks who’ve seen the movie and ones who’ve yet to experience its Swedish-born charm alike. AND THERE IS AN EXCLAMATION POINT IN YOUR TITLE!!!!!
Your mother-daughter storyline is empowering and sweet, your romantic relationships are important but absolutely not integral to these women’s lives, and your female friendships are wacky and wonderful and unwavering. You are not concerned with pretension, Mamma Mia!. You are fun, and you are goofy, and you are perfect just the way you are. Finally, you gave me the opportunity to watch Meryl Streep dancing in overalls on top of an “ol’ goathouse,” and then doing a split in the aforementioned overalls while Christine Baranski pretends to smoke a tampon like it’s a cigar and Julie Walters wears a bra on her head. And that, Mamma Mia!? Why, that is the greatest gift of all.
Best lady moment: Did you…..not read that last thing? Goathouse overalls. Tampon cigar. Bra head.