Surprisingly, some of the best musical sequences in film history are not found in true musicals. Traditionally, the best musicals are able to express the characters’ feelings directly to the audience in a way that feels powerful rather than expository. Over the years, a long list of films have leaned into this idea, but not all of them have fully committed to it. In other words, some films were willing to make music and dancing a big part of an important scene, but didn’t want it to define the story.
There is a long history in Hollywood of dramas and comedies that feature a special musical sequence to express a character’s emotions in a way that goes beyond simple words. Although the sentiment expressed is usually romantic, it can be silly or fun in its delivery, with music used to convey a powerful emotion.
10
500 Days of Summer (2009)
You Make My Dreams Come True by Hall & Oates
500 days of summer is a bittersweet comedy-drama that tells the rise and fall of a mismatched romance in a non-linear fashion. Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Tom Hansen is a hopeless romantic who shares his intense feelings about Zooey Deschanel’s Summer Finn with his best friend and younger half-sister. Tom so desperately wants Summer to be the one that he ignores Summer’s insistence that their relationship is casual.
500 days of summer There’s a lot of music, but it’s not a musical. Tom and Summer first connect over their shared love for the Smiths. Tom is more than capable of expressing his feelings to his friend and sister, with one exception. After the first time Tom and Summer have sex, we cut to Tom leaving the apartment, beaming. He is so happy that he starts dancing to “You Make My Dreams Come True” by Hall & Oates right in the street, with everyone around him slowly joining in on the classic musical style. It’s easy in dancing.
9
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
Knights of the Round Table (original song) by Monty Python troupe
Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a comical twist on the classic Arthurian legend. As the British sketch comedy troupe’s first foray into narrative cinema, the film has become a cult classic over time for its absurdist skewering of medieval life.
At the beginning of the story, King Arthur decides to gather knights for his Round Table, including Sir Lancelot the Brave, Sir Robin, Not-As-Brave-As-Sir-Lancelot, and the “appropriately named”Sir who does not appear in this film. Suddenly, without warning, the knights sing the song “The Knights of the Round Table,” dancing around the castle and cutting to a lone prisoner clapping. The rest of the film is not a musical, but the number inspired a Broadway musical adaptation, Spamalot.
8
The First Wives Club
You Don’t Own Me by Lesley Gore (covered by Diane Keaton, Bette Midler and Goldie Hawn)
The First Wives Club is a feminist comedy where Diane Keaton, Bette Midler and Goldie Hawn’s characters rediscover self-empowerment through the love of friends after their three husbands leave them for younger women. They blackmail their ex-husbands into funding a non-profit organization to help abused women.
At the end of the film, after the shelter’s opening party and her ex’s rejection, Keaton’s character says she is feeling “brave,” which causes Midler and Hawn to begin conspiratorially singing, “You Don’t Own Me,” which they sing in the shelter and on the street. It’s not the most elaborate choreography, but the image of the three women dressed in white in harmony with each other and with themselves is perfectly powerful. Their chemistry before and during the song makes this a joyful way to end the film. rather than potentially awkward.
7
Enchanted (2007)
That’s How You Know (original song) performed by Amy Adams
Enchanted is a fantasy romantic comedy where Amy Adams’ Giselle finds herself isolated from her animated kingdom in the real world of New York City,”where there are no happy endings.” Giselle’s home kingdom of Andalasia, like many Disney princess worlds, is filled with musical expression, where characters sing to communicate their emotions. Patrick Dempsey’s Robert Philip doesn’t like Giselle’s habit of bursting into song.
Giselle and Robert are walking through the park, debating the merits of “falling in love” vs love at first sight. Giselle says it’s important to show true love with small gestures every day and, as she speaks, she starts to sing. To Robert’s dismay but also delight, everyone in the park joins in for a full song and dance number, bringing a bit of Andalasia fantasy to New York. Old couples waltz. A mariachi band joins them. Even Robert finds himself tapping his toes to the music. This is the only example where Giselle sings a musical number with people instead of talking animals.
6
10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
I Can’t Take My Eyes Off You by Frankie Valli (Heath Ledger cover)
Teen romantic comedy 10 things I hate about you reimagines the work of William Shakespeare The Taming of the Shrew in modern times. Younger sister Bianca was banned from dating until she “vixen” From an older sister, Julia Stiles’ Katarina “Kat” Stratford decided to date. Heath Ledger’s Patrick Verona is the school’s bad boy hired to date Kat.
10 things I hate about you there’s a lot of music. Kat and Patrick meet at a music club. Kat and Patrick dance at a house party and at the prom. However, the film is not a musical, but it has one of the most iconic musical moments. In a grand public romantic gesture, Patrick serenades Kat to Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” with the school band backing him up. The move lands Patrick in detention, but it also gives him the girl.
5
Host: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
Afternoon Delight by Starland Vocal Band (cover by Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell and David Koechner)
Anchor was Adam McKay’s directorial debut, featuring Will Ferrell as trusted San Diego anchor Ron Burgundy. Ron and his news team are shaken when the news station is forced to hire Veronica Corningstone, a woman, to “diversity” reasons. Veronica wants to be seen as a professional, but she is so moved when she sees Ron performing a flute solo that she can’t help but fall into bed with him.
Ron promises Veronica to keep their sexual relationship a secret, but immediately tells his friends that he is in love. Struggling to describe the feeling, Ron is impressed and begins reading the lyrics to “Afternoon Delight,” with the guys joining him. In a film where Ron’s flute solo symbolizes his “magical” chemistry with Veronica, this improvised song sequence doesn’t feel entirely out of place – it amplifies the film’s playful absurdity.
4
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
Danke Schoen by Wayne Newton and Twist and Shout by the Beatles
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is a teen comedy where Matthew Broderick in his career-defining role as Ferris Bueller leads his friend and girlfriend on the world’s biggest skipping day. Ferris visits the art museum, steals a lunch reservation from Chicago’s Sausage King, and goes to a Cubs game. It’s a series of mischief as he avoids near misses to get home before his parents.
At one point, Ferris’s friends lose sight of him in a parade – only for him to appear on a float, grabbing a microphone to dedicate a song to his friend.”who hasn’t seen anything good all day.” Ferris then lip-syncs “Danke Schoen” and “Twist and Shout” with a live band. Backup singers and dancers join him on the steps and the crowd goes wild. This parade sequence captures the joy of a classic large-group musical numberenhancing the playful and rebellious spirit of the film.
3
Ella Enchanted (2004)
Someone to Love, from Queen (played by Anne Hathaway)
Ella Enchanted is a fantasy comedy starring Anne Hathaway as Ella de Frell, a girl “blessed” with obedience. If someone gives her an order, she cannot help but obey. Ella’s fairy godmother just wanted baby Ella to stop crying, but didn’t realize she was burdening Ella with a lifelong curse. Years later, when Ella’s secret is revealed, Ella decides she must find her fairy godmother to lift the curse. Ella finds herself at a giant’s wedding and they want one of Ella’s traveling companions, an elf, to sing, which he finds to be an offensive stereotype.
When a giant commands “Sing!” Ella’s curse kicks in and she performs a stunning rendition of Somebody to Love. The giantesses sing backing vocals and the whole room starts dancing. It’s a fun performance sequence. At the end of the film, the narrator says that the lesson is: “you can’t go wrong when you follow your heart and end it with a song.” This leads to a choreographed performance of “Don’t Go Breaking Your Heart” by Ella – this time by choice – and the entire cast, capturing the film’s spirit of freedom and joy.
2
The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005)
Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In from the musical Hair (reinterpretation by Steve Carell and cast)
The 40 year old virgin is a romantic comedy starring Steve Carell as Andy Stitzer, as the titular 40-year-old virgin. Andy, a naturally shy guy, stopped trying to have sex after a few missed opportunities in his youth. His co-workers come together to find him love, or at least get him laid. In his own way, Andy develops a sweet relationship with Catherine Keener’s Trish Piedmont. After many comical misunderstandings, Andy tells Trish the truth about her virginity, and they profess their love.
After the wedding, they cut to Andy and Trish in bed, catching their breath after consummating their marriage. Trish asks Andy: “How was it for you?” and Andy looks directly into the camera and starts singing “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” from the musical Hair. This transitions into a jubilant musical number with the entire cast singing and dancing. As 500 days of summerbut it goes further by involving the entire ensemble in a complete musical performance.
1
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (2008)
Jai Ho by AR Rahman
Slumdog Millionaire is a beautiful drama starring Dev Patel in his film debut as Jamal Malik, a boy from the slums of Bombay. Jamal is in the Hindi version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and doing so well that the police suspect him of cheating. Through flashbacks, the audience sees how he manages to answer all the questions using curiosities he learned throughout his life. He wants to meet his childhood love, Latika de Freida Pinto. Jamal only became a participant on the show as a last attempt to reach Latika, who always watches the show.
Jamal gets the final question right through pure guesswork. He goes to the train platform where he told Latika he would always wait for her, and she is there waiting for him. They kiss and drive across the platform a Bollywood-style dance on the platform, bringing joy and wordless closure. Bollywood, known for integrating music and dance to enhance storytelling, shines through Slumdog Millionaire finale, introducing his magic to a wider Hollywood audience.