Into the Woods: A Long-time Fan's Reactions

All through Act I, I was thinking, "Wow. This is a 10/10! It's a brilliant, nearperfect film version." Then it began to feel a little bit rushed, starting at the
beginning of Act II. The second half was where they did all the major cutting,
which surely makes a bigger difference to someone who's got the original
stage performance video memorized verbatim and had it mentally playing
throughout the entire film for comparison. I noted every difference in rhythm,
tone, cadence, tempo, and of course all of the tweaked or edited lyrics &
words. Some of the edits I could imagine potential reasons for, and others
seemed fairly random. Can't wait for the Blu-ray, hopefully generous and indepth bonus features, and deleted scenes...! The inclusion of my beloved,
currently-on-VHS stage show shall naturally be fabulous.
They made excellent use of the landscape and three-dimensional settings
(Jack's house, bakery, Granny's literal treehouse, Rapunzel's tower--which
reminded me of the one from that Shelley Duvall fairy tale version of
Rapunzel, etc.) They effectively kept you aware the whole time of where
everyone was in relation to everyone else, and took advantage of doing
things that would be next to impossible to choreograph onstage.
Casting? Very good. No weak links. I do wish we could've kept the wolf/prince
and narrator/Mysterious Man (Baker's dad) duality, because there are
statements in those...but in this case...perhaps they thought it would be too
confusing to the audience for the same actor to play both Cinderella's prince
and the wolf? Or maybe they simply HAD to have Johnny Depp being
delightfully, freakishly creepy in the latter role, and sudden-big-star Chris Pine
as the conventionally handsome charmer. And since they clearly wanted an
off-screen narrator and not to have to introduce the actor playing the baker's
father any earlier than they did...I suppose they didn't see another option
there. It didn't KILL the show by any means, or nullify anything, so I reckon I
can accept it.
I would certainly have hated to be the editor on any ITW film because the
entire thing is so important...there's not a moment, a line, a song that feels
remotely dispensible. Everything is perfectly crafted and carries a meaning, a
significance. How to sufficiently convey the meaning and experience when
forced to choose which bits aren't absolutely crucial to feeling the show's
power? I'm notoriously bad at editing, anyway, of course. And spring
cleaning. I never want to get rid of anything. But yeah, trying to trim some 45
minutes off of this seemingly untouchable gem would not have been an
enviable task. I suppose they did the best they possibly could to turn it into a
two-hour movie.
Meryl Streep's voice is very wow, much terrific. That's especially clear in
"Stay With Me" & "Last Midnight." I'd had no idea prior to seeing Mamma Mia,
where she blew me away with "The Winner Takes It All." I was like, "How
come she isn't known as an actress-singer? Like Bernadette Peters, Bebe
Neuwirth, Bette Midler, Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth...Reba?" Probably just
because she's only film-famous, and never became such a theater icon or

music star--even though she totally could be all of them. She certainly did
Sondheim and Bernadette proud with the role of the witch. (Better, frankly,
than Vanessa Williams in the revival, although she too did well.) "Cow's gone.
Get it back." xD
Blunt and Corden were a very believable, likable couple...I really could never
compare anyone to Chip and Joanna, who simply ARE the Baker & his wife,
but these two in the movie were as good as one could hope. Corden is very
physically different from his predecessor, and so was especially able to be his
own Baker without excessive comparisons.
Jack was depicted as being much younger than we're used to, and he had
that noticeable lisp, but the kid gave a great enough performance that it
worked. I still prefer him being older than Red (it enhances his dim-witted
simple-mindedness, makes his mother's frustration more understandable,
etc.), but again, the two being closer in age didn't severely hurt anything.
Another surprise musical star is my girl Christine Baranski, who's pretty well
rocked EVERY part she's ever been given--including Tanya in Mamma Mia!
(And we all know who the real star of Cybill is!) PLUS, she co-starred in a
show called Nick & Nora, with Barry Bostwick and GUESS who...Joanna
Gleason, the original & definitive Baker's Wife. Oh, and Chicago as well. B-)
And the stepmother instructed Florinda & Lucinda to bow, eh? Well, even
after mutilating her own daughters' feet (only because she loves them, of
course..."You can never love someone else's child the way you love your
own"), she's the one who doesn't get her eyes pecked out. xD; :p All three are
fawning, simpering sycophants who pretty much only respect high-ranking
people and royalty, though ("We're so happy you're so happy; just as long as
you stay happy, we'll stay happy!") I much prefer the wiser Witch's take on it
("The royal family? I wouldn't count on them to snuff out a rat!")
I'll never forget the first time I saw ITW...well, we'd watched most of Act I in
school (because it's so deep, profound, analyzable, studyable!), and I was
absent the day they finished it, so I had the tape sent to my house and
finished it on my own. The finale to the first act was so huge and impressive
in itself that I truly thought it was over at that point; already I was thinking,
"Damn, that was a GOOD show." But then, Act II started (I hadn't known how
long it was, or even what it was in the first place--we were all just silly little
8th-graders*)...all hell broke loose...and my mind was quite thoroughly blown.
*Geez, I remember when we first started reading the script aloud! We were
like, "What the hay kind of mondo-bizarro play is this?!" But as soon as the
VIDEO started, it all made perfect sense and we were just like,
"Aaaaahhhhh...!" xD Still hadn't known about the second act, though, man...)
What I knew going in: The original cast is absolutely insurmountable; they did
it to such supreme, quintessential perfection that nobody else can ever hope
to equal them without imitating and replicating their recorded performances
to a T. The emotion, chemistry, and flawless comedic timing of that cast is
beyond compare. None of the roles could ever be cast better. It's impossible
not to be deeply attached to those people in the parts, but seeing as how it's

a musical, at some point you kinda do have to give other actors and
productions a fair shot! And was I impressed by the film? Yes. Oh, yes. It's up
for all kinds of awards already, and the reasons are evident.
Some very noticeably missing/different things:
~"Sometimes I fear you're touched" became "Sometimes I wonder what's
going on in that head of yours." Ullman was great, but I really liked the
"touched" line! Unsure why it was replaced. There were a few minor lyric
swaps that seemed likewise unnecessary/pointless, but...
~"Jack, Jack, Jack, head in a sack..." "Well, she was not quite beautiful." And
so much goodness from the Baker's Wife, Baker, Cinderella, Little Red,
Witch...aurgh, I would have HATED to have been the editor!! Or to go through
the script and determine which songs and segments could be eliminated
while still retaining enough of the story and its lessons, messages, and magic.
~"...if the end is right, it justifies the beans!" ("Maybe They're Magic.") Really
a shame about that one. It's a little biggie for the baker's wife, and him too.
~"EYYYYYYEEE HAVE EMPTIED A POT OF LENTILS INTEW THE ASHES FOUR
YEEEEEEEWWWWW!! IF YOU HAVE, PICKED THEM OUT AGAIN, IN TEEEWWW
HOURS' TIME...THEN-A YEW, SHALL GO TO THE BALL WITH US." I can't see or
hear "lentils" without quoting that in an exaggerated fashion.
~"I guess this is goodbye, old pal; you've been a perfect friend..." ;__;
~"Hazel tree" became "willow tree," no doubt because the willow provided a
greater visual spectacle for Cinderella's "godmotherly" transformation. (Also a
curtain of privacy for the summoning of her mother's spirit. "Hazel" sounds
better to me than "willow" in the line, but what're ya gonna do; at least it's
the same number of syllables and fits the rhythm.) Yeah, I I noted that the
melody of "Shiver and quiver, little tree; silver and gold, throw down on me;
I'm off to get my wish" played during that scene, but Kendrick didn't actually
sing those lines. Maybe because it wasn't such a little tree? ;p "Shiver and
quiver, bigass tree!" Anyway, the rest of the mother's lines (the "Opportunity
is not a lengthy visitor" ones and then the "Look at the blood within the shoe"
ones) were taken out!! Le pewp.
~Red's granny lives IN a tree. Interesting. She literally lives IN the woods. No
wonder she's so crazy--in a good way! ^^' ("Who can live in the woods?"
Relatively few humans...) Still, stage-Granny is even more psycho/violent. :D
And Li'l Red has even more of a transformation from a naive, gullible innocent
into a wiser, more worldly and cynical wolf-slayer. Everything in the stage
show is just MORE because they fit so much more in.
~The "handsome couple" (not handsome neighbors) were described as
"lovely" instead. Just another of numerous minor edits that were made for
one reason or another. "Miss all the things you've known" instead of "long for
the things?" I think I prefer all of the original lines. Including "with no one to
mother my child," although the film version of that one came out particularly
well for an edit. I just can't help hearing the perfection that's burned indelibly
into my head. Of course, there are plenty of differences between that video
and the same cast's CD soundtrack, so it seems that no two performances
are identical even in script.
~Addition of "blue moon" to elaborate on why they had only three particular
nights to undo the curse. I guess since, ya know, they had to remove so many

lines. It made sense onstage without that, but nothing wrong with the
addition.
~"Ever After"--just the tune...and "So Happy." They wrapped all of that up into
the crowd scene, with everybody riding up to the castle. It wasn't ineffective,
but I still felt a rush into the giant part...as if they suddenly said, "Oh snap,
we've still got the whole bloody second act to get through! Can't linger this
long on their happiness!"
~Rapunzel bore no twins, wandered not in the desert. And her rejection of
her adoptive witch-mother was way harsher in the movie. Ouch! :'< Also very
much missed "You are the only family I know. Come with me...please." Really,
Rapunzel should still have had the babies, because the prince knocking her
up adds fuel to the Witch's rage over Punz's sanctuary being invaded and
tainted by the corrupt outside world... I preferred the "I will not share you! But
I will show you a world you've never seen!" Oh, and of course Punz's wild
mood swings & hysterical breakdown in Act II where she just kind of snaps,
and gets herself squashed...le sob. "I was just trying to be a good mother!"
xD Seriously, though...the Witch's lamentation over Rapunzel's death and
everything else, rather than just her initial running off with the prince...that
was clearly stronger, more powerful, a better motivation for her leaving the
group in "Last Midnight." But, as usual--things had to be lost for a film, and
they made the show work as best it could within a mere two hours, without
being completely complete!
~"First Midnight." All those pearls of wisdom!! I know, I know--"How would
you have done that on film, anyhow?" Too much trouble to figure out when
you already need to cut songs for time...but still. No slotted spoons, no wine,
no mauve at the ball. Or pink. And then of course the later counterparts, with
"two midnights gone" and the finale of Act I! ("Wanting a ball is not wanting a
prince." "The slotted spoon can catch the potato." "The harder to wake, the
better to have!")
~"It was you who destroyed our house, not a great wind! And it's because of
you I've no mother!" And the second-act "Into the Woods"ing.
~"The steward! It's in his line of duty to sacrifice his life..." "Don't be
ridiculous! I'm not giving up my life for anyone!"
~The steward accidentally (?) kills Jack's mom by shoving her down instead
of clunking her over the head with his staff. Felt less believable, and I dunno,
you wouldn't really think Disney would have too big an objection to
somebody getting whacked in the head, but...
~"Agony" reprise. Damn, how I was looking forward to that, lol. But...what
with it bringing Snow White & Sleeping Beauty into the mix...I can see where
it might be one of the first things to go if you've got an unfortunate time limit
on this show. Even though it is important to the princes' characters.
*Everything* is so damn important! Not a word is wasted. DWARVES ARE
VERY UPSETTING, DAMMIT. And this hilarious song illustrates how fickle the
princes are...fascinated by the chase, the challenge, the fantasy of
conquering and winning the fair maiden, but then--oh, how swiftly they tire of
their prizes once won! Then they start over again, dreaming about the next
seemingly unattainable maid happened upon. Wanting her, but not
REEEEAALLY wanting her.
~Important verse from "No One is Alone": "You move just a finger, say the
slightest word-- something's bound to linger, be heard...no one acts

alone...careful. No one is alone." I remember being the only person in our

class who could explain the significance of those specific lines. (And who got
100% on the character/quote-matching quiz.) It really is a significant verse
that sums up so much of this show. Even a seemingly inconsequential action
or choice that you make now, can have unforeseen and unintended effects-for yourself and any number of unpredictable others, no telling how far into
the future! It's kinda like the Butterfly Effect.
~"NO MORE." Yes, again the melody played while the baker was breaking
down, and I could sense that it was going to forge ahead to "No One is Alone"
rather than do both slow/sad/emotional songs back-to-back...and yes, the
father had just popped in right at that point, so it would have seemed a bit
weird for them to go into it anyway, I suppose. But still. Strongly missed, and
I'm sure it was hard to cut. Unless they knew from the start that that was
going to be an omission--and I suppose it probably was known early on
because the Mysterious Man would have been difficult to keep. I'm really
hoping for deleted scenes of the cut songs...maybe an extended, full version
on the Blu-ray/DVD? Eh? Too much to hope? Yeah, way too much to hope.
Bah.
~But no "I'll be your mother now!" Which wouldn't have been QUITE as
hilarious as it is in the play, but would still have been really funny. Hopefully
Jack got his piggy eventually, and Milky White...survived?? At least let the
miraculously resurrected cow live! Love how she just happens to be capable
of performing a cow-resurrecting spell. Or a special white-cow-resurrecting
spell. Milky White, you're one special bovine. Wonder how much longer the
Witch was able to give her. :\ Annnnnyyyyyhoo!
Brilliance, or interestingness:
~The waterfall choreography of "Agony." The princes tearing their shirts
open, trying to outdo each other's manliness...magnificent.
~I liked the way they handled the songs which are basically a character
singing to him/herself/the audience about what just happened, and what s/he
learned--"I Know Things Now," "Giants in the Sky," "On the Steps of the
Palace." The two kids sang to the baker, and we enjoyed creative
visualizations of their journeys into the wolf and the sky. Then Cinderella sort
of suspended time while deliberating her course of action...and edited some
lyrics, mostly to make it seem as though it were happening as she sang
rather than having happened prior...
~Felt like the baker & his wife got a little cheated in the babymaking
department, nawmsayin'? Impressive as that was...
~Nice working in the finale song over the credits. "...and happy ever after!"
"I wish..." "SHUT UP, GURL, DON'T'CHA BE STARTIN' THAT SHIT ALL OVA
'GAIN!"
Seriously, the film's pacing FELT ideal, but sooooo many segments of spoken
or sung dialog had to be omitted to get it down to two hours, and it's
impossible not to miss them all. (And at that...there are a couple of things
that make even the penultimate video recording version not 100% complete.
A few lines from the Witch's lament, a few of the Prince's from "Any Moment,"
and some between the Baker's Wife & Cinderella--the bit about the Prince

being "passionate, charming, considerate, clever" and such. Who knows why
those were included on the soundtrack but left out of the performance?)
Overall, the movie perhaps tried to be a bit darker, and left out many of the
comedic lines and gags. Cinderella's goofball father was done away with. The
Mysterious Man/father was reduced to one brief appearance, with no song.
The narrator was off-screen and had nothing to do with him, so no attempt to
give him to the giant, no sense of, "OMG!! The guy who knows what's
supposed to happen is gone! What do we do now?! We're fully in control of
our own destinies! Aaaahhh!" [Interestingly enough, the Mysterious Mandad
never interacts with Rapunzel, who is biotechnically his daughter. x3 And the
baker's sister. Punz really only interacts with the Witch & her Prince.]
Regrettably, much of the Witch's delightful snark and "snarkastic" wit was
lost, along with the "Ask a wolf's mother" line that I always liked, plus a few
profound others...again, Act II was where it began to rush. From the arrival of
the giantess and that whole scene, to the reduction of "No One Is Alone" and
removal of important Baker/Jack & Cinderella/Red dialog...hmm, what else
was edited out? Far too much to mention; again, entire segments. But it's
okay, because the movie still came out well and keeps most of the story
intact. It may be easier to watch for those who DON'T have the whole thing
memorized already, heheh. And so long as it's sold WITH the original
production, and everyone can get the total experience, then it's just about as
almost-perfect as it could be. Pleased are I on the whole. I didn't expect to be
disappointed, and thankfully wasn't.
Also...poor Frances de la Tour. For real. "Hey, we need somebody who can
play a female giant, or at least a giant female...?" "Call Frances." And being
able to see the very human-like giantess made her all the more sympathetic,
so the morality of killing her felt more questionable in the film.
ETA:
https://d23.com/q-and-a-with-rob-marshall-into-the-woods/?
int_cmp=d23_readyfortheredcarpet_qarobmarshallintothewoods_021715 -->
THAT is a terrific interview! It definitely confirms my thought process and
assumptions regarding why they made the choices they did with "Into the
Woods." Everything that works so brilliantly on stage, wouldn't have worked
quite so fantastically in a movie. Without the live experience or intermission,
the audience just isn't prepared for the additional half-hour, or a series of
slower ballads in the latter half.
Losing "No More" and the Narrator/Mysterious Man was hard, but they
attempted to make up for it by focusing on the Baker's background and
development. "Ever After" is a big group montage at the end of Act I, and I
can see how that would have been extremely difficult to do on film believably.
It could have come off as almost a musical parody.
The explanation for using actual children as Red & Jack makes good sense.
The older actors on stage were absolutely perfect, flawless choices for the

roles, and came across as young and naive regardless. However, film is more
"up-close," and the whole "parents & children" theme is more pronounced
with true children on board here.
And how funny is it that the Wolf/Cinderella's Prince doubling-up was
ACTUALLY a matter of economics? Fortunately, it worked out to total
perfection--there's a definite message in those two being the same person
underneath the costumes on stage, even though it wasn't specifically
intended, or realized by all viewers. Still, they didn't think it was completely
necessary to have it the same way in the movie...no NEED to shrink the cast
or give a certain actor "more to do"...so they hired two different dudes.
"TENDER AND FRESH, NOT ONE LUMP...HELLO, LITTLE GIRL."
"I SHALL ALWAYS LOVE THE MAIDEN WHO RAN AWAY."
Plus, they originally tried to work other fairy tales and nursery rhymes into
ITW (Three Little Pigs, Rumpelstiltskin...) Hmmmmm. Do our dear Sondheim &
Lapine need to consider a sequel, mayhaps? ;p "Back Into the Woods!" xD