Jersey Boys-2014

Director Clint Eastwood

Starring John Lloyd Young

Scott’s Review #95

Reviewed July 5, 2014

Grade: B+

Jersey Boys (2014) is a film version of the hit Broadway show of the same name, directed by Clint Eastwood.

It follows Frankie Valli and his friends (who later become the Four Seasons) as they grow up in 1950s mob-laden New Jersey and move from hardship and petty crime to musical success.

The film is mainly a feel-good experience, as the songs alone resonate with the audience and stick in your head because they’re so catchy.

Sherry, Walk Like a Man, Big Girls Don’t Cry, and Can’t Take My Eyes Off You are prominently featured throughout the film, making it tough not to toe-tap along with the musical numbers.

Most of the boys grow up in a heavily Italian neighborhood, which is a delight, and Eastwood’s authenticity is impressive: the food, the fights, the gangster mob ties.

Admittedly, I found the first thirty minutes a bit slow, but then the film takes off.

The cast is good; John Lloyd Young is excellent as Frankie Valli, a role he also played on Broadway, and it’s nice to see Christopher Walken as a kindly mob boss who looks out for the kids.

The film is wonderfully shot, and the 1950s nostalgia shows in the set pieces, costumes, and more.

Is this film edgy? Not in the least. Is it a safe crowd-pleaser? Absolutely!

It is a fun musical experience that doesn’t lean into schmaltz.