Even after 46 years, ‘Grease’ is still the word

“Tell me about it, stud.”

A classic we all have seen (now), and adore, “Grease”.

When you talk to your friends about movies you have watched the normal “classics” come up like “Dirty Dancing”, “Titanic”, “The Breakfast Club”, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and of course, “Grease”.

Being one of few people in my friend groups who have not seen it, I finally went to watch it at Fox Theatre. What an experience that was. I knew a little bit about the movie going into it, but the majority of the movie was all new to me.

Walking into the theater, I did not realize just how many older people there would be. Besides me and my friend group of college students, the rest were people who probably watched it when they were in middle school or high school. It was amazing to see how many people showed up even though this movie is 46 years old, released in 1978. That makes me question, has this movie held up to today’s times and society?

My answer would be yes, I believe that “Grease” is the word and will be one of those movies that will always be considered a classic to generations to come.

As a first-time “Grease” watcher, I have a few observations. First off, why are all the actors so old, or at least look so old? Who thought these actors who are in their 20s or early 30s could pass as high school students? Even though Olivia Newton-John, who plays shy girl Sandy, was 29-years old, she was the only one who could pass as a high schooler. I just hope that re-watchers or first-time watchers realize that there is a huge age difference between the actors’ real age and the character they are playing.

One part of the movie that was worth all the hype was the music. I think it has stayed with the times and will stay timeless. Depending on the musical, the music genres will stay more consistent with each other or change throughout the show. But in “Grease”, there is music for everybody and songs that will get stuck in your head. For instance, “Beauty School Dropout” and “Sandy” are sad, slow songs while “You’re The One That I Want”, “We Go Together”, and “Grease Lightning” are happy, upbeat songs in the movie.

There is one song that I think has a deeper meaning in the movie, “Summer Nights”. During this song, the scene changes between Danny and Sandy singing the same song but in response to each other. This was a unique way to do the scene but well executed. I also liked this song because I feel that it is relatable to teens.

Danny and Sandy change their appearance for each other, showing their love for one another. At the beginning of the movie, Sandy is a sweet and innocent girl who is kind to everyone no matter who they are. Danny on the other hand, loves his car, buddies, and women. By the end of the movie it’s as if they switched roles and Sandy became less of a people pleaser while Danny became more vulnerable.

Not only does this happen in today’s society, but we change for the worse so we can feel included in a group.

Was the hype over this movie worth it? Yes, I would say so. There were some things I questioned as a first-time watcher but I want to re-watch it and find things I did not realize the first time. Even though this movie is decades old, it is not too romanticized and is still relatable for people of all ages.

Greta Klein is an Ellsworth freshman studying journalism.

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