Mama Mia!

Yes, I know it got bad reviews, but I don’t care. I love this movie.

I meant to go see it when it was in the theaters, but a couple of hurricanes and a looming book deadline got in the way. So during the holidays, Steve and I sat down to watch the DVD with my daughters. All four of us laughed so hard our stomachs hurt. To appreciate this, you need to understand that my daughters hate ABBA. I mean, they were virtually born hating ABBA. And they still loved this movie.

No, it’s not profound. And yes, it’s silly. That’s one of the things that makes it so much fun.

But the amazing thing is, that at one point—where the Meryl Streep character is helping her daughter dress for her wedding—I also cried. Not as in laughed-so-hard-I-cried, but cried because my heartstrings were tugged. Any time a movie can make me laugh and cry, it’s a keeper. I don’t buy many movies, but I bought this one.

So if you’re in need of a good laugh and you haven’t seen it, grab some popcorn. Just don’t forget to keep watching when the credits start to roll. I still smile at the image of “Mr. Darcy” strutting on stage in a priceless imitation of Elvis Presley.