DVD Capsule Review

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (2004)

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Seven Brides for Seven Brothers | 12107__seven_l

THE TAMING OF THE BROOD Six brothers and a bride

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers: Photofest

Credits

Rated: G; DVD Release Date: Oct 12, 2004; Genre: Musical; With: Howard Keel and Jane Powell

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By Steve Daly

Steve Daly

Steve Daly is a senior writer at EW, and also author of EW.com's Money Shot column

Is it a smackdown of me-Tarzan-you-Jane machismo, or a celebration of it? You can argue both ways about director Stanley Donen's lusty musical, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (cowritten, incidentally, by a husband-wife team), and that's probably why it still plays. When a sweet country gal (Jane Powell) marries a braggart mountain man (Howard Keel) only to find he wants her to keep house for him and his six mangy siblings, a battle of wills begins. If the sexism grates, skip to the magnificent barn-raising dance (choreographed by Michael Kidd) for better-than-Olympian back-flips on raised planks.

EXTRAS A complete non-CinemaScope alternate version has only curio value (and inferior sound), but check out Donen's dishy commentary (he says he heard Keel wanted him replaced) and cool vintage shots of Radio City Music Hall.

Posted Oct 15, 2004

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