Funny Girl

Funny Girl

By William Wyler

  • Genre: Comedy
  • Release Date: 1968-09-20
  • Advisory Rating: G
  • Runtime: 2h 35min
  • Director: William Wyler
  • Production Company: Columbia Pictures
  • Production Country: United States of America
  • iTunes Price: USD 12.99
  • iTunes Rent Price: USD 3.99
7.2/10
7.2
From 375 Ratings

Description

Funny Girl follows the early career of stage comedienne Fanny Brice, a role that earned Barbra Streisand the 1968 Oscar® for Best Actress. As the film opens, only her mother believes Fanny can make it in show business. When she gets her first break at Keeney's Music Hall, her hilarious debut as a roller-skating chorus girl gets her hired as a comedienne. A year later Fanny is working for Florenz Ziegfeld in his famous Follies and brings the house down with an outrageous and unplanned number. Fanny becomes a star, falls in love and marries Nick Arnstein (Omar Sharif), a handsome gambler whose luck doesn't hold up. The film's many memorable songs include "Don't Rain On My Parade" and the Streisand classic "People."

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Reviews

  • Good but Huh?

    4
    By MTM.MAN
    Saw this on TCM awhile back and it is very good, especially the incredible voice by B. Streisand, however, why is this touted as some Gay Campy flick by iTunes this week? Or is it that some Gay folks like it? Anyway, maybe next week they list under most liked macho flicks a buck lower....lol.
  • Phenomenal film!!!!

    5
    By Arianagrandesuperstarfan
    Oh wow, how I hate a movie such as this. One that drags me in with beautiful and entertaining music and great joy and comedy, only to break my heart in the end. If I hate a movie, that must mean it really touched me, and that must mean it's pretty amazing. Fantastic every time and I highly suggest it
  • LONG, LONG ROAD TO "MY MAN"

    1
    By Jachebo
    You can save yourself a lot of time and just watch on YouTube the two or three good numbers from "Funny Girl." It's a very long movie and, since no one was allowed to do much to get in Streisand's way (including the director), you have to be a diehard fanatic of hers to endure what goes on between those numbers. The score from the original Broadway cast is so much better than the movie soundtrack where Streisand decided to "act" the songs instead of sing them well. Whoever decided to cut "Cornet Man" and "Who Are You Now?" should be walled up alive. Instead of those fine songs we get some stupid "Roller Skate Rag" number where she gets to fall all over the chorus girls (H'Yuk, H'Yuk), and they wrote a really self-pitying title song that can't touch the melody or lyrics to "Who Are You Now?" At the end of the film, the finale, Streisand lip synchs the vocal from the version of "My Man" from her "My Name is Barbra" album with a new orchestration. According to her publicity, she sang it exactly the same while she cried, but we know that isn't possible. At least the post-synch is better than in other parts of the film. As her gambling husband, Omar Sharif is about as convincing as he was as a Russian in "Dr. Zhivago." Ann Francis has a few lines, Kay Medford has about 10 minutes of screen time doing a Jewish mother thing. They also replaced the very funny "Private Schwartz" number with a Swan Lake parody that is embarrassing. "Henry Street," "Who Taught Her Everything She Knows," and the great "Music That Makes Me Dance" were thrown out. If you just love everything Streisand does, no matter what it is, "Funny Girl" is for you. For the rest of us, there is YouTube, and you won't miss a thing.
  • Streisand fan or not, it’s great!

    5
    By giantREBAfan
    I’d seen other Streisand movies but after watching “Funny Girl”, I was in love! Such a good movie, and the music… holy crap! One of the best musicals I’ve ever seen. And Streisand as Fanny Brice, she was meant for that roll. She’s so funny and sassy! Streisand fan or not, it’ll be hard not to love this movie :)
  • Amazing!

    5
    By j0eb0b13
    I love his movie soooooo much!!!!!!!
  • There is nothing quite like it!!<3

    5
    By usajazz
    First of all this movie is all around amazing. It will make your stomach hurt laughing so much one second. The next second you feel the sadness in Fanny Brice's life. Although the characters are not strictly true to life and Nicky Arnstein was more of a gangster in real life, and a married one at that(when he was first seeing Brice). Ignoring all that this movie is a pleasure to watch! Omar and Barbra have great chemistry, and Barbra's voice is amazing. She is one of the greatest if not THE greatest singer i have ever heard. You really can't go wrong with this movie. It's great for many different kinds of people. From people who like comedies to romances to musicals. At least watch this movie! I promise you it's worth your time.
  • Omg

    5
    By Swicksters
    This movie is so amazing. Barbra is breathtaking! My favorite song is My Man Then Funny Girl then prolly People. Barbra is my role model so I love this movie, it's my favorite musical movie next to Burlesque ( awesome movie btw) MUST SEE
  • Good

    4
    By Anonymous709
    It was amazing! I only have one thing; that intimate scene ( you know the one I'm talking about ) is a bit much for rated g don't you think?
  • Not Good, Not Bad. Just OK.

    3
    By KristenBernadine
    I love the classics. I love musicals. Put them together, and yeah, I usually go gaga. So when I saw all the 5 star reviews for this movie, I was excited to see it. I saw it, and i was disappointed. First, I'd like to say that Barbara Streisand did do a great job (although I did find her thick Brooklyn? accent kind of jarring against Sharif's posh Egyptian one a little bit at times.) She made me laugh at her jokes! And there's no question the lyrics of the songs are good as well - "Don't Rain on my Parade" is one of my favorite musical numbers, and the "I Am Man, You Are Woman" duet was funny (at least on Barbara's end.) But other than that, there really was nothing to make this movie shine. I honestly think if the film was SHORTER, I might have liked it better. Believe me, length is hardly ever the issue with me - my "Gone With the Wind," "Titanic," "Godfather," and "Lord of the Rings" marathons can attest to that fact. I felt that "Funny Girl" started at the end of one movie and just took whatever that film's happily ever after-ending was and went on and on with it. I also felt that there was little, if any, chemistry between Streisand and Sharif. I could SEE they were in a relationship but I couldn't FEEL it. Whether it was creative direction or not, it sort of bothered me that I couldn't really invest in their 'ship. There was also the fact that the hair and costume sort of confused me. It's a film set in between the 1910s-1930s, but (especially at the beginning) I thought there were stuff that were clearly marked by 60s fashions - most notably, Streisand's leopard outfit, and her hair and eye makeup for the second portion of the film. I was hoping to get my bang for my buck. I didn't - the bang was more like a thud. Is it worth 9.99 to own? Personally, I don't think so. I'd definitely recommend renting it first before doing so, though. I still love Willie Wyler films though: Roman Holiday, The Children's Hour, How to Steal a Million, all great movies! Ah well. Better luck next time.
  • This movie's a true story

    5
    By Ingram Family
    Im stunned that this is a true story and that there is a real Fanny Brice and this movie was created 13 years after she died and I love this movie

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