Funny Girl

Funny Girl is a tremendously entertaining and sweet film from start to finish. The film is based on the stage musical of the same name and is the semi-biography of Fanny Brice, the influential American comedian/singer/actress. Funny Girl marks the film debut of Barbra Streisand, who would win the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Fanny Brice, an award she would share with Katharine Hepburn, who won for The Lion in Winter.

Funny Girl was also nominated for Oscars in the categories of Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Music, Best Sound, Best Score, and Best Original Song. Streisand picked up a Golden Globe for Best Actress and Isobel Lennart’s screenplay won recognition from the Writer’s Guild of America.

Funny Girl follows the life of Fanny Brice, comedienne. She begins with unassuming circumstances in the Jewish slums of the Lower East Side and makes her way to the famed Ziegfeld Follies. The film details her romance and eventual divorce with her first husband, gambler Nick Arnstein (Omar Sharif). Funny Girl is a musical comedy, yet many fans of the original musical were disappointed that many of the classic songs were removed. Having not seen the stage musical version of Funny Girl, I clearly wasn’t able to tell the difference. William Wyler’s film was, to me, a cinematic treat and Streisand’s performance was nothing short of astonishing.

Streisand plays Fanny Brice as a vulnerable young woman with the world in the palm of her hand. She always has a “funny” answer for everything and relies on her good humour because she doesn’t think she can rely on her looks. Brice is confident and yet shaky at times, but through it all she’s determined to get what she wants and will stop at nothing to accomplish her goals, whether romantic or professional. Her swagger is enviable and her dogged determination is admirable, even in the face of uncertainty. Streisand plays Brice with a power and with poise, squeezing every last drop of emotion out of the role and restraining herself and her vocal talents at all the right moments. She obviously has a big voice and it shines through in some of the film’s more explosive numbers, but the real poignancy of Streisand’s performance is most evident in the final scene of the film as she tearfully makes her way through the last song. It’s incredible.

Wyler’s direction here is impeccable, too. Wyler was one of few directors to have won multiple Best Director Academy Awards. He won three Oscars for direction, for Ben Hur, The Best Years of Our Lives, and Mrs. Miniver. Wyler was known for his control over the films he directed, as he often was said to have needed several takes on a single shot and demanded the very best out of his crew and performers. This attention to detail obviously paid off in a big way and is evident in the way Funny Girl unfolds on the screen. Wyler directs with simplicity, yet isn’t afraid to make a few bold moves. This guides the film immensely without forcing it into any corners, making Funny Girl a gently directed film that belies the quality of its performances and screenplay. Funny Girl was Wyler’s second-to-last film as a director.

The film was immensely successful, both in terms of critical adoration and in terms of audience success. Funny Girl was the top grossing film of 1968 and was named to AFI’s list of Best Musicals, ranking at number 16. The film spawned a sequel, Funny Lady, which starred Streisand (reluctantly, to say the last) and James Caan. The sequel wasn’t as impressive to critics, but still did reasonably well at the box office. Despite the possible tarnishing of the film through the sequel, Funny Girl still stands as a powerful tale of choices and relationships and is as impressive now as it was when it was released.

What makes Funny Girl work so well is its intelligent resolve within itself. Streisand’s role is the quintessential “you go girl!” role, as she represents dogged determination in the light of any circumstance and presses on through her life, enjoying every moment and getting the most out of it. Streisand’s Brice cries, but never extensively. She is shown as today’s modern woman, with a twist. Never one to take herself seriously or too gravely, Streisand’s Brice is a woman with class and dignity but with a goofy internal monologue telling her how to act. Her hilarious internal battles that are voiced aloud are impeccable pieces of performance and filmmaking, as Streisand’s facial expressions amuse and entertain immensely. Her chemistry with Sharif’s Nick Arnstein is also excellent, as Sharif pours every ounce of smooth into Arnstein and still emerges with a vulnerability of his own. His Arnstein is a man of pride and dignity and he, in the end, believes himself to be not good enough for the rising star of Fanny Brice.

Funny Girl is as intelligent and as funny a film about the pains of life and love as could be seen, I think. It is simply great, a blossoming force of comedy and music from the opening overture to the closing tour de force. The songs are terrific and memorable, the performances are all impeccable, and Wyler’s direction is the perfect key for the lock. Funny Girl is as gleeful as it is gut-busting, as sad as it is sorry, and as victorious as it is……something else with a “V.”

As Fanny Brice would say: “You think beautiful girls are going to stay stars forever? I should say not! Any minute now they’re going to be out! Finished! Then it’ll be my turn!”

Trailer (2001 reissue TCM):