" I can't believe it. Right here where we live - right here in St. Louis."
Back in the 1940’s and 50’s, musicals were one of the crowning achievements of film. Featuring glitzy stars, flashy set pieces, and intricate dance numbers, musicals were an escapist experience. I guess movies in general were a form of escapism, but films that heightened the senses, much like musicals, seemed to delve people further from their everyday lives. Yet, for as robust as the genre was in the past, there always seems to be a handful of films that take precedence when a conversation about classic musicals get brought up. Said films tend to be “The Wizard of Oz” and “Singin’ in the Rain”. These films are obviously terrific, but they tend to overshadow one of the more impressive musicals to come from the 1940’s: “Meet Me in St. Louis”. If I had to describe the film, I’d say it’s a film that calls back to the Saturday Evening Post. More specifically, stylistically and thematically, it calls upon the many illustrations of Norman Rockwell and how the importance of the American family was viewed back at the turn of the 20th century. But, instead of saying the film is a form of escapism in the vain of “The Wizard of Oz”, I’d say it’s a film that’s more dedicated to magnifying an idealistic American life with a touch of whimsy.
Directed by Vincent Minnelli, “Meet Me in St. Louis” is a year in the life of the Smiths, a St. Louis family consisting of four daughters and one son, at various stages in their lives. The eldest daughter Rose (Lucille Bremer), is awaiting to be courted. Esther (Judy Garland), the second eldest daughter and the entry point of film for the audience, is experiencing her first brush with love. As for the youngest daughters, Agnes (Joan Carroll) and Tootie (Margaret O‘Brien), they’re merely trying to live their lives as simple as possible. And as for the son, well he’s there for comic relief, and is just trying to survive in a house filled with females. Although they’re not rich by any stretch of the imagination, the Smiths are living a respectable life in the middle class as they anxiously await for St. Louis to host the World’s Fair. Starting in 1903 and ultimately ending in 1904, “Meet Me…” is about the ups and downs a family can have over the course of a year, as well as the bond that can keep them all together. With plotlines that deal with the gush of first love, and the threats of a family upheaval, Minnelli deftly taps into the emotions and challenges that can plague a family from time to time. Now, the film itself isn’t entirely tight in it’s narrative structure as it’s often episodic. The plot shifts from season to season, but the one thread tying it all together is the notion of family and the connection a family inherently has in the city they’re formed in.
From this idea of a family being deeply rooted in a city and in one another, the musical numbers are not hell bent on being spectacular in the visual department. Instead, they are more focused on being emotionally resonant and plot driven. Thus the numbers themselves often emanate from scenes that are based within the Smith’s home and with one or two characters exposing their hopes and fears. Going against conventionally staged musical numbers, the film is extremely intimate as it firmly entrenches us in the emotions that can run amok when love is in the air, happiness is within reach, and when losing touch with those we love unconditionally is imminent. The aforementioned sentiments are wonderfully embodied in a plethora of songs that can put a skip in your step (the ‘Trolley Song’), melt your heart (“The Boy Next Door”) , or put a tear in your eye (“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas). With the songs being the jumping point for our understanding of the strengths and strains between the family members, the performances by the actors further exacerbate the love we end up developing for the Smith family. Furthermore, it’s a love that we can see existing and further developing between the actors. Featuring a cast with great comedic timing and sensational voices, “Meet Me in St. Louis” is a wonderful ensemble film sparkling with personality and tenderness as the cast emulates aspects of family life we often under appreciate. From the adorable presence of Margaret O’Brien as Tootie to the beautiful loyalty Judy Garland installs in Esther, “Meet Me…” is a film that’s hard to resist and easy to relate to.
Of course this is not say the film is too sweet for its own good. It has some darker undertones to it that differentiate it from other musicals, but through and through it’s a heartwarming film that understands the family dynamic. Because of this, the film has a timeless feel to it despite it being released nearly 66 years ago. This is not only a testament to the screenplay, but also to Minnelli and the song writers who are able to blend the family melodrama seamlessly with the musical numbers. By developing the film into one cohesive unit that flows like a family tree, Minnelli allows for the emotion expressed in the film to translate throughout without any interjection. Most importantly though, Minnelli makes us see that wherever life may take us, the ties of blood are tough to break.
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