- MIDLER/CAAN/SEGAL
Bette Midler gives the brassiest, sassiest performance of her career as Dixie Leonard, a USO singer whose electrifying stage presence, and flair for outrageous comedy, captivates troops and civilians alike. Teamed up with America’s beloved song and dance man, Eddie Sparks (James Caan), the whole world becomes Dixie’s stage through three very different wars, and 50 years of music and memories, laughter and tears. All of it… FOR THE BOYS.For the Boys is a lumpy attempt to create an old-fashioned backstage drama, replete with classic showbiz feuds, breakups and make-ups, and the often inexplicable adoration of fictional fans toward characters with dubious star appeal. Released under a cloud of accusations that the story was ripped off from the life of USO stalwart Martha Raye (who had been attempting to get an autobiographical film project set up), For the Boys didn’t improve its public relations by being, well, not very good. Bette Midler stars as Dixie Leonard, a singer plucked from obscurity by song-and-dance man Eddie Sparks (James Caan) while on a USO tour during World War II. Their bawdy chemistry before audiences makes them a durable act through many years and wars to come. The problem is that they don’t like each other very much, and here’s where director Mark Rydell (On Golden Pond) drops the ball: the film never develops sufficient story grounds or the emotional complexity necessary for a high degree of conflict in what is essentially a two-character drama. It doesn’t help that the script requires Dixie and Eddie to be on nonspeaking terms for most of the 50 years they know one another, or that the story culminates in a horribly contrived reunion on television, with both actors buried under enough flesh-aging prosthetics and make-up to make them look like Dick Tracy villains. –Tom Keogh
Rating: 
(out of 37 reviews)
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October 28, 2010
#1
Review by VD2400
Rating:
To tell you the truth, I love this movie. Bette Midler can act in anything-comedy or drama-anything! But I like her most in drama. This movie was Bette Midler’s second Academy Award nomination. Directed by the same man who directed the movie The Rose (also with Bette Midler-her first Academy Award nomination).
I find this movie to be delightful, funny, heartbreaking, and VERY well acted!
Bette Midler sings in this movie, and it only adds to the superior quality of the film. The acting, the story, the music is worth watching over and over again. Like I said, I love this movie, and I recommend it to one and all!
October 28, 2010
#2
Review by
Rating:
This movie is great the way it sneaks up at you and touches your heart. It makes you feel wonderful and sad all at the same time, and makes you evaluate your life
October 28, 2010
#3
Review by
Rating:
The only reason Miss Midler didn’t win that year, (Jodie Foster won for Silence of the Lambs) was because ‘For the Boys’ was a box-office dud. I wish back then the marketing executives at 20th Century Fox would’ve sold this movie a little better. First of all the soundtrack had two possible mega hits, ‘In My Life’ the Beatles’ tune in which Bette’s renditon turned into an emotionally packed moment in the movie. I get a lump in the throat every time I see it. The other tune, ‘Every road leads Back to you’, like ‘Wind beneath my wings’ is a wonderful song reflecting on a bumpy and long, yet close and loving friendship. These songs should’ve been airing over the radio way before the movie was released. Secondly, ‘For the boys’ was pitted against ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and ‘Addams Family’ when it was released. It’s no wonder this movie got shoved aside. As for the movie itself, it’s evident that Miss Midler poured her soul and guts into the whole project. Yes, the movie does try to cover a lot of war-history in 2 1/2 hours, but Bette as Dixie and her love-hate relationship with Caan as Eddie do have an appealing quality despite all their tumultuus bickering behind the scenes of entertaining the boys. Critics complained about how awful the aging makeup looked on Midler and Caan. Well my argumnent to them is, when you see an elderly performers win a lifetime acheivement award on TV, aren’t they supposed to look somewhat gray and wrinkled…Or do all aged show biz icons have to look like Joan Collins and Dick Clark? Nevertheless, the scene of Dixies’s first time singing with the troops in 1942 is the reason why people love to see Bette….I just wish more people would have done so when this was released in 1991. TL
October 28, 2010
#4
Review by mandylou80
Rating:
I have no idea why anyone would give this a bad review, whether it was when it first debuted or today. This movie has something for everyone. Personally, I love Bette Midler & and I love anything from the 40s, so this is perfect for me. And I’ve seen reviews for this that say you can only appreciate it, if you lived during one of the eras portrayed in the film. I am living proof that that statement is wrong, because I am 24 years old and love everything about this movie.
Bette Midler & James Caan are wonderful actors and truly show that they are capable of any genre. If you are in doubt of whether you would like this movie, don’t be. There is something for everyone, whether it is comedy, music, or drama.
October 28, 2010
#5
Review by M. J. Moore
Rating:
Musicals by the early 90s were extremely rare but this reminds one of the days when musicals were both popular and fun as Bette Midler and James Caan play two USO singers who go all the way from World War II to the Vietnam War entertaining and wowing the army boys. Along the way is the drama that they both experience as they try to court one another while James is still married. For Bette, this should have been another hit as it had a great song off the soundtrack which could have worked as a hit single EVERY ROAD LEADS BACK To YOU as well as a great performance. In fact Bette does a better job here than in BEACHES as she has to carry more of the film on her shoulders. Her sparky, brassy, witty attitude and humor are evidenced here and she and James have impecable chemistry which allows the movie to work. It also is intersting seeing them age from middle age 40-year olds to some 90 year olds receiving awards. A great movie reminding one of the old days of musicals as well as one that tugs at the heartstrings!!