Much can be said about the huge success that the “Wicked” film franchise has gained. According to Billboard, “Wicked: For Good” has grossed $226 million worldwide in its opening weekend at the box office, joining Billboard’s list of top-grossing Broadway film adaptations. This achievement is well-deserved, and so were all of the accolades the first “Wicked” film received.
Starting off, the first film introduces audiences to Glinda, played by Ariana Grande, and Elphaba, played by Cynthia Erivo. For those who are unfamiliar with the film or live production, the plot centers around the origins of the Wicked Witch and Glinda the Good from the original “Wizard of OZ” movie. The audience is taken on an adventure with the two characters as they navigate their original friendship in the first film, then showing their rocky conclusion in the second film. There are, of course, side characters, love, music, and other antagonists throughout the films, but I will get into more of that soon.
The first film took the world by storm. It felt like every time I opened social media I either saw clips of the movie, sound bites, the press tour, or lyrics to the songs. I wasn’t mad about this at all, shockingly. All of these factors made the songs even catchier and forced me to pay attention to the movie closer. I picked up on hints I didn’t catch from watching the first time around, which I thought was interesting.
To give some more context, I went into the first film not knowing anything about it. I might have heard a lyric or two in passing, but other than that I went in essentially blind. I think this was the best choice for me. I don’t like watching a movie where I know what happens, so it was especially important I stayed in the dark about this. I understand that the Broadway show is a huge phenomenon, so I was definitely in the minority of not knowing. Having watched both films now, and a version of the live performance, I can happily say that fans of the original show would like the films just as much, if not more.
Back to the first movie. “Wicked” used masterful storytelling, some of which made me confident that I knew the events that were happening when in reality I had no clue. My original impressions of the film were high. I played the soundtrack so much in the following days I’m sure my family and friends were sick of me.
If we’re being honest, I wasn’t the biggest Glinda fan after the first movie. From my point of view, I thought that she was a little selfish and rude. She only really had herself in mind during the entire film. She wanted attention from everyone, and she got it. Glinda and Prince Fiyero, played by Jonathan Bailey, did seem to be the perfect pair. I didn’t really understand the friendship between Glinda and Elphaba, but I guess opposites attract. Or maybe, Glinda just wanted some sort of magic and saw Elphaba as her means to get that. I don’t really know for sure.
In contrast to Glinda, I did very much like Elphaba in the first film. I liked her cause and that she was standing up for what was right. It’s hard to explain, but I just understood Elphaba in some sort of way.
The first film ends with Glinda and Elphaba going their separate ways. It is implied in the second film that a long period of time passed, but what that jump was is unclear. I did think it was interesting that the second film opened in a very similar way to the first. That was something I definitely wasn’t expecting.
Moving through the story a little bit, I still liked Elphaba. She was doing her best to help the animals and fight for the greater good of OZ. I did, however, also like Glinda. We got to see a little more of what was going on behind the scenes, which showed how much Glinda was being used without her knowing, specifically by Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum). This made me heavily empathize with her.
As we move through the story, we get to the famous wedding scene between Fiyero and Glinda. A clip of the wedding was shown in the film’s trailer, and I had high expectations. As someone who grew up watching the show Say Yes To The Dress, I may or may not have been the most excited to see her wedding dress. The dress was definitely a show stopper; a true Glinda gown.
The pair didn’t get married, and I honestly wasn’t really surprised. What I was surprised about was what came next.
Sparing some of the bigger details, Fiyero leaves Glinda for Elphaba on their wedding day, as Glinda is still standing in front of the two in her wedding dress. I may not have been emotionally attached to Glinda before, but I definitely was starting then. I would have to be heartless not to feel bad for that poor girl. Just imagine watching the man you’re in love with leave you for your best friend. Ouch.
At this point we watch the growing relationship between Elphaba and Fiyero. And by growing relationship, I really mean the one night stand the two had with a song thrown in there. Besides getting to watch Jonathan Bailey, because who wouldn’t want to watch that man, I couldn’t find myself to care about the scene between the two of them. I was still mad at the two for doing that to Glinda.
Moving forward again, we see the classic characters like the Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, and Scarecrow make appearances. These characters aren’t played by random actors either. Trying to give away as little as possible, these characters are actually all transformed from people in the original “Wicked” film. They all have their reasons for how they ended up the way they did, which I thought made for some nicely done side plots.
The ending of this film actually tore my heart in two. I had heard people talk about how emotional it made them, but honestly had a hard time believing it for myself. I don’t really get emotional over films except for when a dog or animal dies, because that is just crossing the line entirely.
The second “For Good” started playing and the tears were flowing. I realized I followed Elphaba’s and Glinda’s friendship from the beginning to the end, and I was sad for both of them because of the way it had to end. I have always thought that there were different types of love, and that not all love had to be romantic. I can say with certainty, this pair truly loved each other.
I felt genuinely awful for Glinda. She watched through a crack in the door as her only true friend left her life for good. By this point, Fiyero was also out of the picture forever. I can’t imagine the pain that must hold for her, and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. Glinda goes on to unveil the truly evil person responsible for what is happening in OZ, getting rid of both them and the wizard, leaving OZ in her very capable hands.
A couple of more events happen before the conclusion of this story, but I don’t want to get into all of those details. I could probably go on forever talking about them.
I want to break down my overall experience with these films, starting with what I call my favorites. My favorite songs from the first “Wicked” movie were “What Is This Feeling?,” “Dancing Through Life” and “Defying Gravity.” Surprise, surprise. They are well known for a reason. Moving to “Wicked: For Good” my favorite songs had to be “Thank Goodness / I Couldn’t Be Happier,” “No Good Deed” and “For Good.” These are very popular as well, and I seem to keep coming back to them. I did also fall in love with the reprise of “I’m Not That Girl,” which in the second film was sung by Glinda instead of Elphaba from the first. The symbolism that song has is incredible. Instead of Elphaba talking about how she’s not the one who Fiyero wants, it’s Glinda saying it instead. This scene absolutely broke my heart. The fact that she sung this on her wedding day is one of the things that make it so impactful.
My favorite character actually ended up being Glinda. Previously I mentioned how much I disliked her in the first film. While I stand by that, “Wicked: For Good” changed my perception about Glinda completely. She is such a strongly written character, and I love her overall attitude. And come one, those dresses are killer.
So, which was my favorite film? That is a question I simply don’t have an answer to. My immediate answer is to say that I liked “Wicked: For Good” more, but I want to be careful saying that. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the movie, but I don’t know if I love it more than the first only because it is still extremely fresh on my mind. I did see it only days ago.
I can honestly say that these films are up there with some of the better musical movies I have ever seen, possibly even the best. They have both taught me so much. Specifically pulling from the second film, it really taught me about the value of friendship. There is so much of me that is made up of those around me. I wouldn’t have made it this far on my own, and I think it is really beautiful how this movie recognizes that in its characters.
You know it’s a good movie when all you think about days after are the characters. My heart still feels empathy for Glinda, and I hope Elphaba has found some sort of peace with her love. These films have me wrapped around their fingers in the best way. I went into both movies blind and came out the other side completely in awe. It’s amazing how many emotions a movie can elicit from you. Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better? But, because of these films, I have been changed: For Good.