Grease (1978) Film Review: Why It’s Still One of the Best Films of the Seventies
Grease is one of the best films to come out of the 1970s. It’s also a film you can happily watch with your teenagers, if you have them. So what is it about, and is it still worth watching today?
What Is Grease About? (Plot Summary)
Danny Zuko (John Travolta) and Sandy Olsson (Olivia Newton-John) meet at the beach for a summer romance. Like most holiday romances, it looks doomed by geography: Sandy is due to go home to Australia, and Danny has to go back to finish high school.
Then the plans change. Sandy stays in America after all and enrols at the local school, Rydell High, which happens to be Danny’s school. Danny is the alpha male of the T-Birds gang, and Sandy is the sweet, rather prim new girl, so their reunion doesn’t go smoothly.
The story follows Danny and Sandy’s on-off romance, with plenty of entertaining subplots along the way.
The Cast: Teenagers in Their Mid-Twenties (and Beyond)
Most of the film takes place at Rydell High, where the “teenagers” look remarkably like they’re in their mid-twenties. Stockard Channing was in her early thirties when she played Rizzo, the sharp-tongued leader of the Pink Ladies.
That grown-up cast is part of the charm, especially if you’re watching with teenagers. Younger kids love Scooby-Doo because the gang are teenagers; teenagers can enjoy Grease because the “high school students” are clearly adults.
The Songs: A Musical With Plenty of Story
Grease is a musical, and its soundtrack is packed with classics, from “Summer Nights” to “You’re the One That I Want”. It also has plenty of time when nobody’s singing, and plenty of story in between.
Why I Love Grease
I’m fond of Grease because my sister adored it. Whenever she was around, it was on. It’s one of those films that becomes part of your family’s furniture, and it still holds up decades later.
Is Grease Suitable for Teenagers?
Yes, for most families. Under the bright songs and the dance numbers, Grease deals with some grown-up themes: peer pressure, sex, a pregnancy scare, and fitting in. Some innuendo and attitudes from 1978 might spark a conversation, but for teenagers it makes a fun, nostalgic family film night.
A Note for the Men: Don’t Be Put Off by the Musical Label
Gentlemen, don’t let the word “musical” scare you off. This isn’t an Andrew Lloyd Webber production. There are drag races, gang rivalry, and plenty of scenes without a song in sight. Just sit down, relax, and enjoy.
Final Verdict
Grease is a feel-good classic: funny, catchy, and surprisingly grown-up. Whether you’re revisiting it or watching for the first time with your teenagers, it’s well worth a night in.
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