"My Fair Lady" Gets #MeTooEnding Spoiler Alert!

[TabinRivCA]

That's awesome, where are they filming for 'Jesus Revolution'? always keeping my eyes out for potential opportunities for my daughter... Thanks for you contribution to the thread ...

Your welcome and here's the site with the info: https://thejesusrevolution.com/extras/

 

[ArtsieSteph]

The crazy thing is I heard like they said in he review that originally they had assumed Eliza was really gonna marry Freddie. She was gonna leave him.

And to be totally honest I’d never want to be involved in such a volatile situation anyway. That level of emotional and mental complication just makes my skin crawl.

 

[Solemateleft]

The crazy thing is I heard like they said in he review that originally they had assumed Eliza was really gonna marry Freddie. She was gonna leave him.

And to be totally honest I’d never want to be involved in such a volatile situation anyway. That level of emotional and mental complication just makes my skin crawl.

YES! that woulda/coulda been another great story line that could have been implemented as another means of getting the best of both worlds - both messages... We get the 'strong-independence' message of the woman being able to break away from the arrogant uncompromising professor and we also get the happy-ending with the guy that was able to demonstrate his conviction and admiration for her...
Unfortunately, in this case (it was our observation) - it is almost deliberate that they cast a Freddy that was shorter than Eliza (in her heals, which was all their scenes together)... They could have allowed him to wear lifts to slightly increase his stature in comparison, but no it seems his wardrobe called for flats - almost a deliberate means to ensure a shorter Freddie would not be construed as a viable or serious suitor for the new independent Eliza...

 

[zeroturbulence]

I took my daughter to the Kennedy Center last night to see the latest Broadway production of 'My Fair Lady'...
And While I found the show amazing, the ending had a subtle twist/ending that completely caught me off guard...

‘My Fair Lady’ Finally Gets Its #MeToo Ending. Somewhere, George Bernard Shaw Is Applauding

My Fair Lady, American musical film, released in 1964, that was adapted from the long-running Broadway musical of the same name and proved to be a great popular and critical success. The movie, which starred Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn, won eight Academy Awards, including that for best picture.

This review contains spoilers. If you don’t want to know what happens at the end of this new production of My Fair Lady, stop reading now.

The majestic My Fair Lady has been given a #MeToo makeover. Or, more accurately, it has reclaimed the ending that George Bernard Shaw intended for Pygmalion, the play it is based on, in 1913.

The “happy” ending that producers would try to fix to Pygmalion, and which My Fair Lady—originally staged in 1956—enshrined, with Eliza and Higgins together, has been jettisoned.

You can read the review linked above (with Spoiler Alert) to understand the touted rationale for the ending...

I love taking my daughter to the Theater as she is a budding Musical Theater Major at GMU and she is simply a brilliant genius when it comes to discussing and dissecting the inner working theater, plays, movies plots, characters etc...

While I acknowledge the absolute value of Eliza learning to stand alone as her new found independent woman... I felt that the ending had fallen flat on two or three fronts as it involves relationships...

1 - The show emphasizes her toxic relationship with her father, only to lead us almost tease us that by the end of the movie both her and her father have shown so much growth and maturing as people - that we are still left hanging... At the end he offers her an olive branch invitation to his upcoming wedding - only to be denied... There is no closer between this father daughter relationship...

2 - Freddy is the poor guy that falls madly in love with her as he is genuinely taken by her unique spirit and personality... He hopelessly sings, writes and attempts to whew her... to no avail... As it would seem that her heart is set on ultimately earning Professor Higgins approval and respect...

3 - Of course Professor Higgins is a pompous arrogant personality that does not completely appreciate and respect Eliza as a woman until she has run away... He seems to show tremendous growth potential - in having learned his lesson...

In the 1956 Broadway production and the 1964 Movie ... As he is consoling himself, listening to tapes of her speaking lessons, she returns.

Only in this new production, she returns - only to Leave as a symbol of her pursuing her independence...

So question/comments for the CC Forum to ponder and respond:

While this ending is fantastic for showcasing that people do not need to be dependent upon others, not do they have to be compelled to jump into relationships for potentially the wrong reasons...
- What does it say about the ability two people to grow and overcome their individual struggles and weaknesses in order to be able to make necessary compromises for relationships to persevere?
- In this day and age, is the Independence message a better message given the increased trend toward broken marriages and broken marriages?
- Or in this day and age, is the ability for both a man and woman to recognize their personal issues and acknowledged growth as a means to learn how to make a relationship work with mutual respect and appreciation - a more profound message that our society is in need of hearing at this time?

Note: I can certainly appreciate the @MeTooEnding reference especially given our recent discussions on narcissism and the need to exit such toxic relationships... But, we can't help but see that even Professor Higgins might just have it within him to grow as a person as well... Maybe not, maybe that is just my wishful thinking - hoping for that romantic happily ever after ending...

Thoughts?

I didn't read the whole post because one day I might want to see it, but I am not surprised at all since hollywood has become obsessed with pushing the liberal agenda any way they can. The Metoo movement started out innocently as a way to expose and stop sexual assaults that powerful hollywood moguls were apparently using to bribe young actors and actresses, but it has devolved into a liberal feminist tool to demonize men (a.k.a. "toxic masculinity") and classify subtle actions like staring as sexual harassment.

 

[Lanolin]

Good points, your recollection of the movie rendition is obviously better than mine, and I trust you are correct. That being said, the adjusted outcome makes perfect sense.
Albeit, I can't help but assume that as long as we're going to take creative license, let's revamp what is needed for the times...
Agree the critical need to showcase growth for the strong independent woman... I just can't help but see the need to showcase the need for the strong minded male persona to equally learn growth to appreciate, respect and a willingness to demonstrate personal sacrifice and compromise as a positive example for what it takes to actually make any relationship work out...
Maybe there should be a sequel... Lol... As we are left with Eliza not having a future relationship with her father, Freddy or Higgins...

You are missing the point they did not have a equal relationship in the first place, it was a teacher student relationship not a man woman relationship.
Do you marry your teacher? No. The point of having a teacher is not to marry them or continue a discipleship forever but to go out and teach others. so Eliza could have taught other cockney women how to speak like ladies.

Its actually fairly easy to pull off you just need a stiff upper lip and the right clothes.

 

[Solemateleft]

You are missing the point they did not have a equal relationship in the first place, it was a teacher student relationship not a man woman relationship.
Do you marry your teacher? No. The point of having a teacher is not to marry them or continue a discipleship forever but to go out and teach others. so Eliza could have taught other cockney women how to speak like ladies.

Its actually fairly easy to pull off you just need a stiff upper lip and the right clothes.

Thanks for the friendly hip-check to help me see and understand your point. Of course, I do confess, I did initially miss your point here, I also seem to have missed it in this production as well.
While I agree that the purpose of the teacher-student relationship is not romance, I also recognize that does not mean that it does not happen in adult situations...
Great point though, thanks, I do look forward to conferring with my daughter on this point to see if I missed the possible indications for the audience to pickup if that was Eliza's intention...

 

[Solemateleft]

Thanks for the friendly hip-check to help me see and understand your point. Of course, I do confess, I did initially miss your point here, I also seem to have missed it in this production as well.
While I agree that the purpose of the teacher-student relationship is not romance, I also recognize that does not mean that it does not happen in adult situations...
Great point though, thanks, I do look forward to conferring with my daughter on this point to see if I missed the possible indications for the audience to pickup if that was Eliza's intention...

@Lanolin you are correct! After further contemplation and brief discussion with my daughter - YES, Eliza does find her purpose - to return to her neighborhood to help others as the Professor and Col had helped her...
Finding her purpose is essentially consistent with the message of her evolving as a strong independent woman...
It remains IMHO, that message for finding one's purpose vs finding ones person both have merit and are mutually exclusive...
ie it does not necessarily have to be an either or outcome...
I was honestly quiet content with the outcome - that is prior to I read the title on this review... That is when I became all wrapped up in the directors 'messaging'...

 

[daddydanny]

i don't see this as a metoo ending. Higgins finds out he really needs Eliza because before she can his life was lonely and empty. Eliza knows this which is why she got mad at him and Pickering for only congratulating themselves.

i don't see this as social class at all hes just an old bachelor who never even thought that he needed a woman in his life till he actually has one.

ive never seen pygmalion so i cant compare and contrast them but this is definitely one of my favorite musicals.

 

[Lanolin]

uh, its all about social class actually, its set in England where if you speak with a certain accent people label you the minute you open your mouth.

Its only Hollywood that tries to make it about something else.

It isnt about professor Higgens being a bachelor so much realising he 'needs' someone. Its about Professor Higgins realising he has to treat Eliza like a real person, a lady. Like have some decency! If Eliza becomes a lady, then its on Professor Higgins to be a gentleman.

I think few people understand what being a gentleman is these days. Im waiting for the sequal My Good Gentleman.