Prior to Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon, I probably wouldn’t have thought that I’d relate so heavily to lyricist Lorenz “Larry” Hart. One part of the duo Rodgers and Hart, he helped bring songs like “Blue Moon” to us all with the help of Richard Rodgers’ compositions.
Blue Moon explores the night that Oklahoma! opened on Broadway, the first musical in a long line of collaborations between Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. And the first in a long line of musicals that I do not like. As a life long fan have musicals and the idea of them, I am very vocal about my dislike of the “classics.” I find many of them sexist and boring. Many of which were created by Rodgers and Hammerstein.
Which is why I found Larry Hart’s (Ethan Hawke) anger over Oklahoma! so funny in Blue Moon. Yes, his is rooted in pain and upset over his friend and collaborator moving on but it is also highly relatable. Because prior to the 2019 revival of Oklahoma!, I hated the show. But hey, a bunch of hot people hating some of the themes present in the show and I am sat.
What worked for me about Blue Moon was how Linklater, who also wrote the film, was able to weave references to well-known musical theatre lore into the piece. Stevie Sondheim being rude to Larry Hart? Perfection. Larry’s own relationship with the staff of Sardis? Genius. Nearly 6′ tall Ethan Hawke playing 5′ foot Larry Hart? Hilarious. But there is also a heart to Hart’s story (pun intended) that makes Blue Moon something special for everyone, even people who don’t know Hart and Rodgers’ work.
Hey old friend…
Through the film, I kept thinking about Linklater’s adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along. The two are connected through Sondheim but it is nice to see that Linklater’s love of theatre and its history spans through different eras of musical theatre. But one theme is present in both Blue Moon and Merrily: Friendship.
All of Hart’s upset and anger is rooted in losing Rodgers (Andrew Scott). He has Elizabeth (Margaret Qualley) and Eddie (Bobby Cannavale) but for the most part, Larry is sad and alone and a man who just talks to fill the silence. Again: Relatable.
So much of Blue Moon is just a man trying to find connection with someone in a world that has othered him. He struggled with his sexuality, was alone after Rodgers’ “moved on” and so much of how he was feeling is, unfortunately, a universal feeling. And that’s the beauty of not only Hart’s story but of Linklater’s work as a whole.
He loves to tell a story of someone who is just trying to be the better version of themselves. Hit Man was Gary trying to get out of his own shell, School of Rock had Dewey attempting to do something good even if he was going about it the wrong way, and Linklater loves to tell these kinds of stories. Blue Moon is up there with some of Linklater’s most beloved film and for good reason.
(featured image: Sony Picture Classics)
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