Mamma Mia! (promoted as Mamma Mia! The Movie) is a 2008 jukebox musical romantic comedy film directed by Phyllida Lloyd and written by Catherine Johnson, based on her book from the 1999 musical. The film features an ensemble cast, including Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Julie Walters, Dominic Cooper, Amanda Seyfried, and Christine Baranski. The film follows a young bride-to-be named Sophie who invites three men to her upcoming wedding, with the possibility that any of them could be her real father.
Principal photography primarily took place on the Greek island of Skopelos from August to September 2007, with ABBA members Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus composing the film's score. Mamma Mia! premiered at the Leicester Square in London on June 30, 2008, before being released in the United Kingdom on July 10, and in the United States on July 18, by Universal Pictures. It received mixed reviews from critics and was a box-office success, grossing $708.2 million worldwide on a $52million budget, becoming the fifth highest-grossing film of 2008. A sequel, titled Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, was released on July 20, 2018, with much of the cast returning.
Plot
On the fictional Greek island of Kalokairi (), bride-to-be Sophie Sheridan reveals to her bridesmaids that she has secretly invited three men to her wedding without telling her mother, Donna: Irish-American architect Sam Carmichael, Swedish travel writer Bill Anderson, and British banker Harry Bright. One of the three is Sophie's biological father, though she doesn't know which, and she wants him to give her away at the wedding; she believes that after spending time with each of them, she will learn who fathered her.
When the three men arrive at Kalokairi, Sophie explains she sent the wedding invitations, not Donna, but does not reveal that she believes one of them is her father. She hides the men in Donna's goat house, and they hesitantly agree not to reveal themselves yet, as it is a surprise.
As Donna is working on the goat house, she spies on them. Dumbfounded to find herself facing her former lovers, she demands they leave. Donna confides in her old friends Tanya and Rosie, who have also arrived for the wedding, that she truly does not know which of the three fathered Sophie.
Sophie finds the men aboard Bill's sailboat and they sail around Kalokairi, with the men bonding with Sophie and telling her stories of Donna's carefree youth. Sophie attempts to tell her fiancé Sky about her ploy but loses her nerve.
At Sophie's bachelorette party, Donna is distressed by the three men's presence, but Rosie and Tanya assure her that they will take care of them. Sophie talks with each man alone. Bill learns that Donna received the money for her villa from his great-aunt Sofia whereas he had understood the money was bequeathed "to family"; as a result, they believe he is her father and she asks him to give her away but keep their secret until the wedding. Sam deduces (rightly or wrongly) that he is her father and asks who is giving her away. She says "no-one" and Sam offers. They agree to keep it a secret until the wedding. Harry similarly deduces (rightly or wrongly) and states that he'll walk her down the aisle, giving her no chance to decline.
In the morning, Donna attempts to comfort Sophie and offers to cancel the wedding; Sophie reacts angrily, saying she wants to avoid her mother's mistakes. Sam attempts to discuss the wedding with Donna, and both realize they still have feelings for each other. Sophie admits her actions to Sky and asks for his help, but he reacts angrily to her deception.
As they prepare for the wedding Donna admits to Sophie that her mother disowned her after she got pregnant, but she could not be more proud of having her. Sophie then asks Donna to give her away, to which Donna happily agrees.
As the bridal party and guests enter the chapel Sam intercepts Donna, who reveals the pain she felt over losing him. At the wedding, Sam reveals that he had ended his engagement, but returned to find Donna had gone off with another man (Bill).
The three men agree with Sophie that they do not want the paternity confirmed, each agreeing to be one-third of a father for Sophie. Sophie suggests to Sky that they postpone their wedding and travel the world. Sam proposes to Donna, revealing that he is divorced and has always loved her. She happily accepts and they marry on the spot.
Cast
Meryl Streep as Donna Sheridan, Sophie's mother and the owner of the hotel Villa Donna in Greece Pierce Brosnan as Sam Carmichael, Sophie's possible father and an Irish-American architect Colin Firth as Harry Bright, Sophie's possible father and a British banker Stellan Skarsgård as Bill Anderson, Sophie's possible father, a Swedish sailor and travel writer Julie Walters as Rosie Mulligan, one of Donna's former bandmates in Donna and the Dynamos; an unmarried, fun-loving author Dominic Cooper as Sky Rymand, Sophie's fiancé who is designing a website for the hotel Amanda Seyfried as Sophie Sheridan, Donna's 20-year-old daughter and Sky's fiancée Christine Baranski as Tanya Chesham-Leigh, Donna's other former bandmate; a rich three-time divorcée
Rachel McDowall as Lisa, a close friend of Sophie and her bridesmaid Ashley Lilley as Ali, a close friend of Sophie and her bridesmaid Ricardo Montez as Stavros Enzo Squillino Jr. as Gregoris, one of Donna's employees Philip Michael as Pepper, a bartender and Sky's best man who takes an interest in Tanya Chris Jarvis as Eddie, a friend of Sky and Pepper Juan Pablo Di Pace as Petros, Harry's partner Niall Buggy as Father Alex, a wedding priest Benny Andersson as "Dancing Queen" piano player (uncredited) Spencer Kayden as Agnes (uncredited) Björn Ulvaeus as Greek god (uncredited)
Soundtrack
A soundtrack album was released on July 7, 2008, by Decca in the United States and Polydor internationally. The recording was produced by Benny Andersson. The album features sixteen musical numbers from the film, including a hidden track. The album was nominated at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media. The deluxe edition of the soundtrack album was released on November 25, 2008.
"I Have a Dream" (Prologue) – Sophie "Honey, Honey" – Sophie, Ali and Lisa "Money, Money, Money" – Donna, Tanya and Rosie "Mamma Mia" – Donna "Chiquitita" – Rosie, Tanya and Donna† "Dancing Queen" – Tanya, Rosie and Donna "Our Last Summer" – Harry, Bill, Sam, and Sophie "Lay All Your Love on Me" – Sky and Sophie "Super Trouper" – Donna, Tanya and Rosie "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" – Sophie, Ali and Lisa "Voulez-Vous" – Donna, Sam, Tanya, Rosie, Harry, Bill, Sky, Ali, Lisa and Pepper "SOS" – Sam and Donna "Does Your Mother Know" – Tanya and Pepper "Slipping Through My Fingers" – Donna and Sophie "The Winner Takes It All" – Donna "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" – Sam and Donna† "When All Is Said and Done" – Sam and Donna "Take a Chance on Me" – Rosie, Bill, Tanya, Pepper, and Harry "Mamma Mia" (Reprise) – Donna, Tanya, Rosie, Harry, Sam, Bill, Sky, Sophie, Ali, Lisa, Pepper "I Have a Dream" – Sophie "Dancing Queen" (Reprise) – Tanya, Rosie, and Donna "Waterloo" – Donna, Rosie, Tanya, Sam, Bill, Harry, Sky, and Sophie† "Thank You for the Music" (End Credits) – Sophie§
† Featured in the film, but omitted from the soundtrack album. § Included on the soundtrack album as a hidden track.
Production
Most of the outdoor scenes were filmed on location at the small Greek islands of Skopelos and Skiathos, in Thessaly (between August 29 and September 2007),Film locations, photos and videos and the seaside hamlet of Damouchari in the Pelion area of Greece. On Skopelos, Kastani beach on the southwest coast was the film's main location site. The producers built a beach bar and jetty along the beach but removed both set pieces after production wrapped. The wedding procession was filmed at the Agios Ioannis Chapel near Glossa.
A complete set for Donna's Greek villa was built at the 007 stage at Pinewood Studios and most of the film was shot there. Real trees were used for the set, watered daily through an automated watering system and given access to daylight to keep them growing. The part of the film where Brosnan's character, Sam, leaves his New York office to go to the Greek Island was actually filmed at the Lloyd's building on Lime Street in the City of London. He dashes down the escalators and through the porte-cochere, where yellow cabs and actors representing New York mounted police were used for verisimilitude.
The Fernando, Bill Anderson's yacht in the film, was the ketch Tai-Mo-Shan, built in 1934 by H. S. Rouse at the Hong Kong and Whampoa dockyards.
Meryl Streep took opera singing lessons as a child, and as an adult, she had previously sung in several films, including Postcards from the Edge, Silkwood, Death Becomes Her, and A Prairie Home Companion. She was a fan of the stage show Mamma Mia! after seeing it on Broadway in September 2001, saying that she found the show to be an affirmation of life in the midst of the destruction of 9/11.Meryl Streep, speaking on 'Abba: The Mamma Mia Story', ITV
Amy Adams, Brittany Murphy, Busy Philipps, Evan Rachel Wood, Jessica Biel, Kirsten Dunst, Leighton Meester, Mandy Moore, and Zooey Deschanel auditioned for the role of Sophie. Tom Hanks auditioned for a role in the film, but he was rejected as his singing was "too bad". Adam Sandler, Donny Osmond, John Travolta, and John Turturro were all considered for the role of Sam Carmichael. Robin Williams, Steve Buscemi, Paul Giamatti, and Jim Carrey were all considered for the role of Harry Bright. Eric Bana, Hugo Weaving, David Hasselhoff, and Jim Belushi were all considered for the role of Bill Anderson. Jennifer Coolidge, Catherine O'Hara, and Caroline Rhea were all considered for the role of Donna.
Release Though the world premiere of the film occurred elsewhere, most of the media attention was focused on the Swedish premiere, where Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Agnetha Fältskog joined Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson with the cast at the Rival Theatre in Mariatorget, Stockholm, owned by Andersson, on July 4, 2008. It was the first time all four members of ABBA had been photographed together since 1986.
Home media In November 2008, Mamma Mia! became the fastest-selling DVD of all time in the UK according to Official UK Charts Company figures. It sold 1,669,084 copies on its first day of release, breaking the previous record (held by Titanic) by 560,000 copies. By the end of 2008, the Official UK Charts Company declared that it had become the biggest-selling DVD ever in the UK, with one in every four households owning a copy (over 5 million copies sold). The record was previously held by Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl with sales of 4.7 million copies.
In the United States, the DVD made over $30 million on its first day of release. Mamma Mia! was released on DVD and Blu-ray on December 16, 2008. By December 31, 2008, Mamma Mia! became the bestselling DVD of all time in Sweden with 545,000 copies sold.
Reception Box office