The ultimate showcase for an actress, Barbra Streisand's highly publicized film debut in FUNNY GIRL met every single expectation and then some. The film was the highest-grossing film of 1968, and it's very easy to see why. The film has many great qualities: It's expertly directed by three-time Academy Award winner William Wyler (the finale of the "Don't Rain On My Parade" number is just as astonishing as the chariot race in Wyler's BEN HUR), the storyline is extremely compelling, Omar Sharif is an incredibly suave and charismatic leading man, the supporting players are perfectly cast (particularly Kay Medford, Lee Allen, and Walter Pigeon), and the song score (primarily by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill) is first-rate.
However, virtually everything that FUNNY GIRL has working for it would be worthless without Barbra Streisand's absolutely phenomenal performance. I honestly cannot think of enough good descriptive adjectives to do justice to her amazing performance in this film. She handles drama, comedy, music numbers, and tearjerking sentiment with equal aplomb, and she does it all better than any actress before or since. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had no choice but to honor her with the Oscar for Best Actress (in an extremely rare tie with academy favorite Katherine Hepburn; only the second tie in Oscar history to date), it is a performance that is nothing less than perfect.
Fittingly, one of FUNNY GIRL's major asset is it's phenomenal song score, which ranks among the all-time best of any play or film. The songs "I'm The Greatest Star," the Top 5 hit "People," "You Are Woman," "Sadie, Sadie," and especially "Don't Rain on My Parade" have justifiably become instantly recognizable standards, and the lovely "I'd Rather Be Blue Over You" and the stunning "My Man" (two of Fanny Brice's standard numbers) are worked into the score and prove to be highlights. This is quite an impressive list of 24 Karat-standards, and each number is vividly brought to life by Streisand's incomparable voice. It is truly acting when Streisand sings, and it is no surprise that she received the Academy Award for best actress for her work in this film.
However, virtually everything that FUNNY GIRL has working for it would be worthless without Barbra Streisand's absolutely phenomenal performance. I honestly cannot think of enough good descriptive adjectives to do justice to her amazing performance in this film. She handles drama, comedy, music numbers, and tearjerking sentiment with equal aplomb, and she does it all better than any actress before or since. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had no choice but to honor her with the Oscar for Best Actress (in an extremely rare tie with academy favorite Katherine Hepburn; only the second tie in Oscar history to date), it is a performance that is nothing less than perfect.
Fittingly, one of FUNNY GIRL's major asset is it's phenomenal song score, which ranks among the all-time best of any play or film. The songs "I'm The Greatest Star," the Top 5 hit "People," "You Are Woman," "Sadie, Sadie," and especially "Don't Rain on My Parade" have justifiably become instantly recognizable standards, and the lovely "I'd Rather Be Blue Over You" and the stunning "My Man" (two of Fanny Brice's standard numbers) are worked into the score and prove to be highlights. This is quite an impressive list of 24 Karat-standards, and each number is vividly brought to life by Streisand's incomparable voice. It is truly acting when Streisand sings, and it is no surprise that she received the Academy Award for best actress for her work in this film.