The Play’s The Thing!

I don’t always like it when films are about making other films. There’s something about seeing a film crew on camera that can destroy the magic. Nothing is real, they seem to say. See? SEE?

There are many exceptions to this rule: Singin’ In The Rain; Bowfinger; Mulholland Drive; Inland Empire; 8½; Be Kind Rewind; Peeping Tom; Ed Wood… But if it isn’t done right, then I’d much rather watch the fake film they’re making than the film about the film they’re making.

But onscreen plays are different!

A lot of the time, when some kind of theatrical performance takes place during a film, it’s much more elaborate than any real-life theatrical performance could ever hope to be. Onscreen, they don’t have to worry about lighting cues, scene changes, blocking, or other practicalities. So sometimes, what you get is something so fantastical that you wonder if anyone involved in the production has ever set foot in a theatre before.

So, let’s take a look at some of the best theatrical performances from films. These are productions that, for one reason or another, they couldn’t possibly pull off in real life. Unless they were magic. Or very, very rich.

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