Mamma Mia! is a film adaptation of the West End stage musical, based on the songs of successful pop group ABBA, with additional music also composed by ABBA member Benny Andersson. Despite opening in the USA on the same date as the critically acclaimed film The Dark Knight on July 18, 2008, the film did very well at the box office and had the largest opening weekend of any musical film in U.S. history. Like the stage musical, the film's title originates from the group's 1975 chart-topper "Mamma Mia". It was produced by Universal Pictures in partnership with Playtone and Littlestar. It was released on July 3, 2008, in Greece, July 10, 2008, in Australia and the United Kingdom, July 11, 2008, in Sweden, July 16, 2008, in the Philippines, July 18, 2008, in the United States and Canada, and on July 24, 2008 in Israel. Meryl Streep heads the cast of the film, playing the role of single mother Donna Sheridan. Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgård play the three potential fathers to Donna's daughter Sophie (Amanda Seyfried).
The plot of Mamma Mia!, while being a lighthearted comedy, involves several subplots about the eight main characters and attempts to resolve the fate of each: young Sophie, her boyfriend Sky, her mother Donna with two lady friends (who sang together years ago as Donna and the Dynamos), plus the three men Donna had been with in midsummer 20 years ago (Sam, Harry and Bill). Each of them has been concealing secrets from the others, and the frantic pace of wedding preparations will lead to further miscommunications. Unbeknownst to all, no one is who they at first appear to be, and it might require the intervention of the gods for the truth to be revealed. Fortunately, all are about to meet together, on a Greek island dedicated to the ancient goddess Aphrodite.The 20-year-old Sophie Sheridan (Amanda Seyfried) lives with her mother Donna (Meryl Streep) on the small Greek island Kalokairi, where Donna runs a hotel named Villa Donna. Sophie is planning to marry Sky (Dominic Cooper), and wants her father to be present to "give her away," but does not know who he is. After reading Donna's diary from 20 years ago, she concludes he is one of three men: Sam Carmichael (Pierce Brosnan), Harry Bright (Colin Firth), or Bill Anderson (Stellan Skarsgård). Without telling her mother and fiancé, Sophie mails invitations to all three ("I Have a Dream"), and hopes to find out which is her father. Sophie tells her two best friends, Ali (Ashley Lilley) and Lisa (Rachel McDowall) about her potential fathers ("Honey, Honey"). All three men come to the island, thinking Donna asked them to come, and Sophie hides them upstairs in the old goat house, getting them to agree not to reveal she wrote to them pretending to be her mother Donna. Other guests have also arrived from the harbor: Donna's longtime friends, single, fun-loving writer Rosie (Julie Walters) and rich three-time divorcée Tanya (Christine Baranski).While Donna is making repairs to the hotel she cannot afford ("Money, Money, Money"), there is a tremor, and the dolphin mosaic in the courtyard floor splits. Donna hunts flooring supplies in the goat house, hears noises upstairs, and peers inside the trap door and window. Recognizing the men she had dated, Donna sings ("Mamma Mia"), but she cannot get inside the locked room. Finally, she climbs to the rooftop, and then falls through the top door, opened by a member of the Greek chorus. Donna, unable to handle the memories, asks the three men to leave, so they simply stay in the harbor on Bill's boat. Seeing the three men has sent Donna into shock, and her two friends, Tanya and Rosie, try to reassure her ("Chiquitita"). Donna explains the 3 potential fathers are on the island, and comments, "it's like a hideous trick of fate," when some bystanders instantly laughed. Tanya and Rosie ponder the quiet bystanders, and Rosie mutters, "It's so Greek" (see: Greek comedy).
However, Donna's depression continues, so the friends remind her of her free-spirited past (singing "Dancing Queen") and Donna rebounds; the three sing together and dance through the streets, joined by many women of the town, dancing down to the harbor pier (Former ABBA member Benny Andersson appears playing the piano in this scene). Sophie visits the three men on Bill's boat and convinces them to stay for her wedding after hearing all three men's memories of Donna ("Our Last Summer"). When she hears Sky, she jumps into the sea and swims to him on the beach. There, they discuss their meeting and their love for each other ("Lay All Your Love On Me"), but Sky is ambushed by his buddies for the bachelor party.
That evening, the three women, at a hen party, recreate their old 80's style musical group, Donna and the Dynamos (singing "Super Trouper") to entertain at the bachelorette party. The three men come to the party, and the crowd separates, with the girls singing "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!". Sophie talks to Bill, and he realizes he could be her father. She asks him to give her away at the wedding. The masked guys from the bachelor party invade the hen party, in a wild dance ("Voulez-Vous"). In the commotion, the other two men also conclude that they could be the father, and separately, each tells Sophie that he will be the one to give her away at the wedding. Sophie then faints over the dilemma. To avoid contention between the three men, Sophie instead asks Donna to give her away. Harry, feeling responsible for missing 20 years of Sophie's life, insists that Donna accept a very large monetary gift to cover the "cost of the wedding" (and more).
While talking to Sam, Donna, making more repairs, attempts to seal the cracks in the central-courtyard dolphin mosaic, but the caulking nozzle splits, further thwarting her efforts of the day. Donna must rush to other preparations. Sam and Donna have tried to talk to each other, but each have concealed their feelings, and each laments their love separately ("SOS"). Meanwhile, Tanya rejects the playful advances of some of Sky's friends ("Does Your Mother Know").
After telling Sky that she has invited all three fathers, Sky says that he is unsure of what he wants to do about the wedding. Sophie rushes up to Donna and asks her if she will help her prepare for the wedding and she agree;, whilst preparing, they both reminisce about the times before being engaged ("Slipping Through My Fingers").
Donna, still unaware of Sam's true feelings, and rushing to the hilltop wedding, tells Sam to stop talking to her ("The Winner Takes It All"). Sam is stunned.
During the wedding ceremony, Donna finally mentions the "father" issue, and the secrets begin unraveling: all three potential fathers publicly make a claim to be Sophie's father and agree to happily take a 'third' each, and Harry admits that he is gay. Sophie and Sky then decide to postpone the wedding, as Sky wanted all along, and to take a trip together. Sam proposes to Donna, revealing he is divorced, and argues that if they marry right away, the wedding party is not wasted. Donna agrees to marry Sam ("I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do"). He sings his speech ("When All Is Said and Done").
During the after-wedding party, Rosie reveals she is strongly attracted to Bill ("Take a Chance on Me"); he does not reciprocate at first, but eventually gives in. One issue remains to be resolved: as the crowd dances in the courtyard, the central dolphin mosaic breaks open, in a tremor, and a tall spray rains over the party. Donna concludes it was Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, influencing events all along. The closing scene of the film shows Sophie and Sky sailing to the horizon to begin their life together and see the world ("I Have a Dream").After the closing scene, there is another of the Donna and the Dynamos performing the ABBA song "Dancing Queen" over the credits. Next, the entire cast sings "Waterloo" (the first ABBA hit), together dressed in some of the glittery clothes of the 70s and 80s made trendy largely by the ABBA group themselves. Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus appear in cameo appearances: Andersson depicting a fisherman playing piano during Dancing Queen, and Ulvaeus and other notable people of the Mamma Mia! production as Greek gods and goddesses in a heavenly setting overlooking the cast's final performance. Finally, Sophie sings "Thank You for the Music" as the credits roll.
However, Donna's depression continues, so the friends remind her of her free-spirited past (singing "Dancing Queen") and Donna rebounds; the three sing together and dance through the streets, joined by many women of the town, dancing down to the harbor pier (Former ABBA member Benny Andersson appears playing the piano in this scene). Sophie visits the three men on Bill's boat and convinces them to stay for her wedding after hearing all three men's memories of Donna ("Our Last Summer"). When she hears Sky, she jumps into the sea and swims to him on the beach. There, they discuss their meeting and their love for each other ("Lay All Your Love On Me"), but Sky is ambushed by his buddies for the bachelor party.
That evening, the three women, at a hen party, recreate their old 80's style musical group, Donna and the Dynamos (singing "Super Trouper") to entertain at the bachelorette party. The three men come to the party, and the crowd separates, with the girls singing "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!". Sophie talks to Bill, and he realizes he could be her father. She asks him to give her away at the wedding. The masked guys from the bachelor party invade the hen party, in a wild dance ("Voulez-Vous"). In the commotion, the other two men also conclude that they could be the father, and separately, each tells Sophie that he will be the one to give her away at the wedding. Sophie then faints over the dilemma. To avoid contention between the three men, Sophie instead asks Donna to give her away. Harry, feeling responsible for missing 20 years of Sophie's life, insists that Donna accept a very large monetary gift to cover the "cost of the wedding" (and more).
While talking to Sam, Donna, making more repairs, attempts to seal the cracks in the central-courtyard dolphin mosaic, but the caulking nozzle splits, further thwarting her efforts of the day. Donna must rush to other preparations. Sam and Donna have tried to talk to each other, but each have concealed their feelings, and each laments their love separately ("SOS"). Meanwhile, Tanya rejects the playful advances of some of Sky's friends ("Does Your Mother Know").
After telling Sky that she has invited all three fathers, Sky says that he is unsure of what he wants to do about the wedding. Sophie rushes up to Donna and asks her if she will help her prepare for the wedding and she agree;, whilst preparing, they both reminisce about the times before being engaged ("Slipping Through My Fingers").
Donna, still unaware of Sam's true feelings, and rushing to the hilltop wedding, tells Sam to stop talking to her ("The Winner Takes It All"). Sam is stunned.
During the wedding ceremony, Donna finally mentions the "father" issue, and the secrets begin unraveling: all three potential fathers publicly make a claim to be Sophie's father and agree to happily take a 'third' each, and Harry admits that he is gay. Sophie and Sky then decide to postpone the wedding, as Sky wanted all along, and to take a trip together. Sam proposes to Donna, revealing he is divorced, and argues that if they marry right away, the wedding party is not wasted. Donna agrees to marry Sam ("I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do"). He sings his speech ("When All Is Said and Done").
During the after-wedding party, Rosie reveals she is strongly attracted to Bill ("Take a Chance on Me"); he does not reciprocate at first, but eventually gives in. One issue remains to be resolved: as the crowd dances in the courtyard, the central dolphin mosaic breaks open, in a tremor, and a tall spray rains over the party. Donna concludes it was Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, influencing events all along. The closing scene of the film shows Sophie and Sky sailing to the horizon to begin their life together and see the world ("I Have a Dream").After the closing scene, there is another of the Donna and the Dynamos performing the ABBA song "Dancing Queen" over the credits. Next, the entire cast sings "Waterloo" (the first ABBA hit), together dressed in some of the glittery clothes of the 70s and 80s made trendy largely by the ABBA group themselves. Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus appear in cameo appearances: Andersson depicting a fisherman playing piano during Dancing Queen, and Ulvaeus and other notable people of the Mamma Mia! production as Greek gods and goddesses in a heavenly setting overlooking the cast's final performance. Finally, Sophie sings "Thank You for the Music" as the credits roll.
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