For the Boys | Full Movie | Movies Anywhere

It is a particularly sad failure because the first half-hour is so exhilarating with Miss Midler at her best, smiling that smile that lights up the whole world, singing with that gusto that has made her so bright a star.

For a big, glitzy Hollywood entertainment, Rydell's movie opens a surprising number of wounds, and warns us to suspect the very glamour it revels in. It's no small accomplishment.

Never a subtle director, Rydell goes for the obvious and sentimental. Starring Bette Midler and James Caan. his musical chronicle is not so much nostalgic as it is banal, reducing major events in American history to the level of personal feuds.