It’s been 10 years since the release of “Mamma Mia!” — naturally, I decided to watch it again to gear up for the much-anticipated release of its sequel on July 20. I’ve easily watched this movie twice a year since its release in 2008 and can quote many of the lines back to you, but this time, I decided to pay attention to the small nuances that most people miss. And all I can say is that, wow, I have a lot of questions! Here are some of the most important questions to ask when rewatching “Mamma Mia!”.
- Why does Sam (Pierce Brosnan) think it’s acceptable to wear light-wash dad jeans with a fitted blazer, white button-up and tie? Was it Casual Friday in the office?
- How on earth did all this drama happen to unfold over the course of one day? Think about it. One. Day.
- How does Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) manage to find and send an invite to each of her three dads if all she really has is a first name and a country that they plan to return to?
- Why does everyone seem to like wearing cowboy hats on Kalokairi? Was this a 2008 thing?
- Why doesn’t Donna (Meryl Streep) know what the internet is? The movie came out in 2008. By then, Facebook already had 100 million users, including many baby boomers.
- How are Sam, Harry and Bill able to recognize Donna from humming? You’d think that after 20 years, they might have forgotten the sound of her voice.
- Do they really try to cover up the crack in the courtyard with a giant potted plant? You’ll see what I mean.
- Does Donna really give all the men the same song to be their “song”? Mamma mia, indeed.
- How does yoga make one’s feet bigger? *Insert thinking emoji*
- Did anyone else notice the dolphin in the courtyard isn’t cracked anymore in the bachelorette scene? Symbolism or mistake?
- How grown can Sam’s children be? If he left Donna to go get married, then they would definitely be younger than Sophie. And yet he keeps insisting that his two boys are grown. But are presumably 19- and 17-year-old boys grown enough?
- Wait a second — Donna expected Sam to call her when he came back after blowing off his wedding, but she doesn’t understand the internet? Surely these two things are not mutually exclusive.
- And finally … who thought to take ABBA songs and turn them into a musical? Because I bless the day they were born!
Here’s to hoping many of these questions find their answers in the sequel! Until then, you can find me continuously rewatching the film.