‘Blue Moon’ Review: A Shimmering Script About Ol’ Broadway Struggles to Accommodate the Wrong Star

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The witty and lyrical composer Lorenz Hart might find humorless the play on words, yet “Blue Moon” is undeniably a humorous tribute to the tormented songwriter who lived as a closeted Jew, an alcoholic, and a small man. He passed away in 1943 at the age of 48, following a night of excessive drinking during the opening performance of his final collaboration with composer Richard Rodgers. In “Blue Moon,” Richard Linklater skillfully portrays this complex character, albeit with a questionable casting choice in Ethan Hawke, who delivers an intense performance from a shallow pit on the stage. This film serves as a rare behind-the-scenes look for Broadway aficionados and offers a captivating introduction to those less familiar with the subject matter, making it a must-see spectacle for both groups.

During this phase of Hart’s life, he wasn’t particularly joyful, but despite his charismatic and intelligent demeanor reminiscent of a showman blended with a queen of shows, it’s the underlying depths of insecurity and self-hatred that make him an intriguing figure. His quick wit seems to be masking these feelings. Singer Mabel Merced once noted that he was “the saddest man I ever knew,” which serves as a prelude for an intensely dramatic 90 minutes.

Nearly entirely set within Sardi’s restaurant in midtown New York, the movie “Blue Moon” unfurls post the premiere of “Oklahoma!”. For Hart, who wasn’t in love at that time, it might have felt like he was attending the wedding of his long-time girlfriend with whom he had multiple children. The day is March 31, 1943, and there’s a war, but it’s a conflict between the former songwriting team.

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In Sardi’s restaurant in midtown New York, “Blue Moon” takes place right after the opening of “Oklahoma!”. For Hart, who didn’t have any romantic feelings at that moment, it could have felt like he was attending his long-time girlfriend’s wedding, with whom he had many children. The date is March 31, 1943, and there’s a war going on, but it’s a conflict between the former songwriting duo.

Previously in that decade, Rodgers (Andrew Scott) ended his creative collaboration with Hart, opting instead for a partnership with Oscar Hammerstein (Simon Delaney) on “Oklahoma!”. This turned out to be much more successful than anything they had produced together – if you appreciate that kind of work. In my opinion, I’ve always found “Oklahoma!” to be overly sentimental and almost painfully enduring, but it’s amusing to see Hart criticize its popularity.

Arriving at Sardi’s ahead of the “Oklahoma!” team, Hart heads straight for the bar and vows to abstain from alcohol. Seemingly aware of potential references to “Casablanca”, Hart begins critiquing the Humphrey Bogart film with Eddie the bartender (played by Bobby Cannavale). Despite his smooth words, it’s evident that he won’t succeed in hiding his intentions: By the end of this evening, reminiscent of the cherished Warner Bros. production, Hart will be intoxicated, symbolizing that the prime years of their bond are now behind them. (They still share “Pal Joey”.)

In their heyday, Rodgers and Hart significantly advanced musical theater into the contemporary era by composing songs that not only propelled the storyline but also mirrored everyday speech, unlike previous works. Meanwhile, as they waited for Rodgers (Andrew Scott), he shared stories about his newest crush, Elizabeth Weiland (Margaret Qualley), whose actual letters to Hart served as the basis for Robert Kaplow’s sophisticated and continually quotable screenplay in “Blue Moon.” Despite the common knowledge that Hart was homosexual, the film presents a more intriguing perspective: “To be a writer,” he jokes, “you need to be omnisexual.

In a different phrasing, here’s how you might reword that passage:

Hawke seems to enjoy the abundant compelling lines he gets to speak in this production, yet I find it hard to understand why Hawke or Linklater (who have worked together on eight of Linklater’s independent films) believed Hawke was suitable for the part. The character is a short, balding, gay Jew from Harlem, traits that don’t describe Hawke in any way. Despite delivering a captivating and frequently emotional performance, the methods employed to make him appear as the character, referred to as “the shrimp” by Rodgers, feel noticeable and distracting. These tactics range from intentionally making him stand a foot shorter than his co-stars to using a bald cap resembling a comb-over on his head.

Watching Philip Seymour Hoffman as Truman Capote felt oddly disconcerting, rather than focusing on his acting, I kept noticing the way his forehead formed a V-shape at the base of his hairline, which seemed unnatural under the wig that resembled Mel Brooks’ style. This issue was evident from the start and continued to be noticeable throughout the entire film, almost like an elephant in the room.

In a similar vein, Linklater, being heterosexual, acknowledges the sexual undertones in the scenes between Qualley and Hart. However, he seems to disregard or overlook the subtle homosexual overtones scripted into certain scenes, such as when Hart follows “Knuckles” (Jonah Lees), the young pianist in pristine uniform, to the men’s room. Linklater’s second film with Kaplow, who co-wrote “Me and Orson Welles,” serves as a poetic conclusion to that project, which took us back to the formative years of an impressive American figure (cleverly casting an unknown actor as Welles).

In this stage of his creative journey, a once-great man attempts to rekindle a past collaboration with his ex-partner, but their history and the reasons for their split are evident as Rodgers explains them. Hart, always self-critical about his own work, has an uncanny ability to discern both the strengths and weaknesses in others’ creations, ranging from Gershwin to “Oklahoma!”. He advises caution when it comes to productions that insert exclamation points into their titles, criticizing Rodgers for what he perceives as pandering to audiences with saccharine romance. Hart yearns for more complex emotional narratives, and while “Blue Moon” the movie offers this depth, the song itself might not be as profound.

Kaplow packs his script with trivial details, such as why “Blue Moon” makes Hart shudder, and subtle references, some more obvious than others. He imagines essayist E.B. White being present at Sardi’s that night, creating a scene reminiscent of “Picasso at the Lapin Agile,” where Hart sparks the idea for “Stuart Little” in White’s mind. In the same scene, Hammerstein praises Hart for his trailblazing work, and introduces a precocious young Broadway prodigy named “Stevie” (played by Cillian Sullivan). This character audaciously criticizes Hart’s work as sloppy, an opinion inferred from Sondheim’s “Finishing the Hat.

At this stage of the movie, I had eventually ceased focusing on Hawke’s hairline and came to terms with him in the part, acknowledging Linklater’s decision to let his character speak for itself.

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2025-02-18 21:47