YMMV / The Prom

• Actor Shipping: Caitlin Kinnunen and Isabelle McCalla, who play onstage Official Couple Emma and Alyssa. Their strong friendship, physical comfort with each other, and goofy antics (including a tendency to kiss each other in public for fun), as well as both actors confirming their bisexuality, have not gone unnoticed by fans.
• Angst? What Angst?: While there are scenes where she looks legitimately upset, Emma's status as a Perpetual Smiler in the film can feel a bit off given all the terrible stuff that happens to her throughout.
• Award Snub: An inversion, as James Corden was nominated at the film's sole representative at the Golden Globes even though his performance was one of the most harshly criticized aspects of the film.
• Broken Base:
  • The movie’s casting has had a divisive reaction, as noted under Questionable Casting, with criticisms about the lack of Broadway singers, lack of LGBTQ actors, no original cast members, and accusations that the big names involved were cast more to to avoid being a financial flop like that stage show. However, there are fans who are excited to see these stars doing the show, and others have noted that having the original cast of a show that was losing money coming in to do the movie wouldn’t have been financially feasible. Things cooled down a bit more when two Broadway actors joined the cast replacing big names who were previously set to appear.
  • James Corden as Barry continues to divide the fanbase. Some fans are hurt and offended that he is (presumably) straight and playing an out gay man, making it look stereotypical. Some believe he turned in a surprisingly good performance. Some Take a Third Option, arguing that his portrayal is problematic and moving at the same time. Others still argue that he's being partially misblamed, since it's not like he wrote the script or directed the film, and the hatred towards him is disproportionate.^note The casting opened discussion about straight actors in such roles, comparing it to whitewashing or ciswashing (casting cisgender actors to play Transgender roles), but many LGBT industry people actually refuted this - pointing out that sexuality is internal and it would be more of a problem if LGB actors weren't getting seen for straight roles - and a performance being stereotypical or offensive doesn't necessarily depend on the sexuality of the actor. Besides, it's actually illegal to ask someone their sexuality in an audition environment or use it as a basis for hiring them - although of course that's not really an issue with big names who are open about their sexuality. Ultimately it's an issue that's very much a personal preference that will likely never get a decisive statement on.
  • Dee Dee taking the initiative to ambush Barry into reconciling with his mother. The movie portrays it as being a good thing (and it's partially redeemed by Barry and Vera actually wanting to reconcile, deep down), but some viewers see it as Dee Dee overstepping her boundaries and going against the wishes of her friend.
  • The novelization changes Alyssa from lesbian to pansexual, which has upset some fans to say the least.
• Critical Backlash: Pretty much inevitable, since reviews (both from professional critics and casual moviegoers) described the movie as a total trainwreck, and James Corden's performance as unspeakably offensive. When so many reviewers treat a movie like the worst thing ever, you're going to get some people who watch it and wonder what everyone's making such a fuss about. While hardly anyone's saying it's the best movie of the year, many viewers have said that it's not that bad, and is in fact pretty fun and harmless if you go into it with the right mindset.
• Critical Dissonance: A downplayed example in that the reviews of both versions the Broadway production were fairly average and the general public's reaction to wasn't exactly glowing, but audiences did respond more positively and it gained a young fanbase. Likely due to a wider reach, audience reactions to the movie were mostly in line with the critic's of So Okay, It's Average.
• Fan-Preferred Couple: Not in replacement of the main Official Couple of Emma/Alyssa, but the two side pairings that join them during "You Happened" - a Fanon belief that both Kaylee and Shelby are bisexual but haven't recognized it yet, combined with how physical they are with each other throughout the show, has made Kaylee/Shelby far more popular than either girl with their high school boyfriends.
  Kaylee: (while getting ready for prom) You look hot!
  Shelby: You look so hot!
• Fridge Brilliance:
  • Trent blames the students' "general lack of empathy" on the school's lack of a drama program. This is actually enforced by the fact that Mr. Hawkins, the only person in school who supports Emma, is an avid theatergoer.
  • In "Alyssa Greene," Alyssa sings about Mrs. Greene's Freudian Excuse for controlling her life: "'Cause mom's convinced if you're perfect,/Your father might come back." Why would Mrs. Greene think that way? Well, if Alyssa is involved in constant extracurricular activities and always excels, then her father will naturally attend the majority of her events. Since Mrs. Greene will also be at those events, she's probably convinced herself that frequently being in the same room as her ex-husband will at the very least spark the idea of reconciling. That's why she's pushing Alyssa to sign up for as many activities as possible and be the best in them: the better Alyssa does, the more opportunities Mrs. Greene will have to talk to her ex.
• Harsher in Hindsight: "Also it means that this tour de force will not be forced to tour!" The original Broadway production ran for only nine months before closing, and a tour has been set for 2021.
• Heartwarming Moments:
  • The celebrities showing up at Emma's house with fancy ice cream. It's lovely to see Emma lighting up with an adorable smile after she had been so humiliated and heartbroken earlier.
  • In the film: Barry reconciling with his mother, after years of estrangement.
  • Mrs. Greene having a Heel–Face Turn at the end, accepting Alyssa's sexuality and her relationship with Emma. In the mid-credits scenes, she even hugs Emma.
  • The shots of the guests streaming into the final prom in the movie, comprising of couples of diverse ethnicities and gender presentation.
• Hilarious in Hindsight:
  • Meryl Streep playing Beth Leavel's role in the film is pretty amusing since Leavel would later play Streep's character in the stage adaptation of The Devil Wears Prada. For an added bonus, both women had previously played Donna Sheridan just one year apart from each other.
  • When the movie was first announced, the fandom was very unhappy when rumors that Ariana Grande would be playing Alyssa surfaced. This turned out to be untrue... except Alyssa was played by an Ariana!
• LGBT Fanbase: The plot combining both a story about accepting sexuality and campy Broadway actors has quite obviously lead to this.
• Moral Event Horizon: For Mrs. Greene, regardless of her motives, setting Emma up to attend a fake prom by herself is unspeakably cruel. The kids help, but they're kids. Mrs. Greene deliberately harms a girl the same age as her own daughter for the sole purpose of trying to ensure that her daughter keeps a "normal" life.
• Narm:
  • Some audience members were dissatisfied with the schoolkids' and especially Mrs. Greene's change-of-mind in the movie, finding it unrealistic that people who could perpetrate the Moral Event Horizon mentioned above might be able to adjust their opinions so easily.
    • While Mrs. Greene's love for her daughter can maybe justify her's, the high school bullies redemption feels far too rushed, with them going from total homophobes to eagerly dancing along to Trent's sappy song which is played completely straight. This is a problem in both the show and the movie.
    • of course, the reverse could just as easily be said. The kids are just thoughtlessly repeating unexamined prejudices they inherited from their parents. Emma was their good friend until a few months ago, and their age cohort is much more likely to be open to change. Mrs. Greene, on the other hand, is actively leading an anti-gay movement and organizing the bullying of Emma herself. She is an adult with deeply entrenched and actively cruel and homophobic views. It’s not realistic that she’s open to a discussion at the end of the play, but the film changing that to her flipping into acceptance like a light switch is definitely a lot to swallow.
  • Dance With You's change to a dreamy area filled with pink trees and falling petals is played so straight that it can it can be hard to take it seriously.
  • After her own drama goes completely unmentioned after her very first scene, Angie's story gets wrapped up so quickly and out of nowhere in the final scene, it almost feels like the writers said "Oh, Crap!, we forget to give one of the principles any kind of closure, quick write something in!".
  • Many found the rap verse in "Wear Your Crown" to reek of Totally Radical, with the line "And if somebody starts in with new drama, just go high like Michelle Obama" being particularly criticized as such.
  • It can be harder to take the movie's drama seriously when our main character almost never stops smiling.
  • During "The Lady's Improving", four students called in to the principal's office watch Dede's song and get so into it that they then actively help her with the choreography. As high school trouble makers are one to do. And like several other moments listed, this is played 100% straight.
• Narm Charm: The movie's fans will point to this trope as a reason of why they like it. It's not exactly revolutionary or great cinema, but it's not exactly trying to be. The music and performances, as well as the movie's visuals, are enough to make it an enjoyable viewing experience for a lot of people. "It was cheesy but I liked it!" is a fairly common sentiment.
  • As noted, the film version of Dance With You can be seen as overly sappy, but it's also a sweet moment for many, even if they still view it as being unintentionally silly.
  • "Love Thy Neighbor" is very far from a realistic Heel–Face Turn, but it also gives the film's only musical comedy Broadway star Andrew Rannell the chance to shine.
• Older than You Think: A few people have noted that Meryl Streep rapping isn't anything new, as she did it years ago in Into the Woods. Granted, Stephen Sondheim is adamant that the section Streep performed is not a rap, but viewers' general consensus disagrees.
• Questionable Casting:
  • The immediate fan response to the initial casting announcement for the film adaptation. With only one of the announced actors actually being LGBT (Andrew Rannells as Trent Oliver, ironically the only straight man in the New York party), concern that casting James Corden as Barry would render the role a stereotypical caricature rather than an authentic character, and disappointment that the original stage cast were being pushed aside in favour of bigger names, fans expressed some... unhappiness with these decisions, to put it mildly.
  • Reviews were especially harsh towards Corden, with one review calling it "The worst gay face in a long, long time" and another had the headline "James Corden should have been banned from The Prom". However, several viewers came to Corden's defense, saying his reviews were overly harsh.
  • Mrs. Greene being played by Black actor Kerry Washington in the film. Some critics have expressed disbelief that a Black woman would be portraying a Fox News conservative woman. Because black conservatives don't exist, obviously....
  • Kevin Chamberlain does a good job as Sheldon, but the fact that a Tony-nominated Broadway musical comedy actor doesn't get a single solo while weaker singers in the cast do can make it feel like his talents are being a bit wasted, especially because the leading role of Barry would be right up his alley. Of course, it's worth noting that the odds of a primarily Broadway name and usually a supporting one at that getting the leading man role in a Ryan Murphy production is quite low.
  • While he has much more to do than Chamberlain, it's been said that Andrew Rannells would've been suited to play Barry rather than Corden as well.
  • Nicole Kidman doesn't come across as the most convincing chorus girl, as her voice is noticeably thin, and her dancing, while fine, is not even close to the Fosse moves that someone who has spent decades in Chicago should be able to pull off. Kidman's lack of dancing skills are particular noticeable when Angie, the character who should logically be by far the best dancer present, completely sits out the dance break in "It's Not About Me". Additionally, some have questioned why such a big name like Kidman would be cast in a role that's mostly stuck in the background throughout the film.
  • Several viewers noted that Ellen Jo Pellman's status as a Perpetual Smiler didn't gel well with Emma's status as The Woobie. Some have even said that costar Ariana DeBose would've been better suited for the part due to her more head on handling of the emotional scenes.
    • Granted, Pellman seems to be Misblamed for the situation - interviews have stated that she initially portrayed Emma with a more serious tone, until Ryan Murphy told her to change it.
• Rescued from the Scrappy Heap: An example in the same film. Several viewers have noted that James Corden's work in the beginning is a poor attempt at playing a Camp Gay, but believe he substantially improved as the film went, bringing genuine pathos to the part.
• So Okay, It's Average: Many viewers have noted that the show is well done and has a lot of heart, but that it doesn’t do anything particularly impressive.
• Suspiciously Similar Song: "Just Breathe," at least in the movie, sounds like an almost note-for-note copy of Vanessa Carlton's hit song "A Thousand Miles."
• Sweetness Aversion: For some, the film is just so sappy and cutesy at times that it can be hard to take seriously. To some, it adds charm to the piece, but for others,
  • Jo Ellen Perlman's charisma can start to wear thin after the thousandth time she flashes her big smile. It wouldn't be so bad if her character wasn't supposed to be a major woobie, so this winds up feeling like she's not taking her own drama seriously at times.
  • The overly dreamy scenery of "Dance With You" is played without even a hint of irony.
  • While it is indeed a happy thought, everyone pulling a Heel–Face Turn at the end can be be hard to buy. Especially the homophobic bullies convinced by Trent, who in the span of just a few minutes go from being completely unaccepting of gay people to pulling off crazy dance moves while singing "Love Thy Neighbor". Much like "Dance With You", this is all done with complete sincerity and not a bit of irony.
  • Doesn't help that the film censors all bad language from the state show, meaning the little grit that was in a cutesy musical is all but gone here.
• Tear Jerker:
  • The whole fiasco with the first prom.
  • Barry's fraught relationship with his parents, as well as his (brief) anger towards Dee Dee for coaxing him into reconciling with his mother. His speech about being a scared, 16-year-old kid can hit home for people with similar circumstances. Similarly, Barry's flashback to his prom.
  • "Unruly Heart" in the movie shows LGBT viewers from around the country watching Emma's video over and over, with many being moved to tears by her story, because they understand exactly how she feels.
• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Character:
  • Compared to the other Broadway actors, Angie has very little to do outside of giving Emma a Pep-Talk Song, constantly taking a backseat to the others' jokes, and having her personal drama completely ignored outside of her first and final scene, with the resolution feeling like it was just hastily added on to make sure she wasn't the only principle without a happy ending.
  • While Emma still had plenty to do throughout the show, she often winds up being overshadowed by those around her, which is a bit unfortunate because it should truly be her show. Whether the role stands out amongst the more over the top characters varies from viewer to viewer.
• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Plot: A few detractors have said that the story should’ve just focused on either the teenagers or the actors rather than merging the two together.
• Unintentionally Unsympathetic: While Dee Dee calling Barry's estranged mother is ultimately a good thing as the two have a heartfelt reunion, many think she oversteps her bounds, as while encouraging him to reach out is fine, going behind his back on such a personal matter feels inappropriate.
• The Woobie:
  • Emma's classmates blame her for the prom getting cancelled, and then when prom is back on, Emma goes to the gym only to find it completely empty. The other kids, and Mrs Greene, conspired against her and tricked her into attending a fake prom by herself. It's heartbreaking.
  • Alyssa is closeted due to her homophobic mother and classmates despite wanting to come out, and is reduced to tears in more than one scene.