Watch Mamma Mia! Thursday, Nov. 26, 2009 at 4:15 PM on MAX channel.

Ah...the light hearted fun-in-the-sun summer movie! The Date Flick, the one that 12-year-old girls want to see, and so do their moms and so do their 50-something Nanas. Light-hearted, romantic, gorgeous scenery, handsome guys, touching sentiments...and this summer, as is often the case, a muscial to boot! Mamma Mia! That oh-so-popular stage show that's been touring the country for years and has also settled into a permanent feel-good euphoric staging in Las Vegas, is now a movie! A big screen extravaganza that we can all own in 6-8 months in our DVD collection. Bliss.

Now, if I sound a bit cynical...I really don't mean to be. I love the stage show...have seen it three times with three different casts -- always great. I'm impressed that the ABBA guy (lyricist? composer?) was so intuitive, brilliant, psychic, whatever gift it was, that enabled him to take a string of pop songs and weave such a charming story around them; I love watching the audience "come alive" as it were, and am wondering if that magic will also occur among movie audiences; I enjoy owning DVDs of my fav movies, I just often never seem to actually watch them more than once!

Personal trivia moment: And, for all of you who've seen this production ... in spring 1970, I owned and loved a mint green mini-dress with huge sweeping tiny pleated butterfly wing sleeves! And each time I've seen Mamma Mia...I sorta kinda wish I still owned that lovely fashion confection!

I'm not even going to spend time here discussing the plot. So many already know it...and for those who don't...you'll love the joyous surprises in store for you!

One of three male co-stars to the casual, funky, laid-back "mamma," Meryl Streep is British actor Colin Firth. He said in an interview that Mamma Mia moviemakers only have themselves to blame if the big-screen adaptation of the stage musical flops - because they gave him his role without hearing him sing (starpulse.com). But he's so darling, from his Mr. Darcy to his Bridget Jones to What A Girl Wants, will any of us really care?

After several movies playing characters that were the stiff, proper, status-quo, suit-wearing and sometimes corrupt , Meryl Streep will look fresher, more natural, than she has in years in the July release Mamma Mia! Pierce Brosnan won't be a tuxedo clad "licensed to kill" super sophisticate and Colin Firth won't be the British prim-and-proper chap of Bridget Jones or Pride and Prejudice. Let's hope it's a flick as sparkly as champagne, bright as Greek sunshine, joyous as young love...WHEE!

For more on Meryl, check out my other column here at hubpages on this acclaimed actress by clicking here.