Have Yourself A Very Efron Christmas

Zac Efron appeared at our house twice on Christmas Day....first when my daughter received the "High School Musical 2: Extended Edition" DVD and secone when I received the "Hairspray" DVD.



















As the father of a 10 year old girl, I am very aware of Zac. "The New American Hearth Throb" as Rolling Stone calls him, Efron is the current king of teen idols with his appearances in "High School Musical," "High School Musical 2," "Hairspray," and the cover of every teen magazine on the newsstands.

Efron seems to be this year's "love him or hate him" guy. Most tweens and early teen girls adore him while the older teens and adults consider him beneath their notice. Why is that? There's certainly nothing threatening about Efron, so why do so many people over age 15 look down on him and his movies?

I'll agree that the "High School Musical" franchise is lightweight entertainment. But as a life long lover of musicals, I like having these movies that my children enjoy and that we can watch together. My daughter watches these movies over and over again. My son sneaks in the room to watch when he doesn't think anyone is paying attention, an action I find hysterically funny.

And sometimes lightweight entertainment is really all we need. The "HSM" movies may offer a Disney-approved, sanitized version of high school...but is that so bad for two hours? I like seeing a depiction of the in-kids as an inclusive group of guys and girls of different races, body shapes and interests.

In Troy (Efron) and Gabriella's (Vanessa Hudgens) group are jocks, brainiacs, musicians, dancers, cooks, and a pleasantly plump Martha (delightfully portrayed by scene stealer Kaycee Stroh). And are we sure that Ryan (Lucas Gabreel) is straight? He does seem slightly interested in Gabriella in "HSM2" but during the "I Don't Dance" performance, he also seems to be slightly flirting with Chad (Corbin Bleu). Perhaps Ryan is still figuring things out for himself. Either way - it's affirming that Disney has created the high school that we all wish we had gone to. After learning their lessons in "HSM" with the "Stick with the Status Quo" song, no one is ostracized for being who they are.

Now if "HSM" could just find something interesting for Taylor (Monique Coleman) and Martha (Kaycee Stroh) to do in the upcoming third movie.....

When you think about it, there's really not a lot of difference between the "HSM" movies and the classic Frankie Avalon and Annette Funnicello Beach movies of the '60s.

Frankie and Annette were always chaste; the movies had only as much plot as they needed to have between songs and surf; and the couple always had a falling out in the middle of the movie but came back together at the end.

While "Grease" and "Dirty Dancing" also dealt with unmarried pregnancy issues, no one can really accuse them of having stellar writing either. What made "Grease" and "Dirty Dancing" successful were the likeable stars, the music and the dancing. And that's the same combination that works for "HSM."

Focusing back on Efron. He has done a fine job thus far in his major roles of Troy for "HSM" and Link for "Hairspray." In both movies he just needed to be likeable, look good, and be able to dance and sing - all of which he carried off.

"Hairspray" succeeds as a fun movie, in spite of the horrible casting of John Travolta as Edna. I know the producers went with an A-level name, and Travolta makes sense as a proven actor, dancer and singer....but he was the one blight on the whole movie. Divine, who created Edna for the first "Hairspray" non-musical movie and Harvey Fierstein, who was the first to portray Edna in the Broadway run, truly understood the character. Unfortunately Travolta softened too many of her edges and she became very bland instead of the vibrant woman she was.

Seriously: wouldn't you have rather had Harvey Fierstein as Edna:

Instead of Travolta?

But at least Efron along with Nikki Blonsky, Christopher Walken, Michelle Pfeiffer and a very campy James Marsden do a great job and keep the movie afloat.

So let's hear it for Efron and his lightweight, likeable movies. No one is expecting it anytime soon, but maybe one day he will join the ranks of Travolta, Sally Field, Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio and other former teen idols who truly blossomed and became first class actors.

But if he does, could he try not to get photographed while scratching his boys at the beach?