“Wicked: For Good” is a Fitting Close to a Powerful Journey of Feminist Empowerment
Was there ever a possibility that I would not enjoy Wicked: For Good? Probably not. I’ve been obsessed with the musical soundtrack since its release in the aughts and finally got a chance to see the stage production a few years after that. Elphaba Throp entered my life at a time when I was reevaluating my relationship with patriarchal power. She became an example for embracing my voice and speaking up even when it would make me unpopular. She remains an iconic feminist hero and singing along with her story has changed the course of my adult life. Like the rest of the world, I gushed over Jon M. Chu’s Wicked, instantly falling in love with its dazzling visuals and sobbing over the cinematic version of “Defying Gravity.” The film has become a bold and broad vessel through which I can channel my own strength and push my voice to the rafters as well. But what about the second half of the story?
Fans of the 2003 musical by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman know that the performance is a bit lopsided. “Defying Gravity” serves as a showstopping number that cleaves the story, breaking the cocoon of Shiz University and thrusting us into the brutal world of adult Oz. The stakes have been raised and Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) has publicly declared Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) a Wicked Witch with murderous intention. There is no going back to the safety net of school and the carefree fun of young adulthood. The first act’s songs reflect this idealism. They are upbeat, witty, and infectious.
By contrast, the second half shows a darker Oz, one terrified of the witch’s spectre. Elphaba rages about injustice while Glinda (Ariana Grande) struggles to accept the lies she’s been enlisted to propagate. Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) is also conflicted and plays along with his new post as Captain of the Wizard’s Guard, desperate to find and protect Elphaba while pretending to want her dead. His relationship with Glinda has soured though the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) has orchestrated their engagement to distract from his incompetence. Determined to negate her growing power, Madam Morrible conjures a deadly cyclone that winds up ensnaring a Kansas farmhouse and a familiar face. Chu cleverly merges the stage musical with Victor Fleming’s iconic The Wizard of Oz, carefully filling out the backstory of this fantastical world. We see glimpses of Dorothy (Bethany Weaver) as she treks across the newly opened Yellow Brick Road in the story’s legendary shoes and amasses a ragtag crew of assassins.
As in the first film, Chu is faithful to the stage production, but adds a few additional songs to pad the comparably slight second act. Erivo sings an emotional ballad cleverly repurposing Dorothy’s “there’s no place like home” that, while subdued, could easily double as a rallying cry for current political strife. Grande gets her own ballad much later in the game as she’s forced to honestly contend with what she’s become. Adding songs to an established musical is always a tricky gambit, particularly with one so highly regarded, but Erivo and Grande sell them well. Newcomers to the soundtrack will likely not be able to distinguish additions from original tunes, but they lack a certain whimsical intensity that defines the original Broadway show.
More successful are fan favorites like “Thank Goodness” and “As Long As You’re Mine.” These harness the story’s emotional undercurrent while smoothly transitioning to a more adult world. Once again, Yoeh seems woefully miscast and struggles with the character’s lyrical lines, but she’s sufficiently villainous when not required to sing and balances Goldblum’s deceptively befuddled Wizard.
Not only does the story grow more complicated, but long-simmering resentments come to a head with devastating results. One particularly brutal scene sees Elphaba visiting her sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode) who cannot see the bigger picture through the shadow of her own disappointment. We feel the pain in Elphaba’s heart as she is constantly misunderstood and becomes the focal point for collective fear. Ethan Slater transitions from a lovesick munchkin pining for Glinda to a murderous villain before our eyes, making what could seem ridiculous feel unnerving and sinister. And while “For Good” brings the expected emotional release, the film’s centerpiece is the rage-filled “No Good Deed.” Erivo seethes anger and frustration as she interrogates her part in all that’s transpired. My audience erupted in applause in response to this powerhouse performance combined with Chu’s inventive staging.
Those familiar with the story may forget the sheer number of shocking revelations as this story knits itself into place. I won’t spoil them here, but Chu manages to build each out in a way that feels simultaneously surprising and inevitable. A couple of clunky CGI moments distract from the story, but they’re not overly egregious in this fantastical world. As in the first film, there are political comparisons to be made, but Chu never lets them overwhelm the story. A lovely conclusion reminds us that newfound hope is just around the corner and it’s never too late to do the right thing. Wicked: For Good admittedly takes a while to get started and lacks the heft of the first film’s majesty, but it strikes a powerful emotional chord and provides a fitting end for beloved and iconic characters. Fans of Wicked will love its second act, but both films work better as two halves of a single story of personal discovery and feminist empowerment.
Jenn Adams is a writer and podcaster from Nashville, TN. Find her on social media @jennferatu.