Mamma Mia! (2008)

Directed by Phyllida Lloyd. With Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Amanda Seyfried, Stellan Skarsgård. The story of a bride-to-be trying to find her real father told using hit songs by the popular 1970s group ABBA.

Mamma Mia! (promoted as Mamma Mia! The Movie) is a jukebox musical romantic comedy film directed by Phyllida Lloyd and written by Catherine Johnson based on the 1999 musical of the same name, also written by Johnson, which itself is based on the songs of pop group ABBA, including

Longing to discover the identity of her true father before she exchanges her wedding vows, the daughter of a once-rebellious single mother secretly invites a trio of paternal candidates to her upcoming wedding in this feature adaptation of the beloved stage musical. Independent-minded single mother Donna (Meryl Streep) has always done her best to raise her spirited daughter, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), while simultaneously running a successful hotel on a small Greek island, but now the time has come for this hardworking mom to finally let go. In just a few days, Sophie will be married, and Donna will stand by bittersweetly as her little girl takes flight. Of course, Donna's lifelong friends Rosie (Julie Walters) and Tanya (Christine Baranski) will both be present at the wedding, but unbeknownst to the mother, Sophie has furtively invited three very special guests of her own. When Sophie walks down the aisle on that fateful day, she wants her father to hand her off. The only problem is that Donna has never revealed the true identity of Sophie's father, leaving the resourceful future bride to narrow the list down to three potential candidates. Now, as three key figures from Donna's past return to the picturesque Mediterranean shores they all walked 20 years prior, one beautiful bride will discover the secret of her past while one lonely mother finds out that it's never too late for a little romance. Phyllida Lloyd, director of both the original London sensation as well as the hit Broadway incarnation, makes her feature directorial debut with this big-screen version of the beloved musical featuring 22 classic ABBA hits. Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, and Dominic Cooper co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

I saw the stage version of "Mamma Mia!" in London, where for all I know, it is now entering the second century of its run, and I was underwhelmed. The film version has the advantage of possessing Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Amanda Seyfried, Colin Firth and Julie Walters, but their assets are stretched fairly thin. And there are the wall-to-wall songs by ABBA, if you like that sort of thing. I don't, not much, with a few exceptions.

Mamma Mia! summary of box office results, charts and release information and related links.

Mamma Mia! is an international co-production film, released in July 2008. Mamma Mia! is a jukebox musical, romantic-comedy based on the 1998-9 musical of the same name. The musical tells a story of love, family, friendship and the bond between mother and daughter through the songs of successful...

Summary: An independent, single mother who owns a small hotel on an idyllic Greek island, Donna is about to let go of Sophie, the spirited daughter she's raised alone. For Sophie's wedding, Donna has invited her two lifelong best girlfriends--practical and no-nonsense Rosie and w

Peter Bradshaw: The characters dance, smile and burst into Abba songs like Stepford cyborgs when you flip the secret panel behind their heads and press the Life-Affirming Behaviour button

Film locations for Mamma Mia! (2008), in Greece, London and Morocco.

Set on an idyllic Greek island, the plot serves as a background for a wealth of ABBA hit songs. Donna, an independent, single mother who owns a small hotel on the island is about to let go of Sophie, the spirited young daughter she's raised alone. But Sophie has secretly invited three of her mother's ex-lovers in the hopes of finding her father.