Mamma Mia! (promoted as Mamma Mia! The Movie) is a 2008 jukebox musical romantic comedy film directed by Phyllida Lloyd and written by Catherine Johnson, based on her book from the 1999 musical of the same name. The film is based on the songs of pop group ABBA, with additional music composed by ABBA member Benny Andersson. The film features an ensemble cast, including Meryl Streep, Christine Baranski, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, Dominic Cooper, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, and Julie Walters. The plot follows a young bride-to-be named Sophie (Seyfried) who invites three men (Brosnan, Firth, and Skarsgård) to her upcoming wedding, with the possibility that any of them could be her real father. The film was an international co-production between Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and was co-produced by Playtone and Littlestar Productions.
Principal photography primarily took place on the island of Skopelos, Greece, from August to September 2007. The film was distributed by Universal Pictures. Mamma Mia! held its world premiere on June 30, 2008, at Leicester Square in London and premiered on July 4, 2008, in Stockholm, Sweden, with ABBA members Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Agnetha Fältskog in attendance. It was later theatrically released July 10 in the United Kingdom, July 17 in Germany, and July 18 in the United States. It received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the musical numbers and production values, but criticized the casting of inexperienced singers and campy tone.[3] However, it was a box-office success, grossing $611.4 million worldwide on a $52 million budget, becoming the fifth highest-grossing film of 2008. A sequel, titled Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, was released on July 20, 2018, with much of the cast returning.
Plot
On the fictional Greek island of Kalokairi (Greek for ‘Summer’), bride-to-be Sophie Sheridan reveals to her bridesmaids that she has secretly invited three men to her wedding without telling her mother, Donna: Irish-American architect Sam Carmichael, Swedish travel writer Bill Anderson, and British banker Harry Bright. One of the three is Sophie’s biological father, though she doesn’t know which, and she wants him to give her away at the wedding; she believes that after spending time with each of them, she will learn who fathered her.
When the three men arrive at Kalokairi, Sophie explains she sent the wedding invitations, not Donna, but does not reveal that she believes one of them is her father. She hides the men in Donna’s goat house, and they hesitantly agree not to reveal themselves yet, as it is a surprise.
As Donna is working on the goat house, she spies on them. Dumbfounded to find herself facing her former lovers, she demands they leave. Donna confides in her old friends Tanya and Rosie, who have also arrived for the wedding, that she truly does not know which of the three fathered Sophie.
Sophie finds the men aboard Bill’s sailboat and they sail around Kalokairi, with the men bonding with Sophie and telling her stories of Donna’s carefree youth. Sophie attempts to tell her fiancé Sky about her ploy but loses her nerve.
At Sophie’s bachelorette party, Donna is distressed by the three men’s presence, but Rosie and Tanya assure her that they will take care of them. Sophie talks with each man alone, leaving Sam and Harry questioning their trip. She learns from Bill that Donna received the money for her villa from his great-aunt Sofia: as a result, Sophie comes to believe that Bill is her father and asks him to give her away but keep their secret until the wedding.
In the morning, Donna attempts to comfort Sophie and offers to cancel the wedding; Sophie reacts angrily, saying she wants to avoid her mother’s mistakes. Sam attempts to discuss the wedding with Donna, and both realize they still have feelings for each other. Sophie admits her actions to Sky and asks for his help, but he reacts angrily to her deception.
As they prepare for the wedding Donna admits to Sophie that her mother disowned her after she got pregnant, but she could not be more proud of having her. Donna promises to give Sophie away.
As the bridal party and guests enter the chapel Sam intercepts Donna, who reveals the pain she felt over losing him. At the wedding, Sam reveals that he had ended his engagement, but returned to find Donna had gone off with another man (Bill).
The three men agree with Sophie that they do not want the paternity confirmed, each agreeing to be one-third of a father for Sophie. Sophie suggests to Sky that they postpone their wedding and travel the world. Sam proposes to Donna, revealing that he is divorced and has always loved her. She happily accepts and they marry on the spot.
