Genre: Musical/Drama/Western
Director: Damien Chazelle
Writer: Chad Taylor
Based on the musical
Cast: Billy Magnussen, Florence Pugh, Adam Driver, Kathleen Turner, Zoey Deutch, George MacKay, Pedro Pascal, John Lithgow
Plot: In 1906, the sun is rising on Claremore, Oklahoma as cowboy Curly McLain (Billy Magnussen) gallops into town before the roosters can even crow. He is approaching the home of Aunt Eller (Kathleen Turner) and her niece Laurey Williams, whom he is pining for the attention and affection of. With a guitar in hand, Curly sings of how great his life is at the moment both in the present and in general (“Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’”). He is playfully flirtatious with Eller, who jokingly asks if he has come here to take her to the box social tonight. He asks if Laurey has her eye on anybody but Eller checks his ego by saying that it certainly isn’t him.
Laurey Williams (Florence Pugh) comes out and wonders aloud what Curly is doing here. She asks if he has come to ask her to the social and he denies that, to which she says “good!”. She says she wouldn’t accept anyway from someone who waits until the day of to ask. Curly says that’s too bad before bragging about the lavish carriage that he would have hired to escort her to the social (“Surrey With the Fringe on Top”). He sings as if Laurey was his girl, as she looks on longingly. As Curly sings, Laurey looks conflicted, clearly enamored by his charm but unwilling to give in to his big ego. She asks, by chance, what time would that ride be arriving? He tells her that he made the whole thing up, causing Eller to laugh but leaving Laurey frustrated. She reveals that she already has a date to the social anyways so his pretty little surrey can find escort some other lucky gal. He looks suggestingly looks towards Aunt Eller, who smirks and says she’ll say yes if Laurey doesn’t.
Laurey storms off and Eller reneges on what she said earlier, saying that Laurey likes him. He again probes about who she is going to the dance with and Eller lays out the potential options. She stops when they see Jud Fry (Adam Driver) carrying firewood in the distance, his clothes dirty and beard unkempt. She says or it could be someone rather close by who has always had a thing for Laurey. Curly looks at Jud and makes fun of that notion, saying that everybody knows he’s a drunk ne’r-do-well. She tells him she will not take any Jud slander around here and he is the best farmhand she’s ever had, practically keeping her family’s farm alive. She tells Curly she must be going on with her day and that she will see him later tonight.
At the train station, Eller runs into Will Parker (George MacKay), a young cowboy with wide eyes and a big smile. He says it is great to see her and says he has wonderful news: he won $50 at the fair in Kansas City, which is how much Andrew Carnes requested for his daughter’s hand in marriage. He says he brought a special gift to give to Andrew, a little telescope-looking tube called “Little Wonder”. Eller watches on with a suspicious eye. Will sings about how big and modern Kansas City is, including details about his trip to a seven-story skyscraper, the burlesque show, and learning the two-step (“Kansas City”).
On her porch, Laurey spots a Persian peddler named Ali Hakim (Pedro Pascal). She is surprised to see him being followed by Ado Annie (Zoey Deutch), who is looking at him affectionately. She waves to Laurey, prompting Ali to tell her to go talk to her friend. Her and Laurey hug and she says “isn’t he cute?”. Laurey jokingly asks “who?” as Ado Annie turns around to find that Ali has abandoned her. Laurey asks if she’s heard that Will Parker is back in town. Annie’s eyes get big and she says she wasn’t expecting him to be back until much later. Laurey asks if she still has feelings for him and Annie says of course...but have you seen Ali Hakim? Laurey tells her that she can’t go around kissing with every boy in town but Annie says she can’t help it. Ever since she’s “grown up” a bit, all the boys have their eyes on her and she kinda likes it! She sings about how invigorated she feels when embracing her sexuality, even though she knows it’s not very lady-like in their society (“I Cain’t Say No”). She says that, based on the exotic trip to the end of the world that he has described to her, she believes that Ali is going to ask to marry her. Upon learning about Laurey’s own boy problems, Annie gives her Egyptian smelling salts (in reality, opium) that can help clear her mind and tell her who her true love is. Aunt Eller arrives and overhears their conversation. She warns Annie about Ali has he has scammed her in the past and to not believe a peddler.
Jud goes out on the town to pick up goods for the farm but it is much different than Eller’s. Everyone casts a suspicious eye on him, even if what he is doing is mundane. He returns to his home, a run-down smokehouse on the farm, with pornographic pictures nailed onto the walls. We see him put his some money into a deposit box, where he see has been saving some up. Jud sits alone before going about his daily activities, also totally on his own.
Ado Annie catches back up to Ali and tells him about Laurey and Eller’s warnings. She asks if he was being serious about the ends of the Earth and he says not exactly. He was actually thinking something like the Claremore Hotel. She asks why she would want a trip there, she lives here! He describes to her how the hotel is like paradise and she isn’t catching on to his clear intentions. She is joyous and says that this means he does want to marry her, which he neither confirms nor denies. We hear “Ado Annie!” screamed in the background as Will Parker approaches, elated to her. Since he’s there, she introduces Will to Ali. Will says “isn’t she the perttiest girl?” before saying that he is going to marry her. Ali’s eyes light up and says that that sounds wonderful, while Annie says that they slow this conversation down. When Ali leaves, Will says that he won the $50 to give to her dad but he spent it all on gifts. She asks why he would do that and he says that the feller who sold them to him said they’d worth more than the money. He tries to kiss her but he is initially resistant, thinking of what Laurey had said. But she ultimately allows him to kiss her on the cheek.
As people gather at the town’s square, Jud arrives to announce that he is proudly taking Laurey to the box social later that night. As he leaves, there are murmurs of surprise as the assumption was that Curly would be taking her. Curly remains quiet during this, while Laurey keeps an eye on him. Another girl, more flirtatious than Laurey and with an obnoxious laugh, approaches and tells Curly that he can take her if he wants. Curly, clearly peeved about Jud and with an intent to make Laurey jealous, shrugs his shoulders and leaves with the new girl. Laurey insists to her friends that she is not jealous and sings a song about how she will never let emotions about a man take control of her (“Many a New Day”).
As Ali and Annie walk, she brings up the topic of marriage but he is very careful about what he says and tip-toes around it. They run into Annie’s father, Andrew Carnes (John Lithgow), with a gun in hand and Ali is scared that the old man will shoot him. While he looks angry, they learn that it is because he has learned that Will has gotten the $50 to ask for Annie’s hand in marriage. He set it that high because he thought there was no way that no-good cowboy could earn it! As he vents, he recognizes that Annie is attracted to Ali and then says that he should ask for his daughter’s hand in marriage. Ali feels put on the spot and stammers without committing to anything while Andrew is joyous, feeling he has gotten out of the Will Parker predicament.
As she heads back home, Curly and Laurey cross paths and act passive aggressive towards one another. Curly says that it’s weird because everyone expects him to take her. She says that maybe it is for the better so people will stop talking about them. He grows inquisitive and asks if people are already talking about them and she reminds him how people gossip in this town. He says they must be talking about how she is stuck on him but she says it is the contrary - how he is stuck on her. He laughs this off and wonders how these start. They sing about these rumors as they exchange a list of ways that they can’t interact in public or else the rumors will persist (“People Will Say We’re In Love”). They grow flirtatious as they do, both clearly wanting to do these things. After he leaves, she is in tears and laments her feelings to Aunt Eller, who reveals that she has been saving her pennies and bought Laurey a new dress.
Meanwhile, we learn that Curly has gone to pay a visit to Jud’s residence. Jud is suspicious but Curly says that he has come in peace. He says he wanted to check in on Jud as everyone talks down on him. Jud asks what they say and Curly says they call him a pig-stealer and stuff like that. He then tells Jud how you never know how you’re truly appreciated until you’re dead. He deceitfully tells him about all the girls secretly pining after him, who would show their true feelings at his funeral. He sings about this hypothetical funeral (“Pore Jud is Daid”). Jud joins in, lamenting the way he is overlooked by society, especially out here. After the song, they engage in a friendly shooting contest of bottles while Jud talks about his labor struggles back home. Curly, clearly not too interested in Jud’s story, says that he has come to tell him that he will win Laurey’s hand in marriage. Jud ends the contest there and tells Curly to leave, while still holding the gun tightly in his hand. After he does, Jud sings about how this has driven him to capture Laurey’s heart even more (“Lonely Room”). He sees Ali and Annie passing by outside and tracks them down, asking the peddler if he has “Little Wonder”. Ali is taken aback and asks Jud if he knows what “Little Wonder” really is and he confirms. He says that he doesn’t have it but knows someone that might.
Hours before the dance, Laurey is clearly torn about her feelings at the moment. She looks to the smelling salts that Ali sold her and takes them with the hope of guiding her decision. This descends into a dream sequence. The first to appear is Curly and it is on their wedding day. However, Jud is also there and sitting off by himself. He approaches Curly with a gun in hand and shoots him shoot blank in the head - jarring Laurey nearly awake. Jud looks to her and says her name repeatedly until she realizes that it is his actual voice and that he is there to pick her up for the dance.
At the box social, Will approaches Andrew about Annie’s hand in marriage. However, it is discovered that Will does not actually have the $50 and Andrew laughs at the preposition of receiving all of the gifts that Will bought. Ali, overhearing this and looking to get out of his predicament, pulls Will aside and tells him that he is looking to re-stock his load. He starts to offer money for Will’s various gifts, overpaying for all of them (eventually totalling $50). Meanwhile, a near fight breaks out between the farmers and cowmen of the town, with Aunt Eller acting as a mediator to insist that they must get along in this new state.
Bidding starts for the girl’s baskets, which includes food cooked by them and entitles the highest bidder to a date with that girl. When Ado Annie’s basket comes up, Will bids $50 before realizing that once again this means he would not have enough to give to Mr. Carnes. Ali, annoyed by Will’s bone-headedness but insistent that he doesn’t want to marry Annie, bids $51 so Will will have enough to give to Andrew. Will thanks him.
When Laurey’s basket comes up, multiple men bid but it is Curly who gains a comfortable lead. However, that is until Jud interjects with a last-second bid to the townspeople’s shock. They didn’t know he had any money to his name but he tells Laurey that he has been saving up. Curly, in desperation, sells his horse and gun to out-bid Jud. Laurey tells him he doesn’t need to do this but he says he’s willing to do anything for her to be his girl.
Ali pulls Jud aside and reveals to him that he has “Little Wonder” now and Jud buys it from him. As Jud plays around with it, we discover that it is now simple looking tube and instead has a hidden blade inside that, when triggers, would jot downward and be in a prime position to shove into the user’s neck. Jud goes to show Curly the “Little Wonder” and Curly puts it up to his eye to see the image inside. Jud is about to trigger the blade but Eller, knowing what the “Little Wonder” is, calls over to Curly and ask him for a dance - foiling Jud’s plan.
Off alone, Will and Ado Annie talk about their plans to get married. Will tells her that if they are going to do this, he needs her to be fully committed and not flirt around with other men. As they sing, she promises her fidelity but on the condition that he not be so controlling (“All Er Nuthin”). They both agree and excitedly kiss.
Jud and Laurey talk out their differences and he asks why she always seems to ignore him. She says that she has heard some rumors about him, which causes him to grow angry - only exacerbating her fear about him. In the heat of the moment, she reluctantly tells him that she won’t need his services on the farm anymore, causing Jud to get even angrier. He tells her all of those rumors are false before departing. Laurey is frightened and calls to Curly.
She tells Curly about what she just did and how she instantly regretted it but Curly tells her she was scared and it was probably for the best. As they sit under the moonlight, Curly proposes a married life together where he will give up his cowboy ways and settle down as farmer on their farm together. The country is changing and he's got to change with it. She tells him she’d like that. They sing a reprise of their earlier song, this time saying to let people say they’re in love as it is true.
The film skips ahead to the wedding day of Curly and Laurey. The cast sings a rejoiceful tune about the wonders and possibilities of this brand new state (“Oklahoma!”). However, the mood is ruined when a drunk Jud arrives. He begins heckling the ceremony, causing Curly to go over to calm him down. He tells Curly that he has brought him a wedding gift and it is Jud’s gun. However, Jud is having none of it and they get in a tussle. In the process, Jud is shot and dies in Curly’s arms. Curly, with blood all over his white wedding suit, is in shock as the gun sits firmly in his hand.
The town’s people convene led by Eller, both farmers and cowmen, and decide to convene a makeshift trial with a jury then and there. Laurey looks mournful as she looks as Jud’s dead body on the floor. After a short convening, Curly is found innocent by self-defense. Curly says he isn’t sure if this feels right but they tell him that they never liked Jud much anyways and Curly should be allowed to go enjoy his honeymoon.
Curly and Laurey ride off to their honeymoon in their surrey with the fringe on top, both looking discontent and guilt-ridden.
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