It’s fair to say that Grease was the first great love of our lives… Well, Grease and Patrick Swayze. But, Grease is something we could always pop on and watch over and over again, and it would always put a smile on our faces. In fact, Grease is one of the most beloved and popular movies in the world, and it’s no surprise to us. Though, we did recently find some strange quirks when we went to watch the movie again.
As with a lot of films you enjoy as a kid, we noticed things as adults that we had never seen before. Stuff that just doesn’t occur to you when you’re younger, or just goes right over your head because you’re a kid. So, we thought we’d compile a list of these things in Grease you only notice as an adult – don’t worry, we’ll try not to ruin your childhood.
Everyone looks really old
Look, we get that in Hollywood actors and actresses play people younger than them all the time, but come on guys! Sometimes stars can pass for playing teens, and other times they just look old – Grease is one of those. We never noticed it as kids, because everyone older than you seems old when you’re a kid – but the cast is super old in this movie. Stockard Channing was 34 the year the movie was released, and Olivia Newton-John was 30! Yikes!
The principal is the funniest thing in it
There are plenty of laughs in the movie, but there are also elements we never got as kids. On a rewatch we actually realized that Principal McGee and her hapless assistant Blanche are the funniest things in it. Much of their communication – with a lack of dialogue – make up some of the movie’s best highlights. Next time you pop it on for another watch, you’ll be able to see what we’re saying. These two are hilarious.
Rizzo refuses to join in with Summer Nights
All the characters are involved in the singing and choreography with Summer Nights, except for Rizzo who refuses. By this stage of the movie, it’s clear that she does not like Sandy, and she’s dead against Summer Nights. So much so that she refuses to be a part of the choreography process for the song. She sits down on her own while everyone else is dancing, and lies on a bench, relaxing, during her one line of the song. We had never noticed this before, and it actually works wonderfully well.
But she’s the most layered
The more you watch the movie, the more you come to realize that Rizzo is actually the most nuanced and layered character, especially among the women. She’s the only character in the movie who actually gets a full arc. Rizzo makes mistakes, learns from them, and grows as a person by the end of the movie. If you have been trying to work out why you liked Rizzo for so many years, that’s why.
There are plenty of things in Grease you probably never noticed before as a kid. But, as an adult, you can’t help but notice them every time you go to watch the movie. These are just a few of the things that we noticed on a recent viewing, but we’re sure you’ll be able to find more as well. Any excuse to watch Grease again…
