Spanning three decades, Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s Merrily We Roll Along charts the turbulent relationship between composer Franklin Shepard and his two lifelong friends — writer Mary and lyricist & playwright Charley. Originally produced on Broadway in 1981, and then becoming an inventive cult-classic ahead of its time, Merrily We Roll Along features some of Stephen Sondheim’s most celebrated and personal songs.
KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Julie O. comments, “I absolutely love Merrily We Roll Along. It is a musical with incredible acting and beautiful songs. This is one of those great stories that stayed with me long after I watched it… This film has several powerful messages about the importance of being a good friend, being true to oneself, and how our choices affect our future.” Drake G. adds, “I love the movie Merrily We Roll Along. It is packed with genuinely amazing scenes that left me wanting more. The movie has a huge theme of being a musical which kind of reminds me of Hamilton – a musical of immense importance and emotion.” See their full reviews below.
Merrily We Roll Along
By Julie O, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12
I absolutely love Merrily We Roll Along. It is a musical with incredible acting and beautiful songs. This is one of those great stories that stayed with me long after I watched it.
The storyline follows three friends who meet in college and we follow their life from 1957 to 1976. Each friend is successful in their own way and each one makes decisions that affect their friendships differently. The main character is Frank Shepard (Jonathan Groff) who is a composer. His best friend Charley Kringas (Daniel Radcliffe) is a lyricist and a playwright. Mary Flynn (Lindsay Mendez) is a writer and the friend who tries to hold the group’s friendship together throughout the years. Each scene explores an important event in their lives.
This is a filmed version of a stage production so the camera angles are adjusted so they don’t show too much of the stage. I like how the sets are quickly changed with minimal distraction. I also really like how costumes are used to help tell each character’s story. For example, Charley, the character who remains true to himself the entire time has the same costume for every scene, except one. Frank switches from a t-shirt when he is younger to a long sleeved shirt when he is older, but it is the same color and style. I really enjoyed each of the songs because they help the story move along and are very catchy. This is a movie I will want to watch again because the story is so beautiful. I especially love how it shows how complex and fragile friendships can be.
This film has several powerful messages about the importance of being a good friend, being true to oneself, and how our choices affect our future. Be aware that it does contain some references to drinking, smoking, drugs, and mild profanity.
I give Merrily We Roll Along 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. It releases in select theaters starting December 5, 2025.
Merrily We Roll Along
By Drake G., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 13
I love the movie Merrily We Roll Along. It is packed with genuinely amazing scenes that left me wanting more. The movie has a huge theme of being a musical which kind of reminds me of Hamilton – a musical of immense importance and emotion.
The story begins with a musical ballad. Next we see the characters at a party and learn that they are working on a movie. It is unveiled that the producer, Frank, is cheating on his wife with the star of his movie. The film spans three decades, and explores the turbulent relationship between Frank Shepherd (Jonathan Groff), a talented composer who abandons his friends and songwriting career to become a Hollywood producer. Like the play on which it is based, the show’s story moves in reverse chronology.
The most striking thing about this filmed adaptation of the Broadway play is the acting. We really see that the actors have a great devotion to their roles. Daniel Radcliffe shows how his character is really interested in his character because he shows real humility and melancholy while talking to Mary about how he hasn’t seen Frank and he is just about to give up. Lindsay Mendez’s portrayal of Mary is immaculate. She gives believable performances and has a good singing voice. However, the most impressive commitment to his role is Jonathan Groff’s portrayal of Frank. He portrays a workaholic man who invests his time into being a producer and doesn’t spend any time with his friends.
The film’s message is about friendship and forgiveness. Throughout the film Frank is constantly leaving his friends but they keep forgiving him. Be aware that there are some scenes of alcohol consumption and use of profanity.
I give Merrily We Roll Along 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. It releases in theaters worldwide on December 5, 2025.
