Can a good movie reduce stress? I've always believed that smiling and laughing is healing in some way. And, there is a lot of evidence that supports that theory. I also know that for me, music can deeply affect my mood. Some songs are sad reminders of the past, and others are happy reminders of experiences I never want to forget. Seeing the movie Mamma Mia with my daughter, and listening to all the music, is definitely going to be a lasting and happy memory for me.

This is what happened. My daughter has been wanting to see the movie Journey To The Center Of The Earth in 3-D, and we also both wanted to see Mamma Mia. So, on Thursday, we decided to see Journey To The Center Of The Earth. But, when we got to the theater we found out it was only in 3-D at "selected" theaters, and we weren't at one of those. Mamma Mia was showing in the same theater about 15 minutes later, so we decided to see that instead.

To tell you the truth, I really didn't think that either one of the movies was going to have much of an impact on me. I was feeling quite depressed, and was only taking my daughter to the movies because I thought that was what a good mother would do. [Without getting into too many details...I went right from Post BlogHer Blues and BlogHer Bolla, into one of the top mothering nightmares that parents can have with their teen sons. And, I've been going out of my mind ever since.] So, since I was feeling like a failure as a mother when it came to my son, I thought I shouldn't allow my anxiety to affect my daughter. However, I didn't think anything, much less a movie, would be able to take my mind off of my troubles.

Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised.

For me, this was one of the best movies I have ever seen. I laughed, I cried, I tapped my feet, and I even sung along a little. I really thought I was going to the movies for my daughter, but in retrospect, it was the best thing I could have ever done for myself.

So...My independent study, shows conclusively, that the movie Mamma Mia can relieve stress and make you smile. If you don't believe me, go check it out for yourself. I enjoyed it so much, that I hope to take my mother and my daughter to see it again tomorrow. Mamma Mia therapy may not be the solution to my problems, but it sure is a nice temporary diversion.

Here is some of what other bloggers are saying...

From Sarah Seltzer at Reproductive Health - Finding Feminism Where You Least Expect It...

Mamma Mia! might not be about feminism, or seek to advance feminism, but it takes many of feminism's principles as a given, and works (or works it, if you will) from there.

Mamma Mia Feminist Creative Power Film

Mamma Mia! Here I go again! Okay it's still running through my head and I have the urge to dance and twirl and sing through the house! haha!

Last night my daughter19 and I went to the movies to see Mamma Mia! It was so fun! Originally a broadway stage show based on songs by ABBA and now made into a movie starring Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnon.

From My Little Black Book...

Ok, so I went to see MAMMA MiA with my mom and feel madly in love. It was the most amazing movie I have seen in a long time, and I know exactly why. It’s the love story! They play it off as it revolves around Sophie, HA! What a lie! It’s about the mom being with the man she loves! I have seen the play 3 times, and the movie 2 times, and I was adicted to the sound track for a long time.

Jane Becker from The Dame Domain, compares the Sex and the City movie, to the Mamma Mia movie, in Deconstructing The Female Blockbuster.

This is not even a contest.

The women in “SATC” are a good 20 years younger than their counterparts in “Mama”, but they seem infinitely less happy. They sit around coffee shops and trendy restaurants discussing their unhappiness.

The women in “Mama” sing and dance. Christine Baranski kicks ass on the dance floor, Julie Walters chews through the scenery and Meryl…well, Meryl does a split in the air after bouncing off a bed.

When I grow up, I want to be them.

From Mommie Marzie...

Last night I went to see the movie Mamma Mia with some of my sisters and nieces. It was so fun! I told myself “I will not sing along with the movie.” I chanted this in my head all through the previews. I was sitting next to my sister Tracy and she started singing. So I started too. My toes were tapping and I wanted to jump up and dance. I probably could have since we were sitting on the back row.

My sister Nann said she could see this turning into something like the Rocky Horror movie. Heck Yeah! I’d go see this and dress up in spandex and platforms and sing and dance along.

And, from my favorite 14 year-old blogger at Nicole Blogs a review of Mama Mia...

Yesterday, my mom and I saw Mamma Mia the movie! It was so great, that we plan to take my Granny to see it! The funnest part was knowing the songs! My mom and I were talking about how we just wanted to get up and dance during the movie, but we couldn’t because a whole crowd would be watching us!

This Christmas I plan on getting the Mamma Mia DVD for my mom!

From Jonotjoe's blog...

I am head over heels, send out an SOS, in love with the movie, the characters, the music and everything else in between.

From Taylor at Taylor Time...

Today Mom and I went and saw Mamma Mia, and it was soooooo good!! Mom and I were both ready to turn around and see it again. I love musicals, and this one has become one of my favorites now.

From crashdummie...

Am already humming ABBA songs and I think I might be close to serenading a friend with that song… again!

This post by Linda Merrill has some great pictures of scenes from the movie.

And, now after all this Mamma Mia talk, here is a great background look at Abba and Mamma Mia...

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Spoiler Alert -- Part of the Dancing Queen scene, from Mamma Mia...



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Another Spoiler Alert -- This is part of The Winner Takes It All scene...


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This was a great movie, and I saw it at a time when I thought nothing could make me smile. But, for a few hours on Thursday afternoon, I was happy, smiling, and almost forgot my troubles.

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
at catherine-morgan.com, The Political Voices of Women, Care2 Election