Funny Girl

Fanny Brice, star of the Ziegfeld Follies, walks into the theater hosting her latest act and, taking a seat in the audience before the performance, reminisces on her life from her humble beginnings in a Manhattan slum, to her meteoric rise to vaudevillian success, along with her tumultuous relationship with charming gambler Nick Arnstein. Barbara Streisand reprised her stage role in this epic length, technicolor musical which garnered her an Academy Award (which she shared with Kate Hepburn) and launched her to international stardom. For such a long movie (nearly tipping three hours) there is not a whole lot going on in terms of plot but Streisand is completely endearing, making the trip worthwhile. William Wyler's acute direction also enhances the slight  production as does Omar Sharif's presence as Streisand's on again off again beau.