I’ve been wanting to watch Grease again but haven’t yet gotten around to it. Based on responses to an Internet survey going around among my friends, I’m not the only one. In answer to “What four movies could you watch over and over again?” several people selected Grease in the first or second spot.

I don’t know why I like it so much. It is, of course, suggestive and even outright dirty in spots. But it’s all so cheerful and somehow you just know that it’s all going to work out in the end. The soundtrack also has one of the saddest songs in Teen Musical History, that being Rizzo’s “There are Worse Things I Could Do”. I would have loved to see Brooke Shields in that role. Somehow I think she would have done a good job.

I like the character of “Sandy”. I like how she’s not as dumb blonde-y as she appears to be. She goes out with Lorenzo Lama’s character to make John Travolta/Danny jealous and it works. I like the montage of “Danny” trying out for different sports only to find out that, despite his tough guy street smarts, he wasn’t much of an athlete. I also like the slumber party song “Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee” complete with Teddy Bear. My friends and I used to sing that one in high school gym class while it was the boys’ turn at the volleyball nets.

Somehow, Grease lets me suspend my disbelief. I know, intellectually, that the actors were all close to or over thirty years old, but for an hour or two, it doesn’t matter. For an hour or two, all that matters is the age old story of boy finds girl, boy loses girl, boy changes himself to get girl back.

Sure, it’s corny. Sure, it’s goofy. Sure, it’s a little bit unrealistic. But it’s fun. Try it at your next slumber party. You’ll see.