Arts and Entertainment

Les Miserables brings musical success to the big screen

Julia Mogen
December 18, 2012

The story of sacrifice, hope and passion has captured 60 million viewers worldwide. “Les Miserables” is the world’s longest running musical and now it is becoming a major motion picture. The play has won over 70 major awards including Tonys, Grammys and Oliviers. The movie has already been nominated for four Golden Globes, four Screen Actor Guild Awards, and 11 Critic’s Choice Awards. The movie features a stellar cast including Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjeun, Anne Hathaway as Fantine, Russell Crowe as Javert and Amanda Seyfried as Cosette.

The story follows Jean Valjeun, who is trying to stay out of officer Javert’s grasps after he breaks parole. He agrees to take in a girl named Cosette, whose mother Fantine, is a factory worker. “Les Miserables” takes place in 19th-century France and traces Cosette’s love life and the redemption of Jean Valjeun.

As one of the most anticipated movies of the year, “Les Miserables” will be playing on Dec. 25, 2012. It is rated PG-13 for suggestive and sexual material and violence.

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About the Contributor

Julia Mogen, Co-Arts and Culture Editor

While most high school students spend their free time hanging out with friends, Julia Mogen, senior, is out at concerts or the movie theater looking for her next story. “I started journalism my freshman year,” Mogen said. “My brother was a photographer, so it just felt right. I kept with it after freshman year because it felt different from all my other classes.” Ann Breyne, English teacher, enjoyed Mogen’s writing and encouraged her to continue writing in journalism, which lead to her becoming the Arts and Culture editor her junior year. “I just kind of started writing reviews. No one was writing reviews when I started, so I decided to start writing them,” Mogen said. “ I really like movies and music and didn’t like doing interviews. I stuck with Arts and Culture because it felt like my own thing and Ann liked my reviews so she wanted me to be editor for that section.” Mogen likes certain directors and reviews their movies. “One of my favorite directors is Wes Anderson. I also will search out movies that I have heard are good or have won Oscars.” Mogen also enjoys alternative music, specifically the radio station, 94.7 fm. Mogen enjoys watching Netflix in her free time. “I like watching older shows,” Mogen said. “I am watching the X-Files right now. It’ll take me a while to finish the show because when I really like a show and don’t want it to end, I just stop watching and it takes me years to finish.” As much as Mogen loves journalism, she is unsure if she will pursue it in college. “It seems daunting to continue in college,” Mogen said. “I feel comfortable in the way I am doing journalism now and to step up and be with other kids who have done it at their high school, I feel like I will be behind even though it’s not true.” “It scares me to enter such a good journalism program,” Mogen said. “But I have considered going to other journalism schools or going to University of Oregon to pursue other majors that I am interested in.”