Theater kids might be the butt of countless jokes, but I’m proud to be in the group and this particular brand of nerd. Growing up and doing theater offered a real sense of community, and it is how I make adult friends to this day. Obviously, I make it a point to watch every new movie musical, but I was lucky enough to watch both of the Wicked movies in private screenings made up entirely of those friends.
While this was an ideal way to watch the first Wicked (which is now streaming with an Amazon Prime subscription), the communal experience of watching For Good was even more powerful. Because just months ago, that group was faced with the unexpected passing of one of our friends, and has been experiencing the ebbs and flows of grief. So being able to be together, particularly during the movie’s titular song “For Good,” allowed us to feel all those strong feelings in a safe, supportive place.
Wicked: For Good’s Title Song Touched A Whole Group Of Friends
As much as those Wicked holding space memes have followed Jon M. Chu’s pair of movies, seeing For Good actually did just that for my group of friends. I’m a Wicked Act II apologist, so I knew that once Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo started singing “For Good,” things were going to get very emotional. Stephen Schwartz’s lyrics are a love letter to the importance of friendship and the way that those relationships fundamentally change who you become.
The weight of our friend’s recent passing was palpable throughout the entire movie, but especially during the movie’s titular song. The lyrics seemed to perfectly explain the way many of us were feeling. Particularly Elphaba’s verse, when she sings:
It well may be that we will never meet again in this lifetime. So let me say before we part so much of me is made of what I learned from you. You’ll be with me like a handprint on my heart.
Wicked: For Good‘s box office success shows that the story’s way of touching people isn’t unique to me and my theater friends. But to see a musical that we all grew up obsessed with so perfectly express the feelings of loss was really powerful.
After the group cry that occurred through the end of that movie (seriously, I’m not over that door scene), we also had the chance to talk out our feelings. Since the screening was private, we had the time to chat in the theater without worrying about being overly emotional in front of strangers. So on top of the sense of catharsis that came with watching For Good, the post-movie chats were similarly helpful. We all would have preferred to have our late friend there enjoying the new movie musical with the rest of us, but it’s safe to say his presence was felt by all.
Wicked: For Good is in theaters now as part of the 2026 movie release list. And I can’t wait for a rewatch or two now that I’ve enjoyed the emotional gut punches that Jon M. Chu and company provided.