After months of hype, the film adaptation of Broadway's Wicked has more than fulfilled expectations with a $114 million opening weekend. Showstopping vocal performances from stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are bound to secure a place in the Oscars conversation for the movie, directed by Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights). For younger viewers, Wicked could be the entry point for a crash course in media history and intertextuality. The musical, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman, is loosely based on the novel of the same name, itself a revisionist take on L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by part-time Vermont author Gregory Maguire. The deal Perhaps you recall how Dorothy Gale proved herself by slaying the Wicked Witch of the West. But who was this witch, anyway? How did she become so wicked? Whether you're a curious Munchkin or not, Glinda the Good (Grande) is here to narrate the witch's origin story for you. Elphaba Thropp (Erivo) is born with green skin and a talent for magic, rare even in the fantastical land of Oz. While her looks make her an outcast, her power earns her a welcome at Shiz University, where she's assigned to room with popular Galinda, aka Glinda. Elphaba yearns for an invitation to the Emerald City to meet the Wonderful Wizard (Jeff Goldblum), who might just have the power to change her appearance. Meanwhile, her empathy for the downtrodden inspires her to aid the sentient animals of Oz, such as goat professor Dr. Dillamond (voice of Peter Dinklage), whose freedoms are threatened by new laws of the land. Initially jealous and cruel, Galinda comes to admire Elphaba. A friendship blossoms between the two, even as they both pine for devil-may-care prince Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey). For these girls, a trip to see the Wizard could change everything, but not necessarily in the ways they expect. Will you like it? Anecdotal evidence suggests that if you love the musical Wicked, you'll love the movie. Fans have been waiting years for it, and Chu gives ample time to every character and number in what is technically Wicked Part 1, the first half of a duology. At my packed screening, applause greeted cameos by Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, who originated the roles of Elphaba and Galinda on Broadway. I'm not one of those fans:…