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Official Site
PG-13
* of **** as a movie,
**** of **** for those future dancers out there, or anyone who can't otherwise get to see real dance :)
Length: 114 minutes
Credits:
Writer: Carol Heikkinen
Director: Nicholas Hytner
Cast:
Amanda Schull: Jody
Ethan Stiefel: Cooper Nielson
Peter Gallagher: the Artistic Director, Jonathan Reeves
Zoe Saldana: Eva
Susan May Pratt: Maureen
Sascha Radestky: Charlie
Donna Murphy: Juliette
Ilia Kulik: Sergei
Victoria Born: Emily
Julie Kent: Kathleen
Center Stage is pretty much plotless, maybe a silly plot, what there is of it. Not much script, but a whole lotta dance. It is the usual successful underdog plot. It does make a representation of the severity of the dance world, and a lot of people will certainly find that very validating. Of course there is some romance in their as well so the younger crowd in particular will have something to hormone about. :) There is a suggestive scene on stage... with a full audience, so it should be a PG-13 film despite the numbing of society by the harsher crap put out by the industry. I've seen more infuriating TV commercials. If you like real dance, go see it in the theater, otherwise I wouldn't make it a priority.
The film did have a little to say about all post high school institutions, but it didn't do much. Perhaps a caution as far as paying attention to what you desire in your future versus what you are working towards.
The Artistic Director is played well by Peter Gallagher.
Susan May Pratt's character Maureen is a brief example of what it is like to have an eating disorder. No doubt many young women who are in that situation will see themselves on the screen and not feel so isolated in the secretive life. I suspect that a real dancer could not have been cast in that part simply because the damaging effects from the weight loss would be unacceptable. Miss Pratt also had far more acting to do than anyone else in the film. Curiously, Miss Pratt's character in 10 Things I Hate About You was also bulimic in the original script. Talk about type casting!
Some people may have actually put their foot in the door for future film work. I am not talking about the writer. You always know something's amiss when the commercials are so terribly narrative!
In the movie, the men danced wonderfully, and it was about the only time the theater full of girly-girls would shut up. It was the men that got all the ooohs' from the audience. Some of the flexibility was pretty impressive. The dancing by the women was all right. I think it may have been restricted in part because nobody can out shine the lead, but the lead is supposed to be marginal for most of the film. Notice that I didn't say anything about the plot? All I want to know is if Batman helped them with those instantaneous costume/hair/makeup changes!
It could have rated another 1/2* if they would have had more shots of bloody oozing pointe feet ;) The whole audience was "Ewww"
About 10% of the audience was laughing and nodding their heads during the 'ode to breaking in the pointe shoe' scene. Everyone else was just "huh?" It's a good clue as to who's in the crowd.
Soundtrack:
1. I Wanna Be With You - Mandy Moore
2. First Kiss - International Five
3. Don't Get Lost In The Crowd - Ashley Ballard
4. We're Dancing - P.Y.T.
5. Friends Forever - Thunderbugs
6. Get Used To This - Cyrena
7. Girl Can Dream, A - P.Y.T.
8. Cosmic Girl - Jamiroquai
9. Higher Ground - Red Hot Chili Peppers
10. Come Baby Come - Elvis Crespo/Gizelle D'Cole
11. Way You Make Me Feel, The - Michael Jackson
12. If I Was The One - Ruff Endz
13. Canned Heat - Jamiroquai
14. I Wanna Be With You - Mandy Moore (Soul Solution remix)