Strictly Ballroom
starring: Paul Mercurio, Tara Morice, Bill Hunter, Pat Thomson, Gia Carides
directed by: Baz Luhrmann
directed by: Baz Luhrmann
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Product Description:
A top ballroom dancers only hope is a left-footed ugly-duckling beginner dancer when his partner backs out and soon more is at stake than the national title.Studio: Buena Vista Home VideoRelease Date: 09/06/2005Starring: Paul Mercurio Tara MoriceRun time: 95 minutesRating: PgDirector: Baz Luhrman
Amazon.com:
While the plot of this Australian film may seem a bit familiar (The Ugly Duckling meets Dirty Dancing), the whimsical tone and superb dance sequences will make you forget the movie's predictability. Scott (Paul Mercurio) is a champion ballroom dancer who wants to dance "his own steps." Fran is the homely, beginning dancer who convinces Scott that he should dance his own steps... with her. Complicating matters are Scott's domineering mother (Pat Thompson), a former dancer herself, who wants her son to win the Australian Pan Pacific Championship (the same contest she lost years ago), and a conniving dance committee that is determined that "there are no new steps!" The dancing is enjoyable, yet not overwhelming, and the movie strives hard not to take itself too seriously (the beginning of the film is even styled as a pseudo-documentary). Strictly Ballroom, while not so subtly imparting its moral ("A life lived in fear is a life half-lived"), is a laughable romp that's sure to be a crowd pleaser. --Jenny Brown
A top ballroom dancers only hope is a left-footed ugly-duckling beginner dancer when his partner backs out and soon more is at stake than the national title.Studio: Buena Vista Home VideoRelease Date: 09/06/2005Starring: Paul Mercurio Tara MoriceRun time: 95 minutesRating: PgDirector: Baz Luhrman
Amazon.com:
While the plot of this Australian film may seem a bit familiar (The Ugly Duckling meets Dirty Dancing), the whimsical tone and superb dance sequences will make you forget the movie's predictability. Scott (Paul Mercurio) is a champion ballroom dancer who wants to dance "his own steps." Fran is the homely, beginning dancer who convinces Scott that he should dance his own steps... with her. Complicating matters are Scott's domineering mother (Pat Thompson), a former dancer herself, who wants her son to win the Australian Pan Pacific Championship (the same contest she lost years ago), and a conniving dance committee that is determined that "there are no new steps!" The dancing is enjoyable, yet not overwhelming, and the movie strives hard not to take itself too seriously (the beginning of the film is even styled as a pseudo-documentary). Strictly Ballroom, while not so subtly imparting its moral ("A life lived in fear is a life half-lived"), is a laughable romp that's sure to be a crowd pleaser. --Jenny Brown
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: 
- Those Blasted Ballroom Dancing Rules!
Here's a different kind of story: mocking the ultra-seriousness of ballroom dancing, at least among people in Australia, where the film was made. The strict rules, perhaps, are mocked as much as the people involved.
Once again, it's the clichéd story of a rebel who is the good guy and the establishment who are the bad people. (Will filmmakers ever get themselves out of the 1960s?)
Add some stupid humor, a very annoying lead woman (the mother of the star dancer), and a predictable ... Read More
Rating: 
- 3 stars out of 4
The Bottom Line:
Both a sweet little movie in its own right and a sly, tongue-in-cheek play on formulaic dance movies/ugly duckling pictures, Strictly Ballroom is an amusing and entertaining romp that will win over even the more hardened cynics--it did me, after all.
Rating: 
- Fabulous flic!
This is not your average "dancing" or "Cinderella" chick flic. The characters are finely drawn and the dancing complements the story line. I saw the movie by chance - didn't have anything better to do - and rushed to purchase my own copy ASAP. Highly recommended!
Rating: - Strictly Ballroom
If you love the Australian funny movies, you will love this one. I love the story line, and the humour in this movie. My friend showed me this is college and I have liked it since. It has humour, romance and the good girls wins in the end.
Rating: - celebration of colour and movement set to music
Strictly Ballroom made me believe in film making as a true art form. It is a celebration of colour and movement set to music. The story seamlessly weaves in the timeless themes of `one man versus the world' and `the ugly duckling'. The romance across ethnic lines adds to the spice and vigour.
You don't have to love dancing to love the movie, but after viewing it you may gain a new appreciation of dance sport as competition or perhaps art, the movie entertains both lines of thinking.
Read More
- Those Blasted Ballroom Dancing Rules!Here's a different kind of story: mocking the ultra-seriousness of ballroom dancing, at least among people in Australia, where the film was made. The strict rules, perhaps, are mocked as much as the people involved.
Once again, it's the clichéd story of a rebel who is the good guy and the establishment who are the bad people. (Will filmmakers ever get themselves out of the 1960s?)
Add some stupid humor, a very annoying lead woman (the mother of the star dancer), and a predictable ... Read More
- 3 stars out of 4The Bottom Line:
Both a sweet little movie in its own right and a sly, tongue-in-cheek play on formulaic dance movies/ugly duckling pictures, Strictly Ballroom is an amusing and entertaining romp that will win over even the more hardened cynics--it did me, after all.
- Fabulous flic!This is not your average "dancing" or "Cinderella" chick flic. The characters are finely drawn and the dancing complements the story line. I saw the movie by chance - didn't have anything better to do - and rushed to purchase my own copy ASAP. Highly recommended!
- Strictly BallroomIf you love the Australian funny movies, you will love this one. I love the story line, and the humour in this movie. My friend showed me this is college and I have liked it since. It has humour, romance and the good girls wins in the end.
- celebration of colour and movement set to musicStrictly Ballroom made me believe in film making as a true art form. It is a celebration of colour and movement set to music. The story seamlessly weaves in the timeless themes of `one man versus the world' and `the ugly duckling'. The romance across ethnic lines adds to the spice and vigour.
You don't have to love dancing to love the movie, but after viewing it you may gain a new appreciation of dance sport as competition or perhaps art, the movie entertains both lines of thinking.
Read More
