The Turning Point (1977)

When her daughter joins a ballet company, a former dancer is forced to confront her long-ago decision to give up the stage to have a family.

Director:

Herbert Ross

Writer:

Arthur Laurents

Stars:

Anne Bancroft, Shirley MacLaine, Tom Skerritt

Nominated for 11 Oscars. Another 11 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Anne Bancroft	...	Emma Jacklin
Shirley MacLaine	...	Deedee
Tom Skerritt	...	Wayne
Mikhail Baryshnikov	...	Yuri Kopeikine
Leslie Browne	...	Emilia Rodgers
Martha Scott	...	Adelaide
Antoinette Sibley	...	Sevilla Haslam
Alexandra Danilova	...	Madame Dahkarova
Starr Danias	...	Carolyn
Marshall Thompson	...	Carter
James Mitchell	...	Michael Cooke
Daniel Levans	...	Arnold Berger
Scott Douglas	...	Freddie Romoff
Lisa Lucas	...	Janina
Phillip Saunders	...	Ethan

Storyline

The story of two women whose lives are dedicated to ballet. Deedee left her promising dance career to become a wife and mother and now runs a ballet school in Oklahoma. Emma stayed with a company and became a star though her time is nearly past. Both want what the other has and reflects back on missed chances as they are brought together again through Deedee's daughter who joins the company.

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Plot Keywords:

ballet | dance | dancer | midlife crisis | dance studio | 

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Taglines:

The generations change. But the choices remain the same.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

1 March 1978 (France)

Also Known As:

Momento de decisión

Filming Locations:

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hera Productions, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Michael, the choreographer/artistic director, is partly based on Jerome Robbins. James Mitchell was the principal male dancer in Robbins' musical "Billion Dollar Baby" (1945) and participated in his American Theatre Laboratory in the late 1960s; later, while performing with American Ballet Theatre, he partnered executive producer Nora Kaye in Robbins' ballet "Facsimile."

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Goofs

When Baryshnikov finishes his continuum pirouettes at the Coda of Don Quixote his hair is all messy. At the Camera cut the immediate new shot he is perfectly brushed and gelled up.

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Quotes

Emma Jacklin: Am I like you?
Emilia: I don't know...

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Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theatre 3000: Racket Girls (1994)

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Soundtracks

"Anna Karenina"
Emma Jacklin (Ann Bancroft). Freddie Romoff (Scott Douglas)
Choreography: Michael Cooke (Dennis Nahat)
Music: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (as Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky)

User Reviews

Timeless coming of age

This movie is particularly relevant for people in Oklahoma City, with all of the references to the city. This is possibly because two of the stars of the Ballet Russe settled here, Mikhail Terekov and Yvonne Chouteau. Ms. Chouteau was returning to her home state where she and her husband established the state ballet company and the dance program at the University of Oklahoma. There were quite a few chuckles in the audience when I first saw this movie. I was a ballet student and viewed the movie through the eyes of Amelia, about to begin a new life. Now as I watch it, I see it through the eyes of the older characters. The turning point is not just the young dancers starting their careers, but also the older dancers moving off the stage and into the background. The performances are sterling, as is the dancing. If nothing else, it is dancing at it's best, preserved forever on film. The various pas de duex performed are some of the most beloved in ballet. I would recommend this movie to any dance enthusiast as a great behind-the-scene film.