Dancer, Texas Pop. 81 (1998)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Tim McCanlies

Writer (WGA):

Tim McCanlies (written by)

Release Date:

1 May 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Family

Tagline:

in the middle of nowhere they had everything

Plot:

Four friends from the small Texas town of Dancer are graduating from high school and are planning to move to L.A...

Plot Keywords:

Texas | Best Friend | Digit In Title | Rancher's Son | Period In Title

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Breckin Meyer	...	Keller Coleman
Peter Facinelli	...	Terrell Lee Lusk
Eddie Mills	...	John Hemphill
Ethan Embry	...	Squirrel
Ashley Johnson	...	Josie Hemphill
Patricia Wettig	...	Mrs. Lusk
Michael O'Neill	...	Mr. Lusk
Eddie Jones	...	Earl
Wayne Tippit	...	Keller's Grandfather
Alexandra Holden	...	Vivian
Keith Szarabajka	...	Squirrel's Father
Shawn Weatherly	...	Sue Ann
Michael Crabtree	...	Mr. Hemphill
Lashawn McIvor	...	Mrs. Hemphill
Joe Stevens	...	Leon

MPAA:

Rated PG for language.

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | France:U | Portugal:M/12 (video premiere) | UK:PG | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Alpine, Texas, USA

Company:

Caribou Pictures

Trivia:

Took 25 days to film.

Quotes:

Sue Ann: I don't know how the two of you live in this trailer at an angle like this.
Squirrel: He was drunk when he parked it. Never got around to leveling it.
Sue Ann: Well, I guess y'all haven't been here long.
Squirrel: Twelve years.
Sue Ann: Oh.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Playing by Heart (1998)

Soundtrack:

Where I Come From

A movie that will put you to sleep about a town that will put you to sleep

There are some good parts to this movie but overall it is very boring and slow. It's a somewhat interesting story about life in a very small west Texas town. 4 graduating Seniors, over half the senior class, are coming to terms of whether or not they want to keep their boyhood pledge of leaving once they graduate. It's main quality is the "Human Element". Some of the writing acting and directing is done quite well but overall the movie just lacks something. If you like movies about people you will like it but it's a bit slow for the Rambo and/or Chris Tucker crowd.

The scenery is quite nice, horses, mountains, desert vistas and Oak Trees. The background characters and props are done well and not overdrawn. The cinematography is excellent and the direction is quite good if you like a minimalist approach.