Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School (2005)

A widowed man's life turns upside down when he embarks on a journey to find a dying man's long lost love.

Director:

Randall Miller

Writers:

Randall Miller (short film "Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing and Charm School"), Randall Miller (screenplay),

Stars:

John Goodman, Robert Carlyle, Marisa Tomei

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Goodman	...	Steve Mills
Elden Henson	...	Young Steve Mills / Samson
Robert Carlyle	...	Frank Keane
Sean Astin	...	Kip Kipling
Teresa Johnston	...	Kate Collmary
Kelley Parker	...	Young Lisa Gobar
Michael Bower	...	Tommy Tanksley (as Michael Ray Bower)
Chance Michael Corbitt	...	Peter Jelliffe
Joshua Horowitz	...	Kenny Dulin
Philip Perlman	...	Civil Defense Man (as Phil Perlman)
Maria Parkinson	...	Miss Parkinson
Karlyn Michelson	...	Lucy (as Karlyn Hayley Michelson)
Camryn Manheim	...	Lisa Gobar
Octavia Spencer	...	Ayisha Lebaron
Marisa Tomei	...	Meredith Morrison

Storyline

Dance is a very powerful drug, if embraced judiciously; to reap its rewards, one must shoulder its challenges with intrepid countenance. Frank Keene, a grieving baker in a near catatonic state, happens on a car accident. The loquacious and insightful victim, Steve Mills, is on his way to an appointment in Pasadena with a years-ago acquaintance; he asks Frank to go in his place. It's a dance class. Frank goes, to find Steve's friend. The story moves back and forth among Steve's childhood, the scene of the accident, and the aftermath of Frank's first Lindy hop. Black eyes, group therapy, loneliness, boys being boys, roads not taken, and saying good-bye color the story.

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Plot Keywords:

dance | therapy | black eye | appointment | baker | 

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Taglines:

When destiny leads, love follows.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Musical | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for mature situations and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 January 2006 (Netherlands)

Also Known As:

Ballroom Dancing

Filming Locations:

Eagle Rock, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$92,668 (USA) (31 March 2006)

Gross:

$247,141 (USA) (9 June 2006)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Shoreline Entertainment, Unclaimed Freight Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Elden Henson played two parts in this film, one being Samson, the other as young Steve Mills. The flashbacks are from a 1990 short film of the same name and Elden played the role of Steve as a 12 year old boy.

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Goofs

In one scene, the entire adult dance class is waltzing to 4/4 music -- including the dance instructor. As noted above, waltz is in 3/4 time.

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Quotes

Marienne Hotchkiss: Dance is a very powerful drug Mr. Keane. If embraced judiciously, it can exorcise demons, access deep seated emotions and color your life in joyous shades of brilliant magenta that you never knew existed. But, one must shoulder its challenges with intrepid countenance if one is ever to reap its rewards.

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Connections

References The Great Escape (1963)

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Soundtracks

"Viva"
Written by Glenn Rueger (BMI)
Courtesy of First Digital Music (BMI)

User Reviews

Wonderful Movie

I saw this movie at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. It truly was a wonderful package. All parts come together. After the film, the audience gave it a standing applause. It was a hit with the audience, including myself. I would see it again. Robert Carlyle was very good as the sympathetic baker, consumed by his wife's death, and inadvertently drawn into an emergency situation. The director/writer incorporates his older film of a boy's experience of being forced to go to dance and charm school, melding it perfectly with the now adult man's perception played by John Goodman. Others in the film were Marisa Tomei, Mary Steenburgen, Donnie Wahlber, and Sean Astin, all giving a wonderful performance.