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

The flashback scenes are taken from the short film Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School.

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Goofs

When practicing the waltz, one boy counts off 1-2-3-4. The waltz is a three count.

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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 Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

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Soundtracks

"Tres Deseos"
Written by Scott Nickoley and Jamie Dunlap (as Ronald Dunlap)
Courtesy of One Music Library (ASCAP)/Jim Long Music (ASCAP)/Two Music Library (BMI)/First Digital Music (BMI)

User Reviews

masterful mingling of narratives

The film's use of two voices relaying three narrative threads, artfully woven without confusion while maintaining audience interest and focus, could be used as a textbook for compound story structure. If the story hadn't been expanded from a short film thereby requiring this approach, I'd be heaping superlative praise on its inventiveness as well.

Entertaining, well-cast with excellent performances by its ensemble of seasoned character actors, and just quirky enough to offset its sometimes saccharin character, I think this will grow a deserved following when it airs on cable. A solid illustration of the possibility of 'charm' in contemporary cinema, it presented little violence beyond its illustration of an automobile accident site and the language of adolescent boys, and managed a passionate but never prurient love scene under cover of a liberal dusting of flour.

Enchanting!