Make It Happen (2008)

Embarking on a journey to fulfill her dreams as a dancer, a young girl discovers a new style of dance that will prove to be the source of both conflict and self-discovery.

Director:

Darren Grant

Writers:

Duane Adler (screenplay), Nicole Avril (screenplay),

Stars:

Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Tessa Thompson, Riley Smith

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mary Elizabeth Winstead	...	Lauryn
Tessa Thompson	...	Dana
Riley Smith	...	Russ
John Reardon	...	Joel
Julissa Bermudez	...	Carmen
Ashley Roberts	...	Brooke
Karen LeBlanc	...	Brenda
Matt Kippen	...	Wayne
Erik Fjeldsted	...	Marty - Mechanic
Aaron Merke	...	Clay - Mechanic
Leigh Enns	...	Flirtatious Customer
Christina Grace	...	Female Dancer - Auditions (as Christina Grace SY)
Debbie Patterson	...	Audition Receptionist
Sofia Costantini	...	Choreographer's Assistant
Jeremy Koz	...	Cool Looking Guy

Storyline

Lauryn is a girl from Indiana who wants to be a dancer. So she tries to audition for a dance school in Chicago, when she fails to impress them. They tell her to come back for the second audition which will be in a few weeks and to also try to do something different. But in the meantime, after her car gets towed and not wanting to return to Indiana; to her brother, who doesn't exactly support her, she gets a job at a burlesque club. And while there she discovers a different kind of dance.

---

Plot Keywords:

burlesque | legs | 

---

Taglines:

Hear The Music. Feel The Beat.

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sequences of sensuality

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Australia] Official site [Belgium]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 August 2008 (UK)

Also Known As:

Untitled Bille Woodruff Project

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

£505,820 (UK) (8 August 2008)

Gross:

£1,147,470 (UK) (15 August 2008)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mayhem Project, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ashley Roberts who plays Brooke is a member of The Pussycat Dolls.

---

Goofs

In the scene were Lauren dances onstage at Ruby's for the first time, as she goes into her starting pose, she realizes that she is too fair to the left (viewer's left, her right) of the stage and adjusts herself so her silhouette (outline) is right in the middle of the sliding stage door (at the line where the doors meet). However, in the very next shot her silhouette is now to the right (viewer's right) of the middle/door split.

---

Quotes

Carmen: Maybe he was upset cos you were so bad.
Brooke: Ease off Carmen, she was killing it.

---

Connections

References Flashdance (1983)

---

Soundtracks

Shawty Get Loose
Written by Faheem Najm and Lil Mama
Performed by Lil Mama ft. Chris Brown

User Reviews

Does Not Make It Happen: The Story of a Wet Blanket ...

Following the success of dance spectacles such as 'Stomp The Yard', 'Save The Last Dance' and 'You Got Served', film goers now have 'Make It Happen'…but can it step up to its predecessors and dance up a box-office storm??? Like its forerunners, 'Make It Happen' follows a generic storyline. Country gal' Lauryn (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) leaves hicks ville to pursue dancing in the big smoke…only to be bitterly disappointed when her audition for the Chicago School of Music and Dance ends up a spectacular flop. Dreams shattered, Lauryn finds work at seedy burlesque club 'Ruby's'. Here she meets disc jockey Russ (Riley Smith), where an inevitable spark is lit between the two. Pretty soon her dance career heats up also; she takes center stage, performing burlesque/hip-hop fusions to a screaming audience each night. It is at 'Ruby's' where Lauryn is forced to reevaluate her dreams, her family, her life and love…taking her on the ultimate journey of self discovery… Lauryn's transformation from heavily made-up, sexy country hick to heavily made-up, sexy dancer…is nothing short of…well…nothing. Lauryn is a flat, uninspired, martyr who comes across as the ultimate drip…a wet blanket some might say. Winstead has a certain screen presence…yet the script dumbs down any moments of authenticity in her performance. The supporting cast is not worth mentioning; they play it by the numbers and it's all a very trite.

"But who gives a Shiite about the characters and story?" I hear you say…"We're all watching it for the dancing!" Surely a film with such a wafer thin plot and stale protagonists would compensate with breathtaking, sexy and exhilarating dance sequences…right? WRONG. When the dance sequences should be sizzling, they end up fizzling…when they are about to pack a punch, they give the audience a floppy and limp wrist. They are competently filmed, and edited with a sense of rhythm, yet memorable moments = ZILL. The film attempts to explore the somewhat risqué style of burlesque dance…but wants to keep a PG rating…so everything about 'Ruby's' feels completely toned down.

For a dance movie, there is very little dancing. Unfortunately this means the audience sits through excessive amounts of predictable dialog before anything remotely exciting happens. At times it almost reaches "it's so lame it's good!" status…but never quite gets there. 'Make It Happen' really doesn't make anything happen at all…save your money and watch highlights of So You Think You Can Dance on You Tube.