Love N' Dancing (2009)

2002: Jake Mitchell is the defending World West Coast Swing Champion. He's got everything going for him: looks, personality, and style. He's at the top of his game when he and his partner ... See full summary »

Director:

Robert Iscove

Writer:

Tom Malloy

Stars:

Amy Smart, Tom Malloy, Billy Zane

1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Amy Smart	...	Jessica Donovan
Tom Malloy	...	Jake Mitchell
Billy Zane	...	Kent Krandel
Nicola Royston	...	Corinne Kennedy
Caroline Rhea	...	Bonnie
Leila Arcieri	...	Danielle
Rachel Dratch	...	Kalle
Betty White	...	Irene
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Alexandra Andrews	...	Waitress #2 (as Alexandra Krizman)
Purva Bedi	...	Ritu
Frank Bond	...	Bob Licando
Shane Crown	...	Black Shirt Dancer
Jennifer Dunstan	...	Cafe Patron
Elise Eberle	...	Brianna
Pamela Finley	...	Swing Dancer / Instructor

Storyline

2002: Jake Mitchell is the defending World West Coast Swing Champion. He's got everything going for him: looks, personality, and style. He's at the top of his game when he and his partner Corinne are crowned the unexpected winners at the World Swing Dance Championships. As the crowd cheers and the celebration begins, Jake appears uneasy. Did he really deserve to win? The music blasts and the bass is thumping, and Jake hears none of it. He feels it. Jake is completely deaf, due to an ear infection when he was a teenager. He learned how to dance by feeling the vibrations of the music. Now he feels something else: that perhaps the judges gave him the win out of sympathy. Present Day: Jessica Donovan's life is boring. When she was younger, she was a dancer who had dreams of Broadway. Now she's an English teacher for disinterested, upper class middle school kids, and she's dying to let loose. Her fiancee Kent is a work-a-holic who cares more about making money than making Jessica happy. ...

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Plot Keywords:

dance | west coast swing | dance film | swing dancing

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Taglines:

let the passion take you away.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some sexual references

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 January 2011 (South Korea)

Also Known As:

Au rythme de l'amour

Filming Locations:

Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

RoRo productions, Trick Candle Productions, Dolger Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Goofs

At one point, Danielle calls Jake, who is supposed to be deaf. He hears the phone rings and walks over to answer the phone, then lays down on the couch and talks on the phone. However, earlier he said that he can only hear and understand if he was looking at the person talking. And there are many times where the person he's talking with is out of site and he hears and understands.

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Soundtracks

"Valentine"
Performed by 'Scarlett Pomers'

User Reviews

an uplifting film about finding courage to triumph over one's disability

While I am not a movie critic, I realize (and appreciate) the themes which director Robert Iscove and writer Tom Malloy highlight in this movie. Rarely do theatrical releases emphasize the important theme of "ability" versus "disability" that this movie does so well. Love N' Dancing is not just a film about someone who is hearing-impaired finding love and acceptance, but it highlights a theme important to life: accepting our own limitations and then finding the courage to triumph over them. Sometimes you need someone else to help you realize that you have more courage and determination than you give yourself credit for. With these qualities, you are able to harness the power within to challenge, and eventually overcome, the face of adversity. These themes are central to the Love N' Dancing story, and they complement a new style of dancing unfamiliar to most Americans.

In this movie, the adversity is a hearing loss. To provide an obstacle for our main hero and heroine, Malloy introduces a character we love to hate: one who represents those kinds of people you encounter who are usually negative in life and actually prevent you from achieving high self-esteem and self-confidence, which are qualities that are so important in realizing your dreams.

Most "relationship" movies don't emphasize this "ability" theme as well as this movie does. For these reasons, I loved Love N' Dancing and the important life messages it conveys to the viewer. I urge you to see the movie with this philosophical understanding, and you may never look at a "disabled" person in the same way again!