The Turning Point (1977)

When her daughter joins a ballet company, a former dancer is forced to confront her long-ago decision to give up the stage to have a family.

Director:

Herbert Ross

Writer:

Arthur Laurents

Stars:

Anne Bancroft, Shirley MacLaine, Mikhail Baryshnikov

Nominated for 11 Oscars. Another 11 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Anne Bancroft	...	Emma Jacklin
Shirley MacLaine	...	Deedee
Tom Skerritt	...	Wayne
Mikhail Baryshnikov	...	Yuri
Leslie Browne	...	Emilia
Martha Scott	...	Adelaide
Antoinette Sibley	...	Sevilla Haslam
Alexandra Danilova	...	Madame Dahkarova
Starr Danias	...	Carolyn
Marshall Thompson	...	Carter
James Mitchell	...	Michael
Daniel Levins	...	Arnold (as Daniel Levans)
Scott Douglas	...	Freddie
Lisa Lucas	...	Janina
Phillip Saunders	...	Ethan

Storyline

The story of two women whose lives are dedicated to ballet. Deedee left her promising dance career to become a wife and mother and now runs a ballet school in Oklahoma. Emma stayed with a company and became a star though her time has nearly passed. Both want what the other has and reflect on missed chances as they are brought together again through Deedee's daughter, who joins the company.

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Plot Keywords:

ballet | dancer | dance | motherhood | mother daughter relationship | 

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Taglines:

A moving story. A romantic story. A story of envy, hatred, friendship, triumph and love.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

18 November 1977 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Turning Point

Filming Locations:

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$25,933,445

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$25,933,445

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hera Productions, Major Studio Partners, Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie was inspired by the real life story of friends of director Herbert Ross and his ex-ballerina wife Nora Kaye. Ross has said: [They were] "A dancer named Kelly Brown, who was so marvelous in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954), and a ballerina named Isobel Miro, who is a distant relative of Nora's. They met, married, gave up ballet, and opened a dance school in Phoenix. They had four children...The marriage eventually dissolved (though it doesn't in the film), and Isobel and the kids moved to New York, where they could study ballet. Over the years, she'd send us pictures of the kids, and Nora and I would talk about the family."

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Goofs

During the Romeo and Juliet "pas de deux" at the ballet studio you can see the cameraman kneeling on the mirror.

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Quotes

Deedee Rodgers: I know you're angry.
Emilia: I'm not angry.
Deedee Rodgers: You damn well are. You're just covering it up with ice. That little Russian behaved like a bastard, so you're taking it out on me.

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Connections

Featured in PBS NewsHour: Episode dated 17 July 2007 (2007)

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Soundtracks

Mini Montage
(uncredited)
Music by Carl Czerny
Arranged by John Lanchbery

User Reviews

A Must for Dance Lovers and Lovers of Great Actresses

Ballet has never really been user friendly subject matter for movie box office potential but 1977's THE TURNING POINT was remarkable exception to that school of thought. Not only did this film preserve on screen some of the most beautiful ballet dancing ever scene forever, but it brought two Hollywood icons together for the first time who both turned in the Oscar-nominated performances of their careers. As a matter of fact, this is one of two films in Oscar history (THE COLOR PURPLE being the other) that was nominated for 11 Oscars but didn't win a single award. Nonetheless, it is still a compelling and riveting melodrama which uses ballet as its backdrop. The film focuses on two women, Emma Jacklin (Anne Bancroft) and Deedee Rodgers (Shirley MacLaine) who were both in the same ballet company many, many years ago and were competing for the lead in a new ballet when Deedee became pregnant and Emma got the role and this is way their relationship forked and their lives went separate ways. Deedee got married to a dancer in the company (Tom Skerritt) had three children and runs a dance studio now, but part of her still yearns to be a prima ballerina. Emma became the prima ballerina that Deedee wanted to be; however, Emma's life is all about work now...she takes class, she dances, and she goes home to her dogs. When Emma's dance company comes to Deedee's town, they are reunited and both begin to quietly choices that they made. Thrown into the mix is Amelia (real life prima ballerina Leslie Browne), Deedee's daughter who may be a better dancer than her mother ever was and Emma begins to groom and pulls strings to get her in the company which causes further resentment from Deedee. This movie is about choices, regrets, crushed dreams, and dreams fulfilled. Bancroft and MacLaine turn in grand performances and the dancing of ballet superstar Mikhail Barysnakov and Leslie Browne is outstanding (even though every time Browne opens her mouth you want to stuff a sock in it.) A beautiful melodrama anchored by supreme performances by two of the best actresses in the business.