Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Diego Luna | ... | Javier Suarez | |
Romola Garai | ... | Katey Miller | |
Sela Ward | ... | Jeannie Miller | |
John Slattery | ... | Bert Miller | |
Jonathan Jackson | ... | James Phelps | |
January Jones | ... | Eve | |
Mika Boorem | ... | Susie Miller | |
René Lavan | ... | Carlos Suarez | |
Mya | ... | Lola Martinez (as Mya Harrison) | |
![]() |
Polly Cole | ... | Polly (as Polly Cusumano) |
![]() |
Chris Engen | ... | Steph |
![]() |
Tommy Kavelin | ... | Señor Alonso |
![]() |
Wilmer Cordero | ... | Teacher |
![]() |
Charlie Rodriguez | ... | Grandpa Suarez |
![]() |
Donato Poveda | ... | Troubador (as Donato) |
In November 1958, the American teenager Katey Miller moves with her parents and her younger sister to Havana. Her father is an executive of Ford expatriated to Cuba, and Katey is an excellent high school senior student that misses her friends. The family is lodged in a fancy hotel, where Katey accidentally meets the local teenage waiter Javier Suarez. Later she sees Javier dancing in a public square and they become friends, but he is fired from the hotel because her acquaintances have seen them together. Katey invites Javier to participate of a Latin Ballroom Contest in the local Palace club to help him to raise some money, and she secretly meets him in the La Rosa Negra nightclub for rehearsals. Later they fall in love for each other in times of revolution. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The film is mindless escapism. But Romola Garai is the one to watch. She has starred in three major releases abroad: Daniel Deronda, Kate Nickleby and I Capture the Castle. Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, a film that was obviously anticipated for box office weakness; else why tie to a 17 year old film? But it helped to mainstream Romola Garai in American and will undoubtedly serve as a stepping stone toward larger and better projects. It is a shame that American tend not to view British film making on the whole. Take Lord of the Rings and Peter Pan and Underworld as examples; carefully crafted, wonderful cinematography. But I digress. Keep Romola Garai in a mind's eye view for what she will accomplish later on.