A music craze and a movie star are born.

Rating: 8/10 (10 April 2015)

Saturday Night Fever is the 1977 instant classic that initiated a new kind of music that came to be known as disco, produced the number one movie soundtrack of all time, and made an official movie star out of John Travolta.
Travolta plays Tony Manero, a 19 year old who has a go-nowhere job in a Brooklyn paint store and still lives with his parents. Manero's somewhat aimless life only seems to come alive when he puts on his silk shirt, his tight pants, and hits the local disco dance floor where he is king. Tony finds himself cut down to size by a snooty secretary (Karen Lynn Gorney), who he asks to be his partner in an upcoming dance contest.
Director John Badham put together a story that the cherished 18-34 demographic ate up. His music video approach to the direction, some really electrifying dance sequences (with Tony's first solo to the Bee Gees' "You Should be Dancing" a standout), and his complete confidence in his leading man combined to make this box office smash one of the most talked-about films of the year.
There's a silly subplot regarding a rival gang that is hassling Tony and his crew and Karen Lynn Gorney's performance is beyond annoying, but these are minor distractions in what is a pretty solid drama with music. I would love to give credit to whoever choreographed Travolta's dance sequences, but so many people have claimed to have done it over the years, I'm really not sure who choreographed this film.
Travolta was nominated for an Outstanding Lead Actor Oscar for his performance and there are a couple of strong supporting performances from Barry Miller as an insecure member of Tony's crew who idolizes him and Donna Pescow as Annette, a somewhat trampy and desperate regular at the disco who is madly in love with Tony but can't get him to give her a second glance.
The Bee Gees provided a soundtrack that became a classic in itself and produced the number one movie soundtrack of all time. For anyone who grew up during the 70's, this film is a must