Strictly Ballroom

Plot synopsis:
Strictly Ballroom tells the story of an Australian ballroom dancer, Scott Hastings (Paul Mercurio), and his struggle to establish his personal style of dance on his way to win the Pan-Pacific Grand Prix Dancing Championship. Scott's steps are not strictly ballroom. Scott comes from a family with a history of ballroom dancing and has been training since childhood. Scott's mother Shirley teaches ballroom dancing, and his father Doug meekly handles maintenance chores at the dance studio.
After losing a competition to a rival pair, because Scott started dancing his own steps, his dancing partner Liz Holt (Gia Carides) leaves him for the rival male, Ken Railings, after his partner Pam Short breaks both her legs in a car accident. With only weeks before the next Pan-Pacific competition, try-outs begin to find Scott a new dance partner but, unknown to his parents, Scott secretly begins rehearsing with frumpy outsider Fran (Tara Morice), a beginner dancer at his parents' studio.
Scott is initially sceptical, but when Fran introduces pasodoble steps into their routine, Scott realises her potential. He walks her home one night and finds her Spanish family living in a tiny home next to the railway tracks, where Fran's family show him the authentic Spanish pasodoble style. As their rehearsals progress, Fran grows more attractive and self-confident. A few days before the Pan-Pacifics, Fran's family decide they are ready to dance pasodoble. Scott and Fran are walking together and talking until they kiss, as they were already in love.
When Scott returns to the dance studio, he finds Barry Fife, the conniving president of the Australian Dancing Federation who proceeds to tell him "the truth" about his parents, Doug and Shirley — they too were ballroom dancing champions, especially his father, until they lost the Pan-Pacific Grand Prix because of Doug's self-obsession and unorthodox dance steps. According to Barry losing the contest left Doug a broken man, sustained by the hope that one day his son would learn from his father's mistakes and win the Grand Prix. Scott is convinced to dance with Liz instead of Fran so he can win "for his father's sake". However, this is later revealed as a lie, part of Barry's plot to fix the competition so Scott and Liz will lose. Scott starts training with Liz, while a heart-broken Fran goes back to the beginners' class.
At the Pan-Pacific Grand Prix, Scott's friend Wayne Burns and his partner Vanessa Cronin overhear Fife talking to Ken and his partner Tina Sparkle saying that they will win no matter what. Wayne tells Les Kendall (Ken's coach, Doug and Shirley's friend and one of the judges) who then confronts Fife about it. Meanwhile, Doug finally manages to pull Scott aside and tells him the real story — Doug never danced at the competition because Barry convinced Shirley the only way to win was to dance the conventional steps with Les, but Shirley and Les lost the contest anyway. After hearing his father's revelation, Scott finds Fran and asks her to dance with him. Fife tries to cut the music and stop them from dancing but Scott's sister Kylie and her partner Luke (from the children's division) interfere until Fife's loyal companion Charm Leachman cuts the music. Fife then disqualifies them, but Doug, along with Fran's family, claps out a beat which encourages Scott and Fran to "dance from the heart", drawing cheers from the crowd and tears of joy from Doug. Finally Liz, having had a change of heart, turns on Barry and Leachman and restores the music. The couple's spirited dancing brings down the house. Doug asks Shirley to dance with him and the whole audience joins them on the floor. As the performance finishes, Scott and Fran kiss, the competition forgotten, as it was never about winning or losing.

Tags: psychedelic, satire, romantic

Review:
Best Dance movie ever, Greatest choreography and costumes; also a good Romance with its moments.
That's Baz Luhrmann, who is an expert at swinging a visual feast; and Strictly Ballroom is his red curtain trio opening(together with Romeo+Juliet and Moulin Rouge!).
Here are some unforgettable and timelessly cult scenes and moments I most like: 1- Scott&Francesca dancing in front of the Coca Cola broad sheet at the roof 2- Scott&Francesca dancing with Doris Day's "Perhaps,Perhaps, Perhaps(1954 version)" behind the red curtain 3- Francesca and Scott's meeting scene and the way she introducing herself to Scott 4- Scott practicing his style of dance and watching himself by the mirror 5- Scott's father starting clapping in unison when Scott&Francesca turned back to the stage where they are banned 6- Francesca persuading Scott upon the choices they look forward to make beside the wire fences they walk through in the nightStrictly Ballroom is one of the best choices to watch and enjoy it with your beloved.
Filmed in Australia on a tight budget, this movie succeeds in the one area that counts most:  it _entertains_ the viewer.A parody of "underdog makes good" movies, Strictly Ballroom is set in the competitive world of ballroom dancing.
The movie educates (about ballroom dancing), amuses (especially with the bumbling bad guys), and uplifts (with the take-home message about following your dreams).The show is stolen by Paul Mercurio, starring as the protagonist male dancer.
But the whole thing is a good time that ends up having unexpectedly warm, deep meaning, and not many movies these days can say that..
See if you like Moulin Rouge, Dirty dancing or Romeo and Juliet.*original review written by me at 15, re-written at 22*Of all the reviews I wrote in my teens this has to be my favourite, namely because I still whole-heartedly love this film.
Strictly Ballroom gives you a window to look through, a world of dance and instead of tentatively peering through it, forces you right up against it, where a sea of multicoloured dresses and sequins lie.
The performances are uniformly winning, especially Paul Mercurio (a natural in his first starring role), Bill Hunter (the King of Australian comedy films), and Pat Thomson (as a hysterical bulldozer of a stage mother).
Strictly Ballroom (1992)A campy, glossy, colorful, surprising fairy tale, total romance, lots of dancing, and inventive through and through.
But mostly I was happy to watch and wait for the next step toward the big climax.The two young leads, interestingly, came from nowhere (the perfectly named Paul Mercurio and the understated Tara Morice both in their first films).
I don't know about you, but I watch dance shows for the dancing).There are no deep plot twists to be analyzed, no characters I need to understand better...but we definitely plan to watch this again because the dancing is really good.If you liked this, you will enjoy Best in Show..
Besides the romance and the satisfying reconciliation between father and son, the movie's basic message is just inspiring (A life lived in fear is a life half-lived!)  The dancing is wonderful and should really be seen on the big screen for best effect.
Baz Lurhman of recent "Moulin Rouge" fame wrote and directed it, in large part based on his own adventures in Australian ballroom dancing.
Oh, and of course, they fall in love in the process.There are several interesting extras on the DVD, including a 30-minute feature on actual Australian ballroom dancers, their stories, and the results of a competition.
A very entertaining film for anyone who like dancing, and a good story..
Here's a different kind of story: mocking the ultra-seriousness of ballroom dancing, at least among people in Australia, where the film was made.
(Will filmmakers ever get themselves out of the 1960s?)Add some stupid humor, a very annoying lead woman (the mother of the star dancer), and a predictable storyline and you have another overrated critics' favorite.The good parts of the film are the colorful dancers and general cinematography.
Almost ten years before "Moulin Rouge!" Baz Luhrmann debuted with this exhilarating and hilarious p***take-cum-homage to the world of competitive ballroom dancing, replete with all the fake tans, false smiles, and more sequins than you can shake a stick (or rather, a tailfeather) at.
It's not only a whimsical, off-kilter love story, but also very very funny, and although he is just as guilty of the crowd-pleasing moves as his characters, and the basic story has been told a million times before, you can't fail to be won over by the exuberance and theatricality which is now a trademark of this most unconventional of directors.There are the seeds of "Moulin Rouge!" sown throughout "Strictly Ballroom", but the latter has more truth, beauty, freedom, and love...plus passion in abundance..
However the acting, editing and humor overcome this and turn it into a really great-fun-to-watch movie - and not just for dance lovers.
Although perfection would not be reached until "Moulin Rouge", SB is nevertheless a great launch pad for Baz's unconventional artistry.Of his three films("Romeo+Juliet" and "Moulin Rouge" being the other two)SB is definitely the most campy, with its extreme close-ups, the bizarre costuming of the dancers(which actually isn't that far from the real thing-at least in the 70's-)and especially the John Waters- like flashback sequence.
But SB also contains hints of Baz's talent for mixing music, imagery and emotion- I point out the scene where Scott and Fran slowly dance the rumba to Doris Day's "Perhaps".It may not be everyone's cup of tea;none of Baz's films are.
i had to watch this for an english assignment, have to tell about the australian identity in the movie, but im not gonna bore u with that.this is a great film, i could go on foreva with that, but im gonna tell you about my fave scene- when they are doing the rumba to 'perhaps, perhaps, perhaps' by doris day backstage at the championaship, they really do dance the dance of love.
you can see who are the better dancers, even if they havent won a championship before.great movie, and i so recommend it, the dancing they do just makes you jealous, and its hilarious, the caricatures just add the fun..
I was very pleased to see that even though this was a film that involved dancing made by Baz Luhrmann, Americans love it!
(Make sure you see that part, it's hilarious.) Scott's parents, who own the local ballroom dancing school, decide to look for another partner for him, as the Pan Pacifics (massive dancing competition) are coming up, and Scott absolutely has to win!
The plot as well as the cast are great, the choreography is absolutely fantastic, and Paul Mercurio and Tara Morice dominate the scenes as the couple dances their way to the final moment.
Now, don't get me wrong -- The plot was predictable, and had a modern day Cinderella feel to it, but it was done so well, you can barely tell and just wanted to watch it.A very good effort from Baz Luhrman, who should of used his money to make a sequel and not the modern day, bamboo-under-fingernails version of Romeo and Juliet with two trite, Hollywood stars..
An entertaining low-budget Australian dancing and romance movie by Baz Luhrman.
It is the first movie of his trilogy The Red Curtain.Strictly Ballroom is, in few words, the story of a ugly dancing duckling who finds her break-the-rules swan dancer.
It is the story of Scott, a brilliant ballroom dancer trained in a prestigious dancing school since his childhood, who is to become the next Pan-Pacific champion if he follows traditional ballroom style and moves.
In his way to become himself as a dancer, he pairs -not previous begging and hard work- with beginner dancer Fran, a shy Spanish girl from a family of flamenco dancers.The movie has a predictable unoriginal story and stereotypical characters, but the script is light and funny, engaging and fresh, and a little bit Kitch but in a charming way.
I especially liked the funny retro images telling the story of Scott's dancing parents through dance, which are truly creative, theatrical, and delightful.To me, this is Baz Luhrman's most Australian movie, despite not pretending to be so.
The movie presents a mix of true Australian characters, Anglosaxons and immigrants (in this case Spaniards), passionate people about competition and sports, always giving their best to win anything - hard working dreamers.
All the supporting actors are terrific and nail their characters: Pat Thomson (who died before the movie was premiered) as Scott's mother Shirley, Barry Otto as Scott's father Doug, Gia Carides as Scott's first dancing partner Liz, Bill Hunter as the President of the Ballroom Australian Federation, and Peter Whitford as the owner and director of Les Kendall's Dance Academy.
If you want to encapulate the epitome of cinematic quality, watch for the first few shots right at the beginning of the film (the sillhouettes, the build up) and the shot of Scott Hastings sliding onto the dance floor on his knees.
The film is an hilarious parady of the ballroom dancing culture while managing to sustain an endearing love story.
Strictly Ballroom, directed by Baz Lurhman, is a great feel-good movie.
Strictly Ballroom is about Scott Hastings, a champion ballroom dancer, who, much to the annoyance of his parents, partner and judges, believes in dancing his own steps.
Together these two misfits set out to win the Pan Pacific Championships.Strictly Ballroom is a great movie.
Baz Luhrmann marks the debut of his wonderful career with such a sensational and dramatic movie, which would instantly make you want to go out and dance all night.
But throughout the movie, he has to face a hard choice - choose between the very official guidelines and rules of Ballroom Dancing or should he just follow the beat in his heart -- you should see for yourself what he chooses in the end!!!.
Before Baz Luhrmann made a mockery of "Romeo and Juliet" and assaulted the collective senses with that hyperkinetic load of fetid dingo's kidneys known as "Moulin Rouge", he created a timeless tale of romance, passion, and showcased the equally expressive and seductive power of dance in "Strictly Ballroom." Every single frame of this film is quintessentially Australian from the warped and macabre sense of humour to the thick accents all of the characters use.
Strictly Ballroom is a Cult film.If you like the story of Cinderella, then you will like this movie.
"I asked why?" (...and this is one of the lines in the movie!) This film highlights all that is bad about ballroom dancing.
Notice who is dancing with whom at the end; this is also very important.I have seen "Strictly Ballroom" 42 times.
Those of us in the dance world take ourselves WAY too seriously.....it is very funny watching this on film, there is never a time when the characters are not completely believable, even though they are each SO OVER THE TOP!!.....and somehow, in the end, there is even a moral to the story.........I have never seen anything like this.BRILLIANT screenplay...Brilliant director......I am not surprised now that I found out this is the director of the ground breaking MOULIN ROUGE!.
The driving force underneath this deliberate glitzfest (Baz Luhrmann, c'mon!) besides the dancing is the wonderful chemistry between dancing champion Scott Hastings and his supposedly ugly-duckling partner, Fran (After the predictable makeover, I thought she was rather pretty).
i can't believe I love a movie called strictly ballroom.
If you havent seen this film because ,like me, you were turned off by the title ,or thought you could never enjoy a movie about ballroom dancing, give it a chance, you'll be glad you did..
Check out Russ Tamblyn's dance moves and fan-friggin' amazing backflips in West Side Story and you'll see what I mean!Paul Mercurio is fantabulous as the hero, Scott Hastings and Tara Morice is equally fantabulous as Fran the ugly duckling turned beautiful swan.
It...well...heh-heh, I guess I get choked up more than a six foot two tall man should while watching a movie like this...And don't even get me started on the final scene where everyone dances to "Love Is In The Air"!
This is the best romantic comedy I have ever seen, with a touchingly weak hero and a heroine who Luhrmann isn't afraid to depict as ugly on her first appearance - so that we notice her growing more beautiful, and then even stunning, over time, in a way that makes us wonder what was wrong with our eyes to begin with.
The director of Strictly Ballroom, Baz Luhrmann, seemed struggle with the balance of drama and an almost stylized comedy act in making his movie.
The spirit of "Strictly Ballroom" is very campy, tongue-in-cheek and outright parodic, mercilessly skewering the pretentious world of ballroom dance competitions in a way that makes us wonder what planet this film was shot on.Immediately you might be reminded of the hilarious Christopher Guest mockumentaries (Spinal Tap, A Mighty Wind, etc), but Baz gives this production an extra little push over the cliff.
That's something I haven't seen since the days of Jerry Lewis directing."Strictly Ballroom" is one of the most entertaining and engaging movies about dancing I've ever seen.
The film gets off to a very promising start with humorous character interviews inserted in and around the protagonist's first attempt to impress a panel of judges by dancing his own style at the last minute; the glittery ballroom costumes are also impressive right from the very first scene.
The director successfully captures the world of ballroom dancing in a captivating way with quirky characters that truly make this movie irresistible.
It would due Luhrmann good to abandon the over-the-top big budget tragic love stories and return to smaller films like this which end up being infinitely more intimate and pleasurable to experience..
If you enjoyed Moulin Rouge then you owe it to yourself to check out Strictly Ballroom, which Baz Luhrmann wrote and directed nine years earlier.
There are several scenes, such as the one on the roof with the Coca Cola sign, that will have you thinking of scenes from Moulin Rouge.Strictly Ballroom has all the makings of a classic feelgood movie; a protagonist who has a story arc that takes him from hero to zero, before starting his journey back to redemption (or not), a heroin who starts of looking frumpy with a poor choice in glasses and acne, and a whole host of support actors who are truly marvellous.I don't want to spoil the movie for you so I'm not going to go into any of the plot twists and turns, but I can say that once you start watching you are unlikely to stop, as it is an absolute corker of a film..
Some of the characters and lines were a bit outlandish, but all in all, it fit together remarkable well, and created an enjoyable experience.Even thought there was nothing overly remarkable about the story's main love interest plot between Fran and Scott, I felt that it still worked out well.
I love the dancing scenes in this movie, especially the dad!
Before "Dancing with the Stars," there was "Strictly Ballroom," a 1992 Australian film written and directed by Baz Luhrmann and starring Paul Mercurio, Tara Morice, Bill Hunter and the late Pat Thomson, who died before the film was released.There's not much of a story - it's about an innovative dancer, Scott Hastings (Mercurio) whose parents (Thomson and Barry Otto) run a dance studio.
On the way to the competition, some family secrets are revealed, and he and Fran fall in love.Told with hilarity, poignancy, and beautiful dancing, this is one of the all-time great dance films with Mercurio's electrifying moves, hot body, and good looks raising it to a very high level.
But what makes this movie successful is that the director was able to make fun of competitive ballroom dancing while at the same time showing us the beauty and grace of ballroom dancing.
When you watch you just wish you could dance like that (and it's hard to believe that Tara Morice only had 6 weeks tuition for the film).
This is the only dance movie that I would watch and it surprised me how much I liked it.
Australin director Baz Luhrmann's first film is a glorious, over-the-top fairy-tale, which makes great fun from the unlikely subject material of ballroom dancing, taking a few swipes at aspects of his national culture along the way.
This movie has everything--great music and dancing, romance, satire--oh, sorry, it has no violence.
If you like comedy, romance, dancing, and costumes, "Strictly Ballroom" is the movie for you!.
If you like comedy, romance, dancing, and costumes, "Strictly Ballroom" is the movie for you!.
With Strictly Ballroom, I've completed Baz Luhrmann's Red Curtain Trilogy, with the other two diverse films Romeo and Juliet, and Moulin Rouge, common only on the theme of love.
Now-a-days, it is so hard to find a super'b film where you can really watch it and have your heart warmed by a really lovely story.
He wants to dance his own steps, but when he does so at a competition, he loses the trophy, his partner, and everyone in the ballroom world wonders what his problem is.
Fran, always referred to as an "ugly duckling," begins to change her appearance as she works all this time with Scott, who at first tells her that the rumba is "the dance of love, but it's pretend" to try to ward off any amorous   feelings.
The film seems to make fun of ballroom dancers but it's in a good-natured way.
^_^9 out of 10 stars: this is a beautiful little Baz movie; a romantic film with a flare that's enjoyable for everyone..
This aligns the film equally with a dance show as with a movie.
This is an Australian film about the world of competitive ballroom dancing.