Gideon24 Fame was a hip and contemporary 1980 musical that was an inside look at the lives of a disparate group of talented teenagers at the High School of Performing Arts in New York. The episodic film takes a close look at the inner workings of show business and what drives performers to go through the work and constant rejection that being in the business involves. The film opens on a particular freshman year at the school and concludes four years later.Along the way we meet Montgomery McNeill (Paul McCrane), the neglected son of a famous actress who despite his lonely childhood, still finds the business enticing. Maureen Teefy is wonderful as Doris Finsecker, a painfully shy teen who has been pushed into the business by her mother, but does come out of her shell at the school and discovers a talent for acting. Irene Cara plays CoCo Hernandez, a triple-threat know-it-all, who learns that she doesn't know as much as she thinks she does. Lee Curreri plays Bruno, an electronic keyboard genius who loves sitting in front of a keyboard but is at a complete loss at how to act in the real world. Barry Miller is brilliant in an Oscar-worthy turn as Ralph Garcy, a bitter Latino teen who is trying to bury his resentment about his father deserting him as a child by being a stand-up comedian. The late Gene Anthony Ray also shines as a dancer who only came to the auditions to partner a friend who wants to get in the school, but he is the one who has the talent, a star in the dance studio, but not so much in the classroom who constantly butts heads with Miss Sherwood (Anne Meara), the school's hard-nosed English teacher.Just like a real-life school, students come and go as the years pass, most notably in the sophomore year, where we meet Hilary Van Dorn (Antonia Francheschi) a snooty rich dance major who comes between a budding romance between CoCo and Leroy and has her own career aspirations derailed in the process.This film is riveting from jump as we watch students going through the painful audition process and struggle to develop their talent while keeping up their academic studies as well. The actors are pretty much perfectly cast, with standout work from Miller and Meara.Alan Parker's direction is breezy and energetic, giving all of his very talented cast a little time in the sun and Christopher Gore's screenplay is surprisingly bold and uncompromising. The musical numbers leap off the screen, thanks to some inventive choreography and strong vocals, particularly Cara, whose rendition of the title tune won the Oscar for Best Original Song.A movie that will have you tapping your toes and wanting to watch over and over again. The film inspired a long running television series, with Curreri and Ray recreating their movie roles, and a remake.

Jetset971 I really liked this movie! It could have been a really cheesy movie about kids wanting to make it big in show business so they learn all about it at a special school. That would have been disastrous. What makes FAME work is that you do have aspiring actors, singers, and dancers wanting success and dreaming big but they are given a hard wake up call about the rigerous demands that fame costs. Plus, what sets this film up is the fact that real life delimas hit these kids SUPER HARD. You don't get milk toast problems like bad acne or boyfriend trouble, you got exploitation, abortion, illiteracy and a genuine fear of being inadequate. There is not a single bad performance in this movie and that is saying something considering the unknown, at the time cast. As Debbie Allen said in the this movie and in the TV show, "You got big dreams, you want fame, well fame costs! And right here is where you start paying, in sweat!."

waiching liu Fame was released in the U.S. a year before I was born; I was too young to ever remember the original version of Fame- and yet I heard and read numerous things about it. Such as the fact that it spawned a TV series and that its soundtrack was led by the Irene Cara, Giogio Moroder hit, 'Fame'.Fame was arguably the first of its kind to portray and showcase the world of performing arts in the form of a feature length film. The lives, the struggles, the hurdles the students and some of the teachers undergo themselves were under the eye of the viewers.The performances were great, yet one which caught my eye in particular was Gene Anthony Ray, who played the troublesome yet promising Leroy. Angry, frustrated and at first rude, his character later became less angry and frustrated and more committed to his studies- not just with the practical in the performing but in the theoretical too. Irene Cara was good as Coco- the scene with her taking her blouse off while some pervy director was filming her was rather discomforting to watch-, as well as Paul McCrane for his amazing portrayal of a vulnerable but closeted homosexual trying to cope with life and enrolling on a performing arts school in New York, after he had been kicked out of the military when he told them he was gay. Ralph played by Barry Miller was interesting but at times, his character did grate on my nerves.The choreography was excellent, there were some good dance numbers involved and the 'hot lunch' scene in the cafeteria was worth watching. Another scene that was great was when the 'Fame' song was played and all the kids started rushing out into the streets of New York and danced wildly and without a care in the world. It was a street jam like no other.The only star to ever truly benefit from this in the long run was and is Debbie Allen- she later became a producer, director and star- though she mostly worked behind the scenes on shows such as Everybody Hates Chris and The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Paul McCrane later went on to star alongside Peter Weller in the movie, 'Robocop', where he played a villain and E.R. as the judgemental, obnoxious Doctor Romano.British director Alan Parker shot this really well- he allowed the performers to dance, act, sing to their hearts content without wanting to interfere with and affect their styles.Throughout the duration of the movie, we see the various stages the students encounter during their 4 years- from their auditions to freshman year, all the way up to graduation in New York's High School For The Arts.Fame is one of those movies which caters for or is aimed at a particular audience that isn't necessarily the general mainstream movie loving community- it is definitely NOT for everyone.I for one enjoyed it because I have an interest in the arts- not technically in terms of being a performer because I am not one but as someone who appreciates that creativity and artistic expression can be channelled through hard work, commitment and passion towards what one does with their talents. Therefore, if you are an aspiring dancer, actor- or just someone who is creative, you might be interested in a movie such as this- though whether the events in Fame are anything like what it is in a performing arts college/school in real life, then that is a completely different matter altogether.The 2009 remake of this movie was released recently and frankly, it virtually pales by comparison. As for the original Fame, almost 30 years on though yes it is a bit dated but it is still a great movie, nonetheless.It's not an outright classic but as a 80s cult classic, in line with other 80s dance hit movies, such as Footloose and Flashdance, Fame hits the spot. Isn't it a coincidence that all those dance movies begin with the letter 'F'? Gritty, moving and intriguing, this one is worth a watch.

nickmmartino This "movie" i use that term loosely because its less of a movie and more like soft core porn. I'm not a big fan of musicals but this movie is on a different world of how bad this musical is. I'm telling ever one DO NOT SEE THIS MOVIE. sure there's nudity but it not worth sitting through like two and a half hours of crap. One more thing i said it was a musical but there only like three dancing and sing spots in the whole movie. So its not a musical it just a terrible movie. As to why they decide to make a remake i don't understand, when every i see i preview for the remake i think it's better because it looks like they actually made musical a really musical. But do i think the remakes going to be good no i don't if you remake a stupid movie the remake is probelly going to be stupid. Yes there are spelling mistake deal with it.