jotix100 Some promises, like the one Stephen Mills made to Sue Gober when they were young, are often forgotten as life gets complicated. It's hard to imagine someone will still remember a pledge to meet with a childhood sweetheart forty years after it was made. Such is the premise of this delightful movie in which fate plays a big part of the story.When Frank Keane, a baker, meets Stephen, little does he know how his own life will be transformed after he is asked by Mills to go in search of the woman he promised to meet. What Frank finds is a group of lonely people that meets for a weekly ballroom dancing lesson led by the daughter of the founder of the school.Frank who is going through a rough time after his wife committed suicide, is caught by the gentle folks at the academy. Most of all, by Meredith, a young woman whose life is not exactly perfect and who suffers from beatings at the hand of a rough step-brother. Frank Keane, in turn, is part of a group of grieving widowers that meet to find a cure to their depression.Through flashbacks one gets to know Stephen Mills' story and what happened to him as a grown man. Paul's recovery from the sad state his wife's suicide has meant for him has a lot to do with his passion for the newly discovery therapy: ballroom dancing, as taught by the famous Marilyn Hotchkiss' daughter.Randall Miller expands on his 1990 short film of the same title giving it another perspective on the basic idea behind his first movie. There is a definite improvement as the film has opened up to better results. Some of the original cast return to repeat some of the original roles.The best thing in the film is Robert Carlyle. He is not a matinée idol in any shape, or form, but playing against type gives him an opportunity to show his versatility. Marisa Tomei, seen as Meredith, does a fine work as the shy Meredith. Donny Wahlberg plays the brutish Randall Ipswich. Mary Steenburgen makes a fine Marianne Hotchkiss. John Goodman plays Stephen Mills. The large supporting cast makes an excellent contribution.

tarantularose With all the attention recently focused on Ballroom Dancing, this film was disappointing. Actors commonly spend a great deal of time developing their character. Stunt double withstanding, if one is to be on camera riding a horse, or fencing in a duel, or playing a song and dance man as Richard Gere in "Chicago", there is some serious preparation necessary to bring the character to life...thank-you Richard. How would we have reacted had Mr Pitt repeatedly tripped over his shield in "Troy"? I was so distracted by the dance shots in this film, I found myself rubbing my eyes and forehead in disbelief. I will not say that the script was void of merit, for I wasn't able to pay that much attention. I simply kept being pulled off track. On the upside, there was a nice pool of talent. John Goodman choked my heart, as usual. Still, I imagine the screening was very sobering for all involved.

nycritic Viewed as it is, without the cynicism that comes with having seen too many movies both good and bad, MARILYN HOTCHKISS BALLROOM DANCE AND CHARM SCHOOL is an affecting picture about disaffected, bruised people whose destinies converge in this little motif of a tableau. An expanded concept from a short film of the same name that was released in 1990, this is a very romantic (i.e. "escapist") take on lost love, and the intent to rekindle it in a time and place where dreams have been lost, people have outgrown their innocence, and the only thing lingering over their heads is a small sliver of hope to return to that safe haven.The movie cuts between time zones in a style closer to the fragmented storytelling of Guillermo Arriaga's 21 GRAMS and THE THREE BURIALS OF MELQUIADES ESTRADA, and changes palettes according to each: blue for the fateful encounter between Robert Carlyle's and John Goodman's character, pastel for the flashback sequence where we see the title character, and a more balanced tone for the story as it eventually unfolds from Carlyle's point of view. It's a technique that works in unraveling the parallels of the characters as children, and seeing them now, as broken adults.It almost becomes a thriller in a way that is less dependent on an intentional story within a story. Carlyle's quiet baker, trying to locate Goodman's childhood sweetheart Lisa, stumbles on another situation where another shy girl, played by Marisa Tomei, is being brutalized by her half-brother, played by Donnie Wahlberg, and discovers a second chance at love. All the while, the specter of this ideal Lisa hanging over the ballroom and Marienne Hotchkiss' sensual-robotic commands, which makes her actual introduction late into the story as a bitter woman all the more heartbreaking. Camryn Manheim plays out all the anger and sadness into her brief scene where she at first pretends not to know what the hell this stranger is doing at her door, and later, alone, reveals to us her pain.An imperfect movie in the way it decides to resolve supporting conflicts and uses the voice-over narration of John Goodman to near unbelievable levels, but again, this is an escapist feature length film made with what seems to be genuine love for the material and devoid of all manipulation.

Diana Robert Carlyle shines in this heartfelt story of love and loss. Frank (Carlyle) is driving to work in his bakery truck and he sees a man who has been fatally injured in a car accident. He stops to help the man, Steve, played by John Goodman. It turns out, Steve was on his way to meet the girl he loved as a young boy. They made a pact to meet on the 5th day of the 5th month of the 5th year of the new millennium. He was supposed to meet his love at the school of ballroom dancing where their love first bloomed. Since he can't make it, Steve asks Frank to go in his place to let the girl know what happened and that he tried to make it. Frank goes to the dance school, but doesn't find the girl there. He ends up participating in the class and keeps coming back. He meets Meredith, played by Marisa Tomei, and their instant attraction is clear. Donnie Wahlberg is excellent as Meredith's protective and controlling stepbrother, not to mention a wonderful dancer. Mary Steenburgen is great as the teacher of the dance class. She is very serious about the class, which makes her funny, although she is not meaning to be. There were many great small performances by Danny Devito, Ernie Hudson, Miguel Sandoval, David Paymer, Adam Arkin, Sean Astin...the list goes on. The movie goes back and forth between the conversation Frank has with Steve about how he met his young love as he is dying, the dance class, and Frank's therapy group. It does seem like it could be an extremely depressing movie, but it left me with a good feeling. It was about finding love and rising above the bad things life throws our way. That's what I took away from it, anyway. Not a blockbuster, but a nice little indie gem.