The primary appeal of dance movies is the dancing, with some added emphasis on the romance the art expresses. Center Stage wins on these counts, despite its reveling in overly familiar characters and formula plotting. Or m... more »aybe this reveling is responsible for what goofy fun this film is. The arduous task of becoming a professional ballet dancer is incarnated by many good-looking teens, all stock dance-film characters affectionately portrayed mostly by newcomers. But center stage holds Jody Sawyer (Amanda Schull), who may never be a great ballerina, but she's certainly one sexy jazz dancer. Then there's the arrogant genius (Ethan Stiefel), the dictatorial impresario (Peter Gallagher), the demanding instructor, the bulimic, the stage mother, etc. As we follow these characters, the message develops that one should let go and do what feels good. Jody may not be ballet material, but she scorches the stage when she's uninhibited. And that's really the fun of this movie, which is never seriously interested in ballet to begin with. One ludicrous scene depicts one of the dancers quitting because she realizes she never wanted to be a dancer to begin with but was pushed into it by her overbearing mother. She stands up to mom in the lobby of the auditorium where she's supposed to be performing, the music of her piece providing a syrupy backdrop to her little drama. When she's finished talking, she walks off to the audience's unwitting applause. The scene is so ham-handed you can't help but laugh at its audacity, if that's what it is. The rest of the film is not so overdone, but it's all fun. --Jim Gay« less
Actors:Amanda Schull, Zoe Saldana, Susan May Pratt, Peter Gallagher, Donna Murphy Genres:Drama Sub-Genres:Love & Romance Studio:Sony Pictures Format:DVD - Color,Widescreen,Anamorphic - Closed-captioned DVD Release Date: 10/24/2000 Original Release Date: 05/12/2000 Theatrical Release Date: 05/12/2000 Release Year: 2000 Run Time: 1hr 55min Screens: Color,Widescreen,Anamorphic Number of Discs: 1 SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Total Copies: 11 Members Wishing: 0 Edition: Special Edition MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) Languages:English, French Subtitles:English, French See Also:
Sharon F. (Shar) from AVON PARK, FL Reviewed on 1/15/2025...
Some wonderful ballet dance scenes. I was surprised by the acting considering these were actually dancers.
Sue G. from SOUDERTON, PA Reviewed on 9/14/2012...
LOVE THIS MOVIE !!!!!!!
1 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Jeremy G. Reviewed on 1/11/2011...
loved it.
0 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Terri J. from RICHMOND, CA Reviewed on 9/24/2008...
I loved this movie! A good movie for a person who loves dance!
1 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Kristen S. (SomethingSmarter) from SAN DIEGO, CA Reviewed on 11/30/2007...
This is one of my guilty pleasure movies. The acting is ok, the dialogue is painful, and the editing is atrocious. BUT!!! ... the dancing totally makes up for it all. This movie is not for everyone, if you enjoy a cheesy movie with some wonderful dancing in it, it's perfect.
4 of 4 member(s) found this review helpful.
Laura D. (meggera) from APO, AE Reviewed on 11/30/2007...
My daughter and I love this movie. If you like ballet and dance in general, you will love this film. The acting is not the best, but the dancing is phenomenal. It features professional ballet dancers from NY and San Francisco as well as actors more well-known such as Peter Gallagher, Donna Murphy, and Zoe Saldana. The making of the film and the extended dance sequences in the special features are great to watch. The dances include not only ballet but salsa and a "fame"esqe dance number, too.