Since 1996 |
  
Your Gateway to Music and More from a Christian Perspective Slow down as you approach the gate, and have your change ready.... |
|
Since 1996 |
Your Gateway to Music and More from a Christian Perspective Slow down as you approach the gate, and have your change ready.... |
| Subscribe
About Us Features News Album
Reviews
|
Marilyn Hotchkiss’ Ballroom
Dancing And Charm School
Despite the ponderous title of Marilyn Hotchkiss’ Ballroom Dancing and Charm School, this is a film of love and loss and coping with loss. Several years ago, this was a 20-minute short, and now there is added material for a full-length film. Don’t expect the expert ballroom dancing of television’s reality shows. Here, are average people from all walks of life, who want to do something different to take them from a routine life into a wonderful social experience. The film begins with an auto accident. Robert Carlyle is a baker going on an early morning run, when he encounters John Goodman in a terrible car crash. While waiting for help, Goodman begins to tell his story and gives Robert a ticket to the Hotchkiss class. Goodman was going to meet someone named “Lisa” there. Robert, is grieving the loss of his wife, but decides to attend the class and there is no “Lisa” present. As we go through Robert’s day, we see that it is boring. He bakes, goes to a grief support class that David Paymer tries to keep going, but the men are forlorn each week. Something clicked with Robert, though, and he finds himself back at class each week and beginning to like Marisa Tomei, who also attends each week with her over-protective stepbrother, Donnie Wahlberg. We find out that “Marilyn Hotchkiss” was a famous instructor, but she died 20 years ago and her daughter Marianne (Steenburgen) is the graceful leader, still using her mother’s name. As the story progresses, we begin to see little breaks in the veneer of these dancers and even in the group therapy class. Can it be that music heals? By the way, great soundtrack by Mark Adler. There are several stories
going on in this film and to the director’s credit, there isn’t a great
deal of verbiage to explain things. You observe details and the audience
can figure things out for themselves. John Goodman’s life is told in flashbacks
and we learn how he became a Marilyn Hotchkiss student and all about “Lisa.”
There is humor here that anyone who has ever learned to dance can relate
to. Just in case, you think this is all about dancing, there is a sex-in-the-kitchen
scene to spice things up.
I think the best performance is Mary Steenburgen as Marianne. She has lived in the shadow of her mother so long; she doesn’t know Marianne exists anymore. You sense the smolder there, but can it be ignited? Plus, poor David Paymer, trying to keep the grief therapy class going week after week when all the men do is grump and stay in their ruts. His mask of enthusiasm starts to wear thin. Life isn’t always fair and sometimes loved ones can be taken at inopportune moments. But then, life may give you a second chance and you’d better be ready for it. Robert Carlyle looks so sad you want to hand him a handkerchief. Donnie Wahlberg does a poor imitation of John Travolta’s Saturday Night Fever walk and you want to push him off the floor. What makes people attend ballroom dancing classes? For a few moments, they can let go, exchange partners and be part of a group. There are no wallflowers here. The Hotchkiss School reigns with class. Copyright 2006 Marie Asner
|
|
|
|
