I discovered this DVD movie a few years ago at - of all places - Dollar General - for $1.
You know - in the yellow cardboard envelope-thing . . . We all know this is where many low rated movies go to live out their last days . . .but I googled and saw the great cast - so I thought - if this sucks, well, I'd only be out a buck.
But I thought it was great, and I watch it about once a year. I don't mind a story using the flashback/memory gimmick if something is used to make it clear - in this case a memory was always preceded by Goodman's character talking & going into his memory via sort of bluish posterized scenes.
I've always liked Goodman - but I felt he was rather miscast here - however, he did a great job acting like a person severely injured.
I saw a lot of low reviews about Steenbergens dancing was not good enough as a teacher.
My take was that she followed in her mother's tradition perhaps reluctantly - there was something different she wanted to do with the school but was psychologically/emotionally somehow compelled against her own will to unhappily follow tradition, therefore Steenberhen was portraying someone not fully committed to their job. Also - I think she portrayed being bored with most of her students as many of them were sort of social or awkward outcast types, except for a couple of students who were on the other extreme - gung-ho-dramatic. So it ended up being sort of humorous that any social grace and self perceived class & style she brought was easily better than anyone else. She was a showman.
I can understand the lucid reasons why some people hate this movie - but I found the story compelling - as Goodmans character tells his whole backstory, and how it ultimately causes all these people to come together - and a lot of nuances in the acting, like I described about Steenbergen's character, as well as in showing how various stages of grief affect men (trivia outlines how all 7 stages were portrayed by the grief group).
Carlisle is fascinating to watch too, and I also liked the humor, and the happy-humorous scene of the grief group joining the dance school.
I found this movie overall to be entertaining - and I think most people who hated it basically just take their entertainment a little too seriously . . .
You know - in the yellow cardboard envelope-thing . . . We all know this is where many low rated movies go to live out their last days . . .but I googled and saw the great cast - so I thought - if this sucks, well, I'd only be out a buck.
But I thought it was great, and I watch it about once a year. I don't mind a story using the flashback/memory gimmick if something is used to make it clear - in this case a memory was always preceded by Goodman's character talking & going into his memory via sort of bluish posterized scenes.
I've always liked Goodman - but I felt he was rather miscast here - however, he did a great job acting like a person severely injured.
I saw a lot of low reviews about Steenbergens dancing was not good enough as a teacher.
My take was that she followed in her mother's tradition perhaps reluctantly - there was something different she wanted to do with the school but was psychologically/emotionally somehow compelled against her own will to unhappily follow tradition, therefore Steenberhen was portraying someone not fully committed to their job. Also - I think she portrayed being bored with most of her students as many of them were sort of social or awkward outcast types, except for a couple of students who were on the other extreme - gung-ho-dramatic. So it ended up being sort of humorous that any social grace and self perceived class & style she brought was easily better than anyone else. She was a showman.
I can understand the lucid reasons why some people hate this movie - but I found the story compelling - as Goodmans character tells his whole backstory, and how it ultimately causes all these people to come together - and a lot of nuances in the acting, like I described about Steenbergen's character, as well as in showing how various stages of grief affect men (trivia outlines how all 7 stages were portrayed by the grief group).
Carlisle is fascinating to watch too, and I also liked the humor, and the happy-humorous scene of the grief group joining the dance school.
I found this movie overall to be entertaining - and I think most people who hated it basically just take their entertainment a little too seriously . . .