Delightful remake of 1996 Japanese film, now set in Chicago, about a lawyer (Richard Gere) in a rut with his loving but preoccupied wife (Susan Sarandon) and two teenage kids, whose life is transformed when he secretly enrolls in a ballroom dancing school, after he observes a beautiful and sad woman (Jennifer Lopez) looking out of the school's window. Director Peter Chelsom directs Gere in one of his best roles, Sarandon is appealing as the wife wondering at her husband's late nights, and Lopez has an ideal part as the emotionally damaged dance instructor with whom the husband bonds, with the dancing scenes a special treat. Wonderful feeling of uplift in terms of following one's dreams, and strong affirmation of family. A few instances of rough and crass language. A-III -- adults. (PG-13) 2004
Full Review
Remakes of foreign films are often a dicey proposition, so it's a pleasure to report that Peter Chelsom's "Shall We Dance?" (Miramax), derived from the 1996 Japanese sleeper hit by Masayuki Suo, is a winner on its own terms.
Lawyer John Clark (Richard Gere), married to loving but busy wife Beverly (Susan Sarandon) with typically preoccupied teenage children, finds himself in a midlife rut. He writes wills all day long, and makes the same dull commute home each night on Chicago's "L" train. From his vantage point in the train window, he notices the neon lights of Miss Mitzi's Ballroom Dance School, and an attractive woman (Jennifer Lopez) looking sadly out the window.
One night, he impulsively disembarks, walks into the studio, and signs up for lessons. He's hoping the beautiful Paulina (Lopez) will be the teacher, but no, it's the over-the-hill Miss Mitzi herself (Broadway veteran Anita Gillette), with a fondness for the occasional nip from a bottle, who puts John and his two comrades -- Chic (Bobby Cannavale), a suspiciously homophobic macho man, and Vern (Omar Miller), a heavyset black guy who learns to dance with surprising grace -- through their paces. Chic claims he's there because women think men who can dance are good lovers, and Vern asserts he's learning how to dance so he can dance at his wedding.
John admires Paulina from afar, and one night, when they leave together, he invites her for Chinese food. She refuses, saying she doesn't socialize with students, and if he signed up for lessons just to put a move on her, he can just forget it. Hurt by this rebuff, John is conflicted about returning to class. But a chance encounter with his son, who brings him to a disco where he sees the young crowd dancing, helps change his mind, and he runs back to the studio to rejoin the class.
Other colorful characters at the studio include Bobbie (Lisa Ann Walter), a blowsy blonde training for a championship, and a wild wig-bedecked guy (Stanley Tucci), whom John recognizes as the bald Link Peterson from his office, also dancing in secret.
Bobbie and dance partner Link eventually have a falling out, and it is decided that John will be Bobbie's partner for the non-Latin dances, though Bobbie reluctantly agrees that Link can still be her partner on the Latin dances.
Beverly meanwhile wonders why John is keeping such long hours, and when she catches him in a lie about working late she hires a private investigator (Richard Jenkins) and trusty sidekick Scotty (Nick Cannon), who eventually inform her that John is not having an affair, but simply taking dance lessons.
Puzzled but intrigued at this new interest of a man they thought they knew so well, Beverly and their daughter secretly turn up at the big dance competition, and observe their husband and father, John, cutting the rug spectacularly.
Gere has never been more appealing as this man facing a midlife crisis, and his dancing, both in the studio and in the big competition, is a pleasure to watch. The stunning Lopez is quite sympathetic as the dance teacher recovering from a lost match at the Blackpool World Championship competition in England, where she lost both the match and her boyfriend, and of course, her dancing is splendid. Gere's and Lopez's dance sequences -- together and singly -- are among the film's highlights.
The other parts are well done, too. Tucci is a riot as the closeted ballroom dancer, who finally unmasks. Walter comes across as annoyingly strident at first, but softens as the film progresses. And it's great to see Gillette get such a plum role at this stage in her career. Cannavale and Miller provide more comic relief.
Yes, much of this is predictable, and some might find the plot overly saccharine not to mention unbelievable, but, a few cheap laughs notwithstanding, most will be charmed by the genuine sweetness of the story.
It's to the film's credit that the expected romance between John and Paulina never blossoms into more than understated empathy -- as it would in the usual Hollywood film -- and that John's bond with Beverly remains strong throughout. The philosophical underpinning of the film's ending, which we won't spoil, is morally sound, and a strong validation of marriage.
As a story about realizing one's dreams and forming and maintaining good relationships, "Shall We Dance?" is first-rate. This isn't the first film to show ordinary folk liberated by the power of dance (think "Stepping Out" and even "The Full Monty.") But this is an old-fashioned romance of the best kind, slightly formulaic to be sure, but a real feel-good film with heart.
Because of a few instances of rough and crass language, the USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
Movies have been evaluated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishop's Office for Film and Broadcasting according to artistic
merit and moral suitability. The reviews include the USCCB rating,
the Motion Picture Association of America rating, and a brief
synopsis of the movie.
The classifications are as follows:
- A-I -- general patronage;
- A-II -- adults and adolescents;
- A-III -- adults;
- A-IV**
- L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. L replaces the previous classification, A-IV.
- O -- morally offensive.
** Discontinued classification. All archived movies that were originally in the A-IV category are now classified as L.