The cast is all very young and pretty, but they play types rather than anything approaching the semblance of a real human being.
Center Stage (2000)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:79
Fresh:33
Rotten:46
Average Rating:5/10
Consensus: Critics say that if you're willing to suffer through soap opera-like dialogue and plot to see some excellent dancing, this movie is for you. Otherwise, you might be better off renting Fame.
Runtime: 1 hr 56 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: All Jody Sawyer (Amanda Schull) has ever wanted is to be a ballerina in the American Ballet Company. Her dream begins to come true when she's accepted to the company's Academy in New York City. ... All Jody Sawyer (Amanda Schull) has ever wanted is to be a ballerina in the American Ballet Company. Her dream begins to come true when she's accepted to the company's Academy in New York City. Along with street-smart Eva (Zoë Saldana), veteran student Maureen (Susan May Pratt), sensitive Charlie (Sascha Radetsky), and flamboyant Erik (Shakiem Evans), Jody embarks on the stringent Academy training program with the hope of being one of the select few chosen for the Company. But Jody has her own style and has to contend with criticism that she doesn't have good feet and her body type is wrong. In the meantime, she finds herself involved with Cooper (Ethan Stiefel), a talented Harley-riding dancer and choreographer. The masterful dance sequences in Nicholas Hytner's CENTER STAGE are enriched by the performances of real-life American Ballet Theatre star Stiefel, and those of Schull, who was an apprentice at the San Francisco Ballet when she was cast. Peter Gallagher stars as the head of the ballet company, Donna Murphy is featured as an instructor at the academy, and Debra Monk portrays an overbearing mother to Maureen (Susan May Pratt), the best ballerina in the class who is also harboring a dark secret. [More]
Starring: Amanda Schull, Peter Gallagher, Debra Monk, Donna Murphy
Starring: Amanda Schull, Peter Gallagher, Debra Monk, Donna Murphy, Susan May Pratt, Eion Bailey, Shakiem Evans, Ilia Kulik, Sascha Radetsky, Zoe Saldana, Ethan Stiefel
Director: Nicholas Hytner
Director: Nicholas Hytner
Screenwriter: Carol Heikkinen
Producer: Laurence Mark
Composer: George Fenton
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Reviews for Center Stage
What really counts in Center Stage are the extended dance scenes, all of which are absolutely exhilarating.
The story is shallow stuff, but pretty entertaining until it becomes utterly preposterous.
If you have the remotest interest in ballet, Center Stage is impossible to pass up.
The young cast of unknowns in Center Stage can all dance, which is a very good thing indeed because virtually none of them can act.
Fortunately, it also contains several more complex characters who manage to make the film a surprisingly engaging affair.
Ultimately the story line here is as stupid as the final 'rock' ballet.
If only Hytner had chucked the cliched script and turned Center Stage into a full-blown song-and-dance musical, the movie might have been something special.
While it seems like Hytner was aiming for something like Fame, the end result is more like a nudity-free Showgirls for the pre-teen set.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 15% 15% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
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