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Movies / On DVD / Mad Hot Ballroom
Mad Hot Ballroom

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Mad Hot Ballroom (2005)

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Reviews Counted:113

Fresh:95

Rotten:18

Average Rating:7.1/10

Consensus: This heartwarming documentary will win audiences over, as the sheer charm of precocious, enthusiastic children learning to dance resonates from the screen.

Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for some thematic elements.

Runtime: 1 hr 50 mins

Genre: Education/General Interest

Theatrical Release:May 13, 2005 Limited

Box Office: $7,899,271

Synopsis: Tango, foxtrot, swing, rumba, and meringue may seem to represent the last vestiges of a dying art to some, but director Marilyn Agrelo proves this is far from true in MAD HOT BALLROOM. Agrelo... Tango, foxtrot, swing, rumba, and meringue may seem to represent the last vestiges of a dying art to some, but director Marilyn Agrelo proves this is far from true in MAD HOT BALLROOM. Agrelo reveals that the New York City public school system runs a ballroom dance program for fifth graders, in which these former preserves of the adult world are given a new lease on life by some enthusiastic little characters. The film follows students at three schools in the neighborhoods of Tribeca, Bensonhurst, and Washington Heights, with Agrelo training her cameras on the kids' lives both inside and outside of the classroom. The students are united by a zeal for the ballroom dancing lessons, which builds over a 10-week period and culminates in a competition to find the school that has produced the best dancers in the city. As the teachers gently cajole their students to learn the intricacies of the various disciplines, Agrelo intersperses classroom footage with the students' musings on life; many of these reveal a remarkable maturity. Gender and race boundaries disappear as focus on the competition consumes the students' energy, and the teachers are brought to tears as they see their prodigies turning into what one teacher touchingly terms "little ladies and gentlemen." As the pitter-patter of tiny toes scuttles across the ballroom floor in the competition's final stages, it's impossible not to get swept up in the action. One of Agrelo's cameramen is caught grinning in an affectionate, almost paternal manner as he accidentally wanders into the frame while filming. One of 2005's most uplifting slices of cinema, MAD HOT BALLROOM is a joyous, life-affirming experience. [More]

Director: Marilyn Agrelo

Director: Marilyn Agrelo
Screenwriter: Amy Sewell
Producer: Marilyn Agrelo, Amy Sewell
Studio: Paramount Classics

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Release:

Mar 10, 2009

[DVD Details]
 
 

DVD Features:

Audio:

  • Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround - English
 
 
 
 

Reviews for Mad Hot Ballroom

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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A sweet, and utterly entertaining portrait of children learning about confidence, achievement, skill, and also understanding the game of the sexes at such a young age.

Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
04/29/09
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed

Charming, poignant and festive "Mad Hot Ballroom" is an inspirational documentary that shows the power of dance to invigorate self-esteem and ambition in young hearts.

Full Review Source: ColeSmithey.com | comment Comment
04/16/09
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com

The dozen or so whom Agrelo and Sewell chose to emphasize are especially appealing, but nearly all of them are bright, thoughtful, confident and dedicated -- a heartening glimpse of the coming generation.

Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
08/07/08
Jim Lane
Jim Lane
Sacramento News & Review

In all its unscripted glory, it shows us pre-adolescence with an astonishing authenticity that should be the envy of a hundred coming-of-age movies.

Full Review Source: Christianity Today | comment Comment
09/27/06
Carolyn Arends
Carolyn Arends
Christianity Today

Cute, comical kids help make this ballroom dancing comp-romp a feelgood winner despite inexpert editing.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
04/01/06
Anna Smith
Anna Smith
Empire Magazine

Charming if slightly overlong.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/09/06
Raven Snook
Raven Snook
Time Out

While Agrelo pushes a little too hard at times the attitude of the kids and the enthusiasm with which they perform dance makes it well worth a look.

Full Review Source: FilmFocus | comment Comment
12/06/05
Joe Utichi
Joe Utichi
FilmFocus

It's a tale of tears, triumph and tread-upon toes; it may wear you out, but it'll put a spring in your step too.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
12/06/05
Matthew Leyland
Matthew Leyland
BBC

... it's delightful to see the kids enthusiastically cheering each other on and they are terrific dancers. It'll make you want to take ballroom dancing lessons.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
12/06/05
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

For its length, it would have been nice to learn a little bit more about some of the children. Nonetheless, Mad Hot Ballroom is still an uplifting and inspiring tale.

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Michael Ferraro
Michael Ferraro
Film Threat

[Its] heart shines through during conversational scenes with the candid children.

Full Review Source: Lessons of Darkness | comment Comment
11/03/05
Nick Schager
Nick Schager
Lessons of Darkness

A delightful documentary that shows how creative expression is a necessity in the lives of urban children.

Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
10/19/05
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice

persuasively shows how these lessons help bridge the gap between boys and girls during that uneasy period when the sexes are still suspicious of each other.

Full Review Source: Kalamazoo Gazette | comment Comment
10/14/05
James Sanford
James Sanford
Kalamazoo Gazette

Only an icy hearted cynic could disparage this joyous, infectious documentary.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
10/14/05
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

There's not a sequin, an ostrich feather nor a miniature tuxedo in sight, and everybody who gets anywhere near the finals looks absolutely right.

Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald | comment Comment
09/30/05
Sandra Hall
Sandra Hall
Sydney Morning Herald

By the end we're glowing with pride just like their parents and teachers.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
09/30/05
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

Surprising, delightful and inspiring, Mad Hot Ballroom is an entertaining documentary about 11 year old kids finding a focus and pursuing their passion

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
09/22/05
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile

By turns funny, moving, and most definitely feel-good.

Full Review Source: Reel.com | comment Comment
09/10/05
Pam Grady
Pam Grady
Reel.com

It is a bit like watching a home movie. Still, the kids are very cute, and I did get caught up in the drama of the competition, such as it was.

Full Review Source: Laramie Movie Scope | comment Comment
08/30/05
Robert Roten
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope

ts title is deceptively adult. "Mad Hot Ballroom" actually is a mesmerizing story, of all things, about dancing fifth-graders.

Full Review Source: KWQC-TV (Iowa) | comment Comment
08/09/05
Linda Cook
Linda Cook
KWQC-TV (Iowa)
 
 
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Latest News for Mad Hot Ballroom

April 30, 2008: Ferrera Searching for Agrelo's Invisible Sign Opens in new window
During her summer hiatus from Ugly Betty, America Ferrera will star in a "coming-of-age drama" for Mad Hot Ballroom director Marilyn Agrelo. More...

April 06, 2006: Critical Consensus: Take Or Leave This "Lead,: An Odd "Number," "Benchwarmers"
This week at the movies, we explore the joys of dance ("Take the Lead"), mistaken identity ("Lucky Number Slevin"), our national pastime ("The... More...

January 03, 2006: Chicago Critics Announce Their Nominations
Thanks to Movie City News for sharing the scoop on the Windy City critics and their favorite flicks of 2005.The Chicago film journalists will announce their year-end winners on... More...

December 20, 2005: Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics 2005 Awards
December 19, 2005 -- DALLAS-FORT WORTH FILM CRITICS NAME “BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN” BEST OF 2005. The Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association voted the frontier romance BROKEBACK... More...

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