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Movies / On DVD / Saturday Night Fever
Saturday Night Fever

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Saturday Night Fever (1977)

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Reviews Counted:37

Fresh:33

Rotten:4

Average Rating:7.4/10

Runtime: 1 hr 58 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: Director John Badham's hit film propelled John Travolta to stardom, made white polyester suits an instant fashion craze, and garnered praise for its portrayal of blue-collar life. Nineteen-year-old... Director John Badham's hit film propelled John Travolta to stardom, made white polyester suits an instant fashion craze, and garnered praise for its portrayal of blue-collar life. Nineteen-year-old Brooklyn native Tony Manero (Travolta) lives for Saturday nights at the local disco, where he's king of the club, thanks to his stylish moves on the dance floor. But outside of the club, things don't look so rosy. At home, Tony fights constantly with his father and has to compete with his family's starry-eyed view of his older brother, a priest. Nor can he find satisfaction at his dead-end job at a paint store. However, things begin to change when he spies Stephanie (Karen Lynn Gorney) in the disco and starts training with her for the club's dance competition. Stephanie dreams of the world beyond Brooklyn, and her plans to move to the big city just over the bridge soon change Tony's life forever. This portrait of young Brooklyn natives struggling to escape their sheltered lives for freedom and adventure in the big city of Manhattan defined a generation of disco dancers and 1970s youths rebelling against the more traditional expectations of their parents. Set to the popular dance music of the Bee Gees, this instant cinematic sensation revealed the fashions and aspirations of an underground culture to the world. [More]

Starring: John Travolta, Karen Lynn Gorney, Donna Pescow, Barry Miller

Starring: John Travolta, Karen Lynn Gorney, Donna Pescow, Barry Miller, Bruce Ornstein, Julie Bovasso, Sam Coppola, Denny Dillon

Director: John Badham

Director: John Badham
Producer: Robert Stigwood
Screenwriter: Norman Wexler
Composer: Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb, David Shire

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Oct 2, 2002

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Reviews for Saturday Night Fever

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1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z)
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In the end, the real killer is the movie's abject sincerity.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment 1 Comment
02/09/06
Derek Adams
Derek Adams
Time Out

Few films have managed to capture the spirit of their times as thoroughly and successfully as Saturday Night Fever.

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
02/10/03
Dragan Antulov
Dragan Antulov
rec.arts.movies.reviews

Today mostly regarded as disco camp, Saturday Night Fever should rank as one of the great American films.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
03/10/03
Marjorie Baumgarten
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle

There's a lot in the movie that's sad and painful, but after a few years what you remember is John Travolta on the dance floor in that classic white disco suit, and the Bee Gees on the soundtrack.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
01/01/00
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Saturday Night Fever's heart is actually in the right place. It's ears, though? That's another story.

Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | comment 3 Comments
05/10/09
Eric Henderson
Eric Henderson
Slant Magazine

A small, solid film, made with craft if not resonance.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
04/27/09
Dave Kehr
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It's as cool as it gets, but it's also smart and well crafted, and the soundtrack is one of the best ever. Definitively a must-see.

Full Review Source: Montreal Film Journal | comment Comment
09/10/02
Kevin N. Laforest
Kevin N. Laforest
Montreal Film Journal

John Badham's film (his best to date), a zeitgeist picture that captures the disco subculture of the 1970s like no other work, features a star-making performance from John Travolta who dominates every frame.

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
11/29/06
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

Mr. Travolta is deft and vibrant, and he never condescends to the character, not even in a scene that has Tony and Stephanie arguing about whose Romeo and Juliet it is, Zeffirelli's or Shakespeare's.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/20/03
Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Travolta's characterization, given the script and directorial demands, is okay. It will please the already-committed; but it won't win him any new fans.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment 1 Comment
03/05/09
A.D. Murphy
A.D. Murphy
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Travolta's ad-libbing about his hair alone is enough to merit remembering SNF as a classic.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
10/26/02
Christopher Null
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com

A very intelligent character study that just happens to have some of the coolest dance scenes ever made.

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
01/01/00
Ted Prigge
Ted Prigge
rec.arts.movies.reviews

Today, it's like a kind of '70s jukebox that hasn't quite aged that well.

Full Review Source: DVDTown.com | comment Comment
05/07/09
John J. Puccio
John J. Puccio
DVDTown.com

It holds up beautifully, mainly because it puts the characters and their flaws first and the disco nightlife second. Travolta remains an amazing, graceful presence on the dance floor.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
10/10/03
Collin Souter
Collin Souter
eFilmCritic.com

The very epitome of ‘outdated’, but oddly enough that’s what makes it such a (mini) classic.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
06/23/03
Scott Weinberg
Scott Weinberg
Apollo Guide

Most of the plot elements could have been eliminated in favor of more dance action.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
06/05/02
Boxoffice Magazine

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
04/17/01
BBC

strong and engaging

comment Comment
02/07/05
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

Dates as badly as the clothes.

comment 4 Comments
01/22/03
Ken Hanke
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

One of the best films of all time

comment Comment
11/18/03
Clint Morris
Clint Morris
Moviehole
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z)
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Latest News for Saturday Night Fever

August 09, 2006: Critical Consensus: A Brave New "World," A "Step" Down, And No Screenings for "Pulse" and "Zoom"
This week at the movies, we've got Oliver Stone paying tribute to the heroes of 9/11 ("World Trade Center," starring Nicolas Cage); two youngsters trying to start a... More...

March 03, 2006: Travolta & Latifah to Share "Hairspray"
John Travolta and Queen Latifah have signed on to star in New Line Cinema’s upcoming feature film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical "Hairspray," it was announced... More...

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