FLASHDANCE
Tagline: What a feeling.
It was a double feature. The first movie was picked long ago (5-5-2005!), but it wasn't on the tape. So we doubled it up with a regular RMC.
See if you can guess the movie- The story of a teenage welder by day, erotic dancer by night, who lives in a warehouse-sized apartment and dates her older boss, and dreams of being accepted into the dance academy though she's never had a dance lesson in her life. Yes, it's a Joe Esterhaus script that makes SHOWGIRLS seem plausible. It's FLASHDANCE.
Jennifer Beals, undeniably in her breakout role, plays Alex, the doe-eyed-I'll-ride-my-bike everywhere-and-have-a-cute-dog heroine. As Alex's friends all follow their dreams, the only spark in her life comes from her blowtorch. She wants so badly to be a ballet dancer (she nearly cries in the audience of a performance), yet arrives at the audition in an army jacket and Doc Martin-y boots, gets an eyeful of the rail-thins in their attire, and bolts. It's back to the old steel mine.
She gives up on her dream, but her Porsche-driving, lobster-eating, rich guy cliche boyfriend/boss convinces her to try again. And when her elderly ballet mentor (who somehow knows Alex is a great dancer and will get accepted to the Academy) dies, well, that's all Alex needs to audition. Armed with her passion, her talent, and three dancer doubles (did Beals even show up for work?), she gets accepted and runs outside for a freeze frame ending, which is literally tied in a bow around her dog's neck.
FLASHDANCE teaches us that following your dream is wrong because it never works. Her skater friend falls during her performance and her career is over (why? Despite 8 MILE, you get more than one shot in life). But it's okay, because her dad "loves her more than anything in the world." Her friend leaves the legitimate dancing club for the sleazy strip club across the street, and must be rescued. Her friend the cook leaves for L.A. to become a stand-up, only to return to Pittsburgh, unsuccessful, and lose the girl. Even Alex couldn't triumph without the covert string-pulling of her boss/beau Nick (Michael Nouri).
But all that aside, FLASHDANCE tapped into the popular (especially to young girls) theme that if you follow your dream, you can escape your boring and/or misunderstood life and do what you love. You can take your passion and make it happen. You can indeed run away and join the circus.
The soundtrack to FLASHDANCE was monster. In just 3 weeks it sold 700,000 records. And it spent nearly 5 months as the Number 1 album on the charts. The movie itself won an Academy Award for best song (FLASHDANCE..WHAT A FEELING) and a Razzie for script.
Now a moment about the film's wackiness. Witness, for example- when Alex is crossing the street, she mimics the cop who is in the intersection directing traffic. She giggles and he makes a "playing the violin" gesture. What the fuck? Somebody help me out on this one.
The impact of FLASHDANCE cannot be denied. It pierced the skin of pop culture and 23 years later you can still see the scar. It was a film that people saw repeatedly in the theaters. It introduced breakdancing to the masses. It made so many girls rip their sweatshirts and so many guys wonder how to get a bra off through a sleeve.
FLASHDANCE is the kind of movie people either love or hate. I do both.
And remember, when in Hollywood, visit www.TheLameMusical.com
Tags: random movie club, flashdance, jennifer beals, the lame musical
