If you’re as old as I am you can remember those
movie-of-the-week films that played out on television with regularity. They
were well made, for the most part well acted and offered a decent night’s
entertainment. Most were not films that you would consider classics or worth
revisiting but on rare occasion a few of them were just that, the majority not
much so. This film falls into the latter category, a well-made movie that the
teen scene might enjoy but that for the rest will just seem something to pass
the time.
Having never seen the previous films in this series the
characters were new to me. Apparently this film only ties into the second. The
American Ballet Theater has fallen on hard times. No one seems interested in
the classic form of ballet, instead opting for the modern style in vogue. With
no choice but to take on the style as well, owner Johnathan Reeves (Peter
Gallagher) accepts his fate and the newest group of students will include this
form as well.
Among those new students is Bella Parker (Nicole Munoz),
sister of Kate Parker from the previous film, a prima ballet dancer. Bella does
not have the same inclination as her sister and is more in tune with the new
style. She applies and is accepted from among the top students applying. When
she gets to the schools training facility she hides who her sister is from the
rest of the students.
Bella is faced not with just the problems of learning the
classical form of dance or the new form but with the attitude of the main
ballet teacher, Lorenza, who feels that anything other than classical ballet is
less than worthy of the time and effort of her students. All I could think is
she must not be aware of the possibility of the school closing with this
attitude. She rides Bella non-stop.
The students are paired up as couples so they can fairly
compete when it comes to the slots available for them on the regular staff. The
competition is fierce and the two camps, classical and contemporary, find
themselves at odds from the get go. Can Bella make her dreams come true of
performing on the stage at the American Ballet Theater? Can she reach goals set
by her sister’s success? Will she help to transform the company with this new
style? And will she find love with her partner?
The usual backstage stories are found here. Romance with
your partner, competition with the snooty students, a teacher who is almost
willing to sabotage the entire group because of her uncompromising
attitude. In the end *SPOILER* all is
well and everyone gets to go home happy.
It’s not that this is a bad movie but to be honest is offers
nothing new as far as films go. Granted there are some formulaic films that are
all the better for it but movies like these feel more like fodder to fill
shelves, fulfill contracts or to pad out pay station’s playlists. While none of
the performers here do a bad job none of them stand out either. It would be
nice to see them succeed but it’s hard to see that happening based on this
film. Gallagher seems to be here long enough to make a quick cameo and pick up
a paycheck.
All that being said my guess is that young teens might enjoy
the film. There isn’t anything too racy for them or anything that will leave
them emotionally scarred for life. They’ll get that teenage cutesy type romance
that films like these deliver, the dancing styles that appeal to them and
attractive enough actors to hold their attention. As for adults they’ll
probably be playing solitaire on their cell phones while the kids watch this
one.
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