BBB.5
(out of 5)
Four years in the life of students at a New York performing arts school are chronicled in this energetic, enjoyable musical. After the ensemble of youngsters experience their painful, awkward beginnings, they move on through to the ups and downs, highs and lows of four years of high school combined with the desire to make it in the big bad world of show business. A dramatic singer, a determined ballerina, a learn-by-instinct dancer who ignores his studies, and even a sad gay boy who plays lonely songs on his guitar while all the straight kids have a life populate the cast (one gay student at a performing arts school? And he’s the only one who is no fun to be around? Let’s just skim over that one for now). The script is full of excellent observations of youthful life and features excellent dialogue, both traits of which overcome its inability to focus on any particular storyline for long enough to feel like a movie instead of a collection of best-of clips from a television series (the film, incidentally, went on to become a deservedly popular television series, with the gay student population diminishing from 1 to 0). On top of this you’ll enjoy the collection of infectious tunes that fill the screen with sound and movement, most especially the title song and the boisterous “Hot Lunch” number.
USA, 1980
Directed by Alan Parker
Screenplay by Christopher Gore
Cinematography by Michael Seresin
Produced by David De Silva, Alan Marshall
Music by Michael Gore
Production Design by Geoffrey Kirkland
Costume Design by Kristi Zea
Film Editing by Gerry Hambling
Cast Tags: Aaron Dugger,Adam Abeshouse, Alan Vetter, Alba Oms, Albert Hague, Ann Marie McDermott, Ann Roboff, Anne Meara, Anthony Evans, Antonia Franceschi, April Lang, Barry Miller, Bill Britten, Boris Slutsky, Boyd Gaines, Carol Massenburg, Cindy Canuelas, Crystal Garner,Cynthia Lochard, Darrell Kirkman, Dawn Steinberg, Debbie Allen, Eddie Barth, Eric Brockington, Eva Grubler, Evan Weinstein, F.X. Vitolo, Fima Ephron, Frank Bongiorno, Frank Oteri, Frankie Laino, Gene Anthony Ray, Gennadi Filimonov, Greg De Jean, Hazel Green, Holly Reeve, Ilse Sass,Irene Cara, Isaac Mizrahi, James Manis, Jim Moody, Joanna Merlin, Jonathan Strasser, Josh Melville, Judith L’Heureux, Julian Montenaire, Karen Ford, Karen Hoppe, Kate Snyder, Kerry McDermott, Laura Dean, Laura Delano, Lee Curreri, Lesley Quickley, Lisa Herman, Lisa Lowell, Loris Sallahian, Louis Venosta, Maureen McDermott, Maureen Teefy, Mbewe Escobar, Meg Tilly, Michael DeLorenzo, Nancy Lee, Neisha Folkes-LeMelle, Nicholas Bunin, Nora Cotrone, Patrick King, Paul McCrane, Penny Frank, Peter Rafelson, Philip Wright, Ranko Yokoyana, Raquel Mondin, Ray Ramirez, Richard Belzer, Richard Latimer, Robin Gray, Sal Piro, Sang Kim, Sarah Malament, Stefanie Zimmerman, Steve Hollander,Steve Inwood, Ted Lambert, Thais Hockaday, Traci Parnell, Tracy Burnett, Tresa Hughes, Victor of Aquitaine, Willie Henry Jr., Yvette D. Carrington,Yvette Torres
Academy Awards
Best Music (Original Score) (Michael Gore)
Best Music (Original Song) (“Fame”, music by Michael Gore; lyric by Dean Pitchford)
Nominations
Best Film Editing (Gerry Hambling)
Best Music (Original Song) (“Out Here On My Own”, music by Michael Gore; lyric by Lesley Gore)
Best Sound (Michael J. Kohut, Aaron Rochin, Jay M. Harding, Chris Newman)
Best Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) (Christopher Gore)
Golden Globe Award
Best Original Song-Motion Picture (“Fame”, lyrics by Dean Pitchford, music by Michael Gore)
Nominations
Best Motion Picture-Comedy or Musical
Best Performance By An Actress in a Motion Picture-Comedy or Musical (Irene Cara)
Best Original Score-Motion Picture (Michael Gore)
Writers Guild Award Nomination
Best Drama Written Directly for the Screen
British Academy Award
Best Sound
Nominations
Best Direction (Alan Parker)
Best Editing
Anthony Asquith Award For Film Music
Cesar Award Nomination
Best Foreign Film
