Strictly Ballroom

Strictly Ballroom – Ballroom dancer, Scott, is fed up of the same old steps and yearns for something new. With none of his usual supporters wanting anything to do with it, he finds an unlikely ally in clumsy novice dancer, Fran. Having to keep their partnership secret from everyone around them and with the Pan-Pacific Grand Prix only 3 weeks away, Scott and Fran must work hard to be good enough to enter but will their rebellion prove too strong for those in charge?

Strictly Ballroom (1992) – Director: Baz Luhrmann

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Rating: PG

Running Length: 94 mins

Starring: Paul Mercurio, Tara Morice, Pat Thomson

Genre: Comedy

REVIEW: ‘STRICTLY BALLROOM’

Baz Luhrmann has never been known for subtlety and he was clearly determined to carve his over-the-top and colourful path right from the start. ‘Strictly Ballroom’, based on Luhrmann’s own stage play, doesn’t pull any punches as Scott and Fran navigate the intense (and ridiculous) world of ballroom dancing, wreaking havoc by controversially dancing their own steps.

While the core story may be predictable – an expert trains a novice with only a limited amount of time until they reach their deadline – ‘Strictly Ballroom’ does this with so much passion and confidence, it is impossible not to get caught up in the lives of these dancers. Paul Mercurio as Scott and Tara Morice as Fran make up the two leads who, after a brief rocky start, work together beautifully and each dance they do is so well choreographed that it’s difficult to resist going back to watch them again and again. The humour is delightful but sometimes goes a little beyond funny into childish/silly territory but it always quickly returns to hilarity with genuinely good and light-hearted comedy throughout.

As Luhrmann’s directorial debut and the first of his ‘Red Curtain Trilogy’ (also including ‘Romeo + Juliet‘ and ‘Moulin Rouge!’), ‘Strictly Ballroom’ is arguably his best movie so far and is bound to be a family favourite from the first viewing.

CONTENT: IS ‘STRICTLY BALLROOM’ SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN?

Fran tries to congratulate a dancer, Liz, as she walks towards her, but she is knocked down as Liz storms past, As she gets up, she is knocked down again by Scott who asks if she is alright before chasing after Liz.

Fran suffers from acne and this is highlighted in front of other people by a well-meaning but tactless character. She is also the butt of jokes for being plain and dowdy.

Liz angrily yells ‘I want Ken Railings to come in here right now and say “Pam Short’s broken both her legs and I wanna dance with you!'” There is then a quick shot of Pam Short getting into a non-graphic car accident before the scene cuts back to Ken Railings walking in saying exactly what Liz wanted him to. Later, Ken and Liz are briefly seen in a hot tub together, flirting.

Scott’s mum, Shirley, is very highly strung throughout the movie and gets frustrated with her husband, Doug. Once, when he is dancing around the living room, she yells at him ‘Stop that shuffling, you stupid man!’ before bursting into tears.

A character speaks in Spanish and the subtitles censor a curseword – ‘He knows chicken**** about rhythm!’

A character is slapped hard during an argument and another, later in the movie is also slapped in order to pull himself together.

An older male character refuses to help someone with a particular dance move until he realises that it will mean him being able to touch a young, scantily clad woman. He looks at her from her chest up, then pulls her to him so that her back is against his chest and thrusts their hips forward and back together. Both the woman and her male partner are naively unaware of the man’s intentions. This is a short moment and does not go too far.

CAN I SEE A CLIP?

VERDICT: IS ‘STRICTLY BALLROOM’ FOR KIDS?

Fun, vibrant, over-the-top and extremely funny, ‘Strictly Ballroom’ ticks all the boxes for comedy and entertainment. Due to some relatively mild cursing which is often shouted or uttered in anger making it potentially unsuitable for little ones, we feel this movie is appropriate for kids aged 6 and over.

• Violence: 1/5
• Emotional Distress: 0/5
• Fear Factor: 0/5
• Sexual Content: 1/5 (some of the dance outfits that the women wear show lots of skin)
• Bad Language: 1/5 (some mild cursing and blasphemy. A stronger curse word is censored)
• Dialogue: 1/5 (several characters make nasty remarks about Fran’s appearance and her abilities as a dancer. Shirley is often disrespectful to Doug, calling him silly and stupid in front of others)
• Other Notes: Deals with themes of ballroom dancing, rebellion, corruption, training a novice, believing in yourself, arrogance, pleasing the people you love, accepting help from unlikely places and taking others for granted.

Words by Laura Record

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