Stepping Out (1991 film)

Stepping Out

One-sheet promotional poster
Directed by Lewis Gilbert
Produced by John Dark
Lewis Gilbert
Written by Richard Harris
Starring
Music by Peter Matz
Cinematography Alan Hume
Edited by Humphrey Dixon
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release dates
  • October 11, 1991 (1991-10-11)
Running time
 106 min.
Country United States
Language English
Box office $246,000[1]

Stepping Out is a 1991 American musical comedy film directed by Lewis Gilbert, written by Richard Harris, based on a play also written by Harris, and starring Liza Minnelli.[2]

Most of the actors are Broadway-level actors and performers, several of whom have won Tony Awards, specifically Minnelli, Krakowski, Martin, Irwin and Greene (nominee). Winters and Minnelli are Academy Award winners, and Walters is an Academy Award nominee as well as being a BAFTA and Golden Globe Award winner. Woods was the only member of the Broadway cast to appear in the film.[3]

Synopsis

A "has-been" Broadway performer moves to Buffalo and starts teaching tap dance lessons to a group of misfits who, through their dance classes, bond and realize what they can achieve. Their newfound self-confidence changes their lives forever.

Cast

Differences between play and film

In order to appeal to a broader audience, and to justify the hiring of headliner Minnelli, the setting of the play was transferred from a gritty North London suburb to gritty Buffalo, New York. Mavis's backstory was expanded to allow her a chance to sing more (in the play she has a role equal to those of the students).

The students' personalities are generally the same on stage and screen, although minor plot strands have been omitted. For example, Rose was initially a Trinidadian, a significant immigrant population in London. Any character outside the class is an addition for the film, as well as any scene outside the classroom plus the final production number.

John Kander and Fred Ebb wrote a new song for the film, the title number, which is given a rousing (and lengthy) presentation at film's end, in which the formerly awkward troupe reveal themselves to now be polished performers.

Reception

The film was designed as a motion picture comeback for Liza Minnelli. In the 1970s, after the great success of her film, Cabaret, in which she won the Oscar for Best Actress, Minnelli starred in three films - Lucky Lady, A Matter of Time, and New York, New York, all of which failed at the box office. In 1981, she co-starred with Dudley Moore in the hit comedy film Arthur. After that, in 1988, she teamed with Burt Reynolds in the film Rent-a-Cop and again with Moore in the comedy Arthur 2: On the Rocks. Both films were financial flops. There was great anticipation that Stepping Out would re-establish Minnelli's film career. Originally Stepping Out was to be released in the spring of 1991 to coincide with Minnelli's New York concert stage show Live from Radio City Music Hall, but because of a corporate restructuring at Paramount Studios, the film's opening was delayed until October 4, 1991 when it was released only in a very limited format. Despite decent reviews and quite a bit of publicity (Minnelli and the cast of Stepping Out - with the exception of Ellen Greene and Julie Walters - even appeared on the nationally syndicated television talk program The Sally Jessy Raphael Show on the day of the premiere to promote the film), it only grossed $246,000 total in the United States and within a short while, went straight to video.[4]

Variety, in its 1991 review described the film thusly: "It's Liza-as-you-love-her in Stepping Out, a modest heartwarmer about a bunch of suburban left-feeters getting it together for a charity dance spot. Fragile ensemble item often creaks under the Minnelli glitz, but results are likeable enough." Roger Ebert gave the film a moderate review stating "The [stage play] contained more dancing and was generally more engaging, maybe simply because it was on the stage. As a song-and-dance picture, it talks too much. As a drama, it's superficial and locked into a formula."[5]

Awards

Julie Walters was nominated for a BAFTA film award in the Best Supporting Actress category.

References

  1. ↑ http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=steppingout.htm
  2. ↑ New York Times
  3. ↑ Los Angeles Times
  4. ↑ Box Office Mojo
  5. ↑ Roger Ebert review
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