Cast
Actor Character
Gia Carides - Liz Holt
John Hannan - Ken Railings
Bill Hunter - Barry Fife
Paul Mercurio - Scott Hastings
Tara Morice - Fran
Barry Otto - Doug Hastings
Pat Thomson
Peter Whitford - Les Kendall
Bob Adams - New Steps Family
Armonia Benedito - YaYa
Paul Bertram - J.J. Silvers
Michael Burgess - Merv
Sonia Kruger-Tayler - Tina Sparkle
Peter Lynch - Extra's: Kendall's Studio
Kris McQuade - Charm Leachman
Pip Mushin - Wayne Burns
John O'Connell - Try-out Coach
Leonie Page - Vanessa Cronin
Antonio Vargas - Rico
Jack Webster - Terry
Credits
Jill Bilcock- Film Editor
David Hirschfelder - Music
Baz Luhrmann - Director, Screenwriter
Faith Martin - Art Director
Catherine Martin - Costumes, Production Designer
Steve Mason - Cinematographer
Tristram Miall - Producer
Craig Pearce - Screenwriter
Jane Scott - Producer
Angus Strathie - Costumes
Strictly Ballroom was released in Australia on the 19 of August 1992 and raised $21.55million in the 32 weeks it was screened at the Box office. It grossed US $11.738 million in the USA during its screenings there and 2,332,462SEK and was seen by 39,325 people in Sweden. Strictly Ballroom also screened in New Zealand grossing $NZ2.5 million in the UK grossing $7million and screenings in Japan grossing $3.5million and in Germany $5million.
He decides to take matters into his own hands and gets out of the corner by dancing non-federation steps to the horror of the judges and his partner and of course his mother , Shirley (Pat Thompson). Then after being disqualified by the judges and launching much hysteria among the dancing world he is dumped by his partner Liz and his mother sets about to find him a new dance partner thinking that he will again dance to the federation steps. But Scott has other ideas . Then one night he is approached by the dance studios cleanup girl Fran (Tara Morice) and she tells him that she would like to dance his steps in the Pan Pacific Grand Prix dance competition . At first he takes it as she is joking but then he relents to her and teaches her to dance. But at this stage what he doesn't know is that she is the partner he's been looking for on dancing and in life. The dancing between these two is kept a secret because he doesn't want his mother to find out and cause more problems . As Scott's mother is still auditioning new partners for him to dance with in the Pan Pacifics he and Fran are still dancing together but he keeps rejecting his mothers choices so that he and Fran can dance but his mother doesn't know that.
Then a few nights before the contest he is walking Fran home when her father who she has not been telling who shes dancing with approaches Scott telling him to go away and leave his daughter alone , but after he tells her they have been dancing and a few snickers from the Fran's Spanish family they are taken out the back of the house and told to dance. Well this is not good for Scott's ego as he thinks he is the best dancer around and when they laugh at him he erupts in anger. He is then taught by this family to dance from the heart not the mind. This is a major turning point in the film. The Night before The event and President of the federation Barry Fife has a word to Scott telling him lies about his father dancing non-federation steps in the same event years before this makes Scott ask Liz to be his partner again so he can win it for his dad . The Pan Pacifics arrive and Scott is determined to dance with Fran in the social but his mother has organised him to dance with Tina Sparkles (Sonia Kruger-Tayler) in the social dance as her partner is retiring, he then still hasn't told his mother he's dancing with Fran and when his mother tells him he's dancing with Tina , Fran runs off crying. All hell breaks loose with Scott finding Fran and they get caught dancing with each other by his mother and his partner for the event Liz. Fran then disappears again and Scott again tries looking for her.
Meanwhile Scott's dad Doug (Barry Otto) is chasing Scott to listen to him about something he has to say he then catches up with Scott and tells him the truth that Barry Fife was lying and he never did dance in this event his mother dumped him as partner. This infuriates Scott and he tracks down Fran and tells her that she is the real one he wants to dance with. They then enter the dance floor late with a spectacular entrance and are asked to leave from the dance floor but the don't and when no music is played his father Doug starts off a beat by clapping and then Fran's dad and her grandmother start by this time the whole crowd is clapping and Fran and Scott keep dancing . Film ends with happiness with Scott's parents coming on to the floor to dance and Fran's dad and grandmother too. Strictly Ballroom has a typical fairytale happy ending.
I thought the film was great it contained humorous elements and some serious. To me it was a genuine Australian film as Tom Keogh said " the film is also a true-blue , moveable feast of delicious , tempestuous passions" to me this describes how Strictly Ballroom would appeal to most. Also as Tom Keogh said " its no exaggeration to say that Strictly Ballroom can make you want to change your life " which goes along with my thoughts that it is a passionate movie that has some moving scenes in it.
Strictly Ballroom has a quite a positive critical uptake as most of my research indicates that the bias between favourable and non favourable reviews is heavier at on end of the scale. My evidence suggests that approximately 75% of critics positively reviewed it both from Australian critics and international critics with only about 12% having a negative view of the film and the rest being of mixed feelings on the film. Strictly Ballroom also has received a large number of awards for its efforts Many of these being Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards while several others came from overseas from places such as British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) the Chicago Film Festival , the Cannes Film Festival and several other film festivals from international and Australian regions. These awards I think are indicative of the positive uptake of the film from the critical audience.
Positive- Paul Fischer , Preview 5/92 ; David Stratton The Australian 14/5/92; Andrew Urban, The Bulletin 19/5/92 ; Kieth Connolly, Sunday Age melbourne 21/6/92; Ivan Hutchinson, Herald Sun Melbourne; Paul Le Petit Sunday Telegraph Sydney 16/8/92; Des Partridge Courier Mail Brisbane 17/8/92; Helen Crompton West Australian perth 23/8/92; Tania Bawden , The Advertiser Adelaide 23/8/92; Dougal MacDonald Canberra Times 12/9/92
Mixed- Adrian Martin Business Review Weekly 21/8/92; Lynden Barber, Sydney Morning Herald 20/8/92; Mark Naglazas, The West Australian Perth 22/8/92;
Negative- Barry Dickins, Herald Sun Melbourne 21/10/92; Pat Gillespie, Cinema Papers 91 1/93.
OverSeas Reviews:
Positive- David Stratton Variety 11/5/92; Morley, Sunday Express UK in Variety 19/10/92; Rita Kempley , Washington Post US 26/2/93; Camara LA Opinion in Variety 15/2/93;
Mixed- Bilson Sunday Telegraph UK in Variety 19/10/92; Lane NewYorker in Variety 15/2/93.
Negative- Richard Collis, Time 1/3/93; Walker Evening Standard UK in Variety19/10/92; Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader in Variety 1/3/93
Other material found on Strictly Ballroom on-line can be found in various data bases which contain reviews and information about the film. These ones I have found are
The Internet Movie Database
The All Movie Guide
Film.Com
These sites contained on the Internet World Wide Web are useful sources of information about films from around the world and Australia.
Most of this information was collected using either the Murdoch University library and the Internet. The library was useful in providing journals , books and articles on the film and reviews and interviews, most of which was found on the humanities level of the library at North Wing Level 4. The information I gathered from the internet was found using Kali- Humanities Cyberstation through the Culture and Communication Reading Room with links in the OZ Film site and Various links from that. I found that probably because Strictly Ballroom is a newer film not much besides reviews and interviews have been published about it.