Slow Dancing in the Big City
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''Slow Dancing in the Big City'' is a 1978 American romantic
drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...
film directed by
John G. Avildsen John Guilbert Avildsen (December 21, 1935 – June 16, 2017) was an American film director. He is perhaps best known for directing ''Rocky'' (1976), which earned him the Academy Award for Best Director, and the first three ''The Karate Kid'' fil ...
and starring
Paul Sorvino Paul Anthony Sorvino (, ; April 13, 1939 – July 25, 2022) was an American actor. He often portrayed authority figures on both the criminal and the law enforcement sides of the law. Sorvino was particularly known for his roles as Lucchese cri ...
and
Anne Ditchburn Anne Ditchburn (born October 4, 1949) is a Canadian ballet dancer, choreographer, and film actress headlining films like 1979's ''Slow Dancing in the Big City'' as a dancer with a crippling disease, a film directed by ''Rocky'' director John G. Av ...
. This was the first film made by Avildsen after 1976's ''
Rocky ''Rocky'' is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise and stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and Burge ...
'' won
Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
for Best Picture and Best Director.


Plot

Lou Friedlander is a popular columnist for the '' New York Daily News'', writing about the people of bustling
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
while befriending a street boy named Marty. His life changes dramatically upon falling in love with neighbor Sarah Gantz, a young ballerina who had just discovered she is stricken with a debilitating condition that will eventually force her to quit dancing.


Cast

*
Paul Sorvino Paul Anthony Sorvino (, ; April 13, 1939 – July 25, 2022) was an American actor. He often portrayed authority figures on both the criminal and the law enforcement sides of the law. Sorvino was particularly known for his roles as Lucchese cri ...
as Lou Friedlander *
Anne Ditchburn Anne Ditchburn (born October 4, 1949) is a Canadian ballet dancer, choreographer, and film actress headlining films like 1979's ''Slow Dancing in the Big City'' as a dancer with a crippling disease, a film directed by ''Rocky'' director John G. Av ...
as Sarah Gantz * Nicolas Coster as David Fillmore * Anita Dangler as Franny * Thaao Penghlis as Christopher * Linda Selman as Barbara Bass * Hector Mercado as Roger Lucas * Dick Carballo as George Washington Monroe * Jack Ramage as Doctor Foster * Adam Gifford as Marty Olivera * Brenda Starr as Punk * Daniel Faraldo as T.C. Olivera * Michael Gorrin as Lester Edelman * Tara Mitton as Diana * Matt Russo as Jeck Guffy *
Bill Conti William Conti (born April 13, 1942) is an American composer and conductor, best known for his film scores, including ''Rocky'' (and four of its sequels), ''The Karate Kid'' (and all of its sequels), '' For Your Eyes Only'', ''Dynasty'' (and its ...
as Rehearsal Pianist *
Richard Jamieson Richard Herbert Jamieson (1912-2003) was a politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1959 to 1963 sitting with the Social Credit caucus in government. He later served as a Public School Tr ...
as Joe Christy * Susan Doukas as Nurse * Ben Slack as Mort Hoffman *
Danielle Brisebois Danielle Anne Brisebois (born June 28, 1969) is an American producer, singer-songwriter and former child actress. She is best known for her role as Stephanie Mills on the Norman Lear-produced sitcoms ''All in the Family'' and its spin-off '' ...
as Ribi Ciano * Mimi Cecchini as Rose Ciano *
Lloyd Kaufman Stanley Lloyd Kaufman Jr. (born December 30, 1945) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer and actor. Alongside producer Michael Herz, he is the co-founder of Troma Entertainment film studio, and the director of many of their featur ...
as Usher *
Barra Grant Barra Grant (born Barbara Carol Wayne) is an American actress, screenwriter, film director and playwright. Biography Grant was born Barbara Carol Wayne in New York City, the daughter of Allan Wayne, a doll company executive, and Bess Myerson, M ...
as Mildred


Production

Several cameos are made by the filmmakers: including Avildsen, writer
Barra Grant Barra Grant (born Barbara Carol Wayne) is an American actress, screenwriter, film director and playwright. Biography Grant was born Barbara Carol Wayne in New York City, the daughter of Allan Wayne, a doll company executive, and Bess Myerson, M ...
, producer
Lloyd Kaufman Stanley Lloyd Kaufman Jr. (born December 30, 1945) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer and actor. Alongside producer Michael Herz, he is the co-founder of Troma Entertainment film studio, and the director of many of their featur ...
, composer
Bill Conti William Conti (born April 13, 1942) is an American composer and conductor, best known for his film scores, including ''Rocky'' (and four of its sequels), ''The Karate Kid'' (and all of its sequels), '' For Your Eyes Only'', ''Dynasty'' (and its ...
, as well as Avildsen's sons Anthony and Rufus. In casting the film, actor
Dustin Hoffman Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable characters. He is ...
was initially interested in portraying the
Jimmy Breslin James Earle Breslin (October 17, 1928 – March 19, 2017) was an American journalist and author. Until the time of his death, he wrote a column for the New York ''Daily News'' Sunday edition.''Current Biography 1942'', pp. 648–51: "Patterson, ...
-esque Lou Friedlander, though he could not do so due to obligations of his First Artists company, and Paul Sorvino was cast in his place, marking his second collaboration with Avildsen after 1971's '' Cry Uncle''. At the time working for the
National Ballet of Canada The National Ballet of Canada is a Canadian ballet company that was founded in 1951 in Toronto, Ontario, with Celia Franca as the first artistic director. A company of 70 dancers with its own orchestra, the National Ballet has been led since 2022 ...
, ballerina and choreographer
Anne Ditchburn Anne Ditchburn (born October 4, 1949) is a Canadian ballet dancer, choreographer, and film actress headlining films like 1979's ''Slow Dancing in the Big City'' as a dancer with a crippling disease, a film directed by ''Rocky'' director John G. Av ...
was cast after Avildsen screen tested over 400 dancers for the part of Sarah Gantz. The director then viewed and photograph of Ditchburn choreographing several dancers which, sensing her energy, caused his first hand witnessing of it during a tour of the foreign company at the Metropolitan Opera House. He then invited her to audition, which she later described as a "disaster", though she improved with lessons. Actor Hector Mercado was also a prominent dancer before filming, having appeared in many
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
productions. The male dancer was initially auditioned due to his affiliation with another United Artists picture '' Hair'', which was filming at the same time as ''Slow Dancing'' as well as a Broadway production of ''
Box A box (plural: boxes) is a container used for the storage or transportation of its contents. Most boxes have flat, parallel, rectangular sides. Boxes can be very small (like a matchbox) or very large (like a shipping box for furniture), and can ...
''. He later went on to say of his juggling of performances that "luckily the shooting of ''Hair'' was all before and after ''Slow Dancing'', and the producers of ''Box'' allowed me to fit both of them in my schedule." In preparation for the film, Ditchburn appealed to a hairdresser to "do something with my hair". The various headbands and scarves the actress wears on her head through most of the film was used in order to hide the terrible results. She later commented that the move was a "big advantage" and that it "absorbs the perspiration". The film was shot over a course of eight weeks on location in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
alongside the movies ''The Wiz'', ''
Matilda Matilda or Mathilda may refer to: Animals * Matilda (chicken) (1990–2006), World's Oldest Living Chicken record holder * Matilda (horse) (1824–1846), British Thoroughbred racehorse * Matilda, a dog of the professional wrestling tag-team The ...
'', ''
Eyes of Laura Mars ''Eyes of Laura Mars'' is a 1978 American neo noir mystery-thriller film starring Faye Dunaway and Tommy Lee Jones and directed by Irvin Kershner. The screenplay was adapted (in collaboration with David Zelag Goodman) from a spec script titled ' ...
'', and ''Hair'', as well as the television productions of ''The Dain Curse'', ''To Kill a Cop'', ''Daddy I Don't Like It That Way'', and ''Monkey's Uncle''." The film's many dance sequences were primarily set up by choreographer Robert North, though Ditchburn choreographed her own routine for a sequence in which she danced on a rooftop. Following poor reviews the film was reedited and an additional ten minutes of cut footage was restored in order to further develop Sorvino's character. Sorvino said that he believed "the film is much improved" due to the additional scenes. In its foreign release, the film was retitled as ''A Woman's Quest'' (
Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...
), ''A Big City With Heart'' (
Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
), ''Small Steps to Big City'' (
Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...
), ''Married in New York'' (
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
), and ''With You in a Big City'' (
Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
and
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
).


Release

The film was released to theatres November 8, 1978, to an opening weekend gross of $11,355. It was then followed by a wide release on February 16, 1979. Norman Dresser of the ''Toledo Blade'' commented that the film "moved at the box office about as slowly as molasses pours out of a jar after a week in the refrigerator", noting its nine-week take of $335,436 was "dismal". The movie was unsuccessful, earning $1,576,500 at the end of its theatrical run against a budget of $7,000,000.


Reaction

The film opened to mixed reviews.
Janet Maslin Janet R. Maslin (born August 12, 1949) is an American journalist, best known as a film and literary critic for ''The New York Times''. She served as a ''Times'' film critic from 1977 to 1999 and as a book critic from 2000 to 2015. In 2000 Maslin ...
of the ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' pointed out its similarities to Avildsen's previous film ''
Rocky ''Rocky'' is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise and stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and Burge ...
'', going so far as to call it "Rocky on the Hoof". She went on to write a more critical review, praising Sorvino as a "perfectly plausible" newsman and Ditchburn as "so glamorous and mystifyingly odd that she recalls the young Audrey Hepburn" while stating that both were "sabotaged by the script". Ed Blank of ''
The Pittsburgh Press ''The Pittsburgh Press'' (formerly ''The Pittsburg Press'' and originally ''The Evening Penny Press'') was a major afternoon daily newspaper published in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1884 to 1992. At one time, the ''Press'' was the second larg ...
'' wrote similar commenting that "Grant's script has little to do with real life and more to do with outdated movies", and noting that "Ditchburn looks and speak like Vivien Leigh". However, film critic Roger Ebert stated in his review that he "loved it" and that the movie "cheerfully exists in the world of big hearts and brave tears and happy endings that make you blow your nose." He did admit that "there hasn't been a cornier romantic tear-jerker since ''Love Story''" and commented that Ditchburn's performance was "remarkably wooden." He and Gene Siskel later reviewed the film in an episode of their TV series ''
Sneak Previews ''Sneak Previews'' (known as ''Opening Soon...at a Theater Near You'' from 1975 to 1977 and ''Sneak Previews Goes Video'' from 1989 to 1991) is an American film review show that ran for over two decades on Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). It wa ...
''. Both critics recommended the film, agreeing that it was corny but that the sincerity of the characters and Paul Sorvino's performance made it work. In a particularly scathing review, Dan Dinicola of ''The Gazette'' commented that "it seems the makers of this tinsel romance were so concerned with following patented formulas that they forgot to give it a heart", adding that Grant's screenplay was "horrible; not so much the story idea, but the dialogue, the resolution, the subplots" and condemned Avildsen's direction as "soppy and as sloppy as the story". In response to the mixed reception, star Anne Ditchburn stated that she was "not surprised by the adverse reviews. Not many critics are romantically minded and I must say that I am not romantic in judging my peers in the dance world. There is a razor-fine edge between romanticism and corn, and I think ''Slow Dancing'' worked against the corn." Ditchburn was nominated for a Golden Globe award for "Best Female Newcomer" for her performance,. On her performance Charles Champlin of the ''Sarasota Herald-Tribune'' stated " itchburnis not a professional actress, which may have been the luckiest thing in the world for her, because her performance has a kind of no-nonsense honesty that becomes a characterization. She is not an actress acting, but not an amateur trying to act either."


Merchandise


Soundtrack

The soundtrack by
Bill Conti William Conti (born April 13, 1942) is an American composer and conductor, best known for his film scores, including ''Rocky'' (and four of its sequels), ''The Karate Kid'' (and all of its sequels), '' For Your Eyes Only'', ''Dynasty'' (and its ...
was released on vinyl in 1978. It was re-released by
Varèse Sarabande Varèse Sarabande is an American record label, owned by Concord Music Group and distributed by Universal Music Group, which specializes in film scores and original cast recordings. It aims to reissue rare or unavailable albums, as well as newer r ...
on August 31, 2005, in a limited edition CD it shared with the Conti score for '' F.I.S.T.'' Additionally the song "
I Feel the Earth Move I, or i, is the ninth letter and the third vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''i'' (pronounced ), plural ...
", written and sung by Carole King, was used in the film though did not appear on the soundtrack. American figure skater
Karen Chen Karen Chen (born August 16, 1999) is an American figure skater. She is a 2022 Olympic Games team event silver medalist, two-time CS U.S. Classic bronze medalist (2016, 2017), the 2015 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb bronze medalist, the 2017 U.S. nat ...
also used "The Ovation" as her music for her 2017-18 and 2019-20 season free program.


Novel

A novelization of the film was released in the US by
Warner Books Grand Central Publishing is a book publishing imprint of Hachette Book Group, originally established in 1970 as Warner Books when Warner Communications acquired the Paperback Library. When Time Warner sold their book publishing business to Hachet ...
and in the UK by Coronet Books, written by scriptwriter
Barra Grant Barra Grant (born Barbara Carol Wayne) is an American actress, screenwriter, film director and playwright. Biography Grant was born Barbara Carol Wayne in New York City, the daughter of Allan Wayne, a doll company executive, and Bess Myerson, M ...
.


Home video

For a long time, the film was never officially released on home video in any format since the end of its theatrical run. According to Avildsen, this was due to licensing issues with the music. It is finally set to be released on
Blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of st ...
on September 11, 2021 from Scorpion Releasing in a new 4k restoration featuring interviews with
Paul Sorvino Paul Anthony Sorvino (, ; April 13, 1939 – July 25, 2022) was an American actor. He often portrayed authority figures on both the criminal and the law enforcement sides of the law. Sorvino was particularly known for his roles as Lucchese cri ...
, composer
Bill Conti William Conti (born April 13, 1942) is an American composer and conductor, best known for his film scores, including ''Rocky'' (and four of its sequels), ''The Karate Kid'' (and all of its sequels), '' For Your Eyes Only'', ''Dynasty'' (and its ...
and actor Nicolas Coster.


Legacy

''Slow Dancing in the Big City'' featured Anne Ditchburn's first foray into film, leading her to leave the National Ballet of Canada in pursuit of a film career, in addition to a generally low morale. The film's release also marked a bloom in Sorvino's film career, as it was coupled with his appearances in ''
The Brinks Job ''The Brink's Job'' is a 1978 American crime comedy drama film directed by William Friedkin and starring Peter Falk, Peter Boyle, Allen Garfield, Warren Oates, Gena Rowlands, and Paul Sorvino. It is based on the Brink's robbery of 1950 in Bosto ...
'' and '' Bloodbrothers'' that same year. He considered ''Slow Dancing'' to be his "best shot" of the three after a string a negative reviews. In addition, this was one of the first appearances of Golden Globe nominated actress
Danielle Brisebois Danielle Anne Brisebois (born June 28, 1969) is an American producer, singer-songwriter and former child actress. She is best known for her role as Stephanie Mills on the Norman Lear-produced sitcoms ''All in the Family'' and its spin-off '' ...
. The film also featured the debut of director and scriptwriter Barra Grant. This was the first is a stream of financially unsuccessful films for John Avildsen following the massive success of ''
Rocky ''Rocky'' is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise and stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and Burge ...
'', followed by '' The Formula'', '' Neighbors'', and '' A Night in Heaven'', though the director himself does not list it among those films as his failures. Bill Conti's track "The Ovation" on the film's soundtrack is frequently used by Conti during his composition of the music for the
Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
, used to back the footage that honors actors and actresses who had died during the year prior.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Slow Dancing In The Big City 1978 films 1978 drama films American drama films Films about ballet Films scored by Bill Conti Films directed by John G. Avildsen Films set in New York City Films with screenplays by Barra Grant 1970s English-language films 1970s American films