Product Details

• Actors: Robert Carlyle, Marisa Tomei, Mary Steenburgen, John Goodman, Elden Henson
• Directors: Randall Miller
• Writers: Randall Miller, Jody Savin
• Producers: Art Klein, Carlos Gidi, Darren Moorman, Eduardo Castro, Eileen Craft
• Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0)
• Subtitles: English
• Subtitles for the Hearing Impaired: English
• Region: Region 1 encoding (US and Canada only)
  PLEASE NOTE: Some Region 1 DVDs may contain Regional Coding Enhancement (RCE). Some, but not all, of our international customers have had problems playing these enhanced discs on what are called "region-free" DVD players. For more information on RCE, click .
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: July 4, 2006
• Run Time: 103 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (64 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000FDFSGI
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #47,661 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

When lonely hearts want to connect, is there any better way, really, than dancing? Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing & Charm School is a sweet indie valentine to dance, and to the connection of lost, broken souls. The stellar cast is led by English Everyguy Robert Carlyle, a widower who believes he's fulfilling a dying man's last wish--to find a long-lost love--by showing up at a Thursday night dance class. Carlyle is by turns awkward, warm, sincere and bewildered, perfectly believable as a man awash in grief yet hoping to rejoin life. It turns out that dance class, led by the theatrical Mary Steenburgen, holds his lifeline. Other strong performances come from Marisa Tomei, Sean Astin, John Goodman, Ernie Hudson, David Paymer, Camryn Manheim and Sonia Braga, all of whom play people yearning for something, some one. Viewers may get distracted early in the film, seeing Carlyle in a dance venue and secretly hoping the soundtrack would queue up "You Sexy Thing," to get to see Carlyle reprise some of his fabulous shtick from The Full Monty. But it turns out Carlyle is just as winning performing the Lindy Hop or waltz. And, the film suggests, once the body moves and the soul is stirred--can love be far behind? The answer is: May I have the honor of this dance? Extras include the short 1990 film this feature was based on and an audio commentary. --A.T. Hurley

Product Description

An all star cast heads up Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing and Charm School, a heartfelt, nostalgic and gently humorous story about a chance encounter in which one man's dreams become another man's destiny, starring Oscar winner Marisa Tomei, Robert Carlyle, Mary Steenburgen, Sean Astin, Donnie Whalberg, Danny DeVito and John Goodman. Frank, consumed by his wife's death, stops his truck along a rural highway to help a stranger entangled in a car wreck. In the last moments of his life, the stranger tells a tale of young love, youthful innocence and Ballroom Dancing which leads Frank on a journey that changes his life forever.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 56 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars "No Form, No Difinition, No Beginning, No End" ~ Dancing the Demons Within July 23, 2006

By Brian E. Erland HALL OF FAMETOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:DVD

What guy in his right mind would want to watch a movie titled, 'Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing & Charm School?' The name absolutely shrieks out the warning, "CHICK FLICK!" If you're like me and thought that, you'd be wrong.

This is an insightful tale of personal choices and how the choices we make effect the path we travel in life. Frank Keane (Robert Carlyle), recently widowed, is driving his bakery truck along a deserted stretch of highway when he comes upon the scene of a horrible accident. He calls 911 and is told to keep the injured motorist talking until they arrive. The name of the injured driver is Steve Mills (John Goodman) who was rushing to an important appointment made thirty-five years ago with his grammar school sweetheart. They had both vowed to meet on the 5th day of the 5th month of the new millenium at Marilyn Hotchkiss' Charm School. When Steve finally realizes he'll never be able to keep his promise he asks Frank to keep the appointment for him. Frank honors Steve's last request and in doing so changes the course of his life forever.

On the outside we discover a sweet, nostalgic, disarming film, funny at times, poignant and bittersweet at others. However on a deeper level we discover the storyline serves as a metaphor of spiritual awakening. The ballroom is the world and the coming together to dance is how one chooses or refuses to embrace life. As Miss Hotchkiss says, "Dance is a very powerful drug."

The cast is terrific, especially Robert Carlyle, Marisa Tomei, Donnie Wahlberg and John Goodman.

OK, maybe it's kind of a chick flick. But it's a great one!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Bringing Heart Back Into Theaters July 1, 2006

By becky mussa

Format:DVD

i will admitt the tittle is strange but that does no justice to this fantastic story----movies usually have action violence,and no substance but this movie feels so like its from the heart of love in every aspect --there is more emotion and geniune feeling in this movie then of the last ten years of filmaking---i cried and fell in love with every charactor --i dont want to reveal the story but lets just say a man has been jailed half his life dreaming of meeting his child hood sweet heart at a dance school--and he is released just in time to make his appointment--then the great story begins---please watch it and let it move you as it did me----i need a passionate man like that----worth every penny

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Real Sleeper May 29, 2006

By William R. O'connell

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

If I came across the title or synopsis I probably wouldn't have gone to see this film. It was part of a package at the Stony Brook Film Festival last year and I have to say it was one of the best there. It's the story of a con who gets out of prison (John Goodman) who is on a mission to keep a date he made while an adolescent. He is sure that his childhood sweetheart will be there. For reasons that I won't disclose, he will not be able to keep his date so enlists a chance bystander (Robert Carlisle) to go in his place. Carlisle wants nothing to do with it but doesn't have the heart to say no, nor say yes and then just not do it.

Carlisle has a boatload of his own problems to deal with and he is struggling with them mightily. It is an interesting mix of characters and the story unfolds nicely with a surprise finish. Give it a try.