Leading Ladies

I just can't help but totally love this movie, and I've now watched it at least a dozen times. Yes, it's full of one dimensional campy caricatures, the plot is contrived at times, and the dialog could be better, but honestly, seriously, sometimes you just have to let go of the need for every movie to be "serious acting" and just sit back and let a movie be FUN. I mean, come ON, so many of the old classic movie musicals are campy, one-dimensional caricatures, but the dancing! the fun! the romance! the story! You can't tell me that this is any more of those supposedly negative things than most of Gene Kelly's or Fred Astaire's movies -- even "Singing in the Rain" or "Holiday Inn" could be described that way, but who would because they're just so much fun.

And I loved every single one of the main characters: I loved seeing Benji Schwimmer really being able to bring out all that we loved about his performance ability and really seem to have genuine fun with it. Shannon Smith did a delightful take on the spoiled but deeply loving "talented" sister. Nicole Dionne was perfect for her role of the girlfriend, and I thought her acting during the argument scene was the best in the film. Laurel Vail was just perfect as the quirky quiet sister who needed to come out of her shell. And no one could have played the character of Sheri better than the amazing Melanie LaPatin, who I have adored since she was first a competitive ballroom dancer - who could NOT notice her? Just watch it, OK? Set aside all your nonsense about having to watch "good" movies and just watch it and enjoy a darn fine job for such a tiny-budget movie. The two big dance numbers are some of the best that have made it into any dance-related movies in decades, including some of the mega-budget musicals. If you enjoy dance at all, you're going to want to watch both of them over and over again - and while you're at it, you may just want to watch the whole movie again, because somewhere along the line you managed to suspend reality and just sit back and let this movie make you smile - again and again.

Can you say atrocious overacting? Can you say gay stereotypes as offensive as step-and-fetch-it is to blacks? It's almost looking at an amateur college production...only worse. Melanie LaPatin's acting is so over-the-top as to be laughable and never for a moment even fleetingly believable. Giving her the benefit of the doubt based on the other actor's weak performances, one would have to blame the director...or wait, it seems like it took TWO directors to create this mess. Didn't either Daniel Beahm or Erika Randall Beahm (the dueling directors here) have enough sense to yell CUT and rein in LaPatin, or Benji Schwimmer's flaming interpretation of a gay dancer which is such a stereotypical cliché that every moment he is on the screen, it is on the verge of being offensive -- not quite the equivalent gay black-face, but close enough. He is a very talented dancer, but doesn't have the acting chops needed to make his character believable or even likable. Better they should have cast a real actor for the part of the gay friend and had Schwimmer step in for the dance sequences.

Then there is the problem of the director(s) not being able to decide if they wanted to make a drama (schmaltzy soap opera to be more accurate), a comedy (with nary a real laugh anywhere to be found) or just a really BAD musical. Yes, there are long, l o o o n g dance sequences and full blown songs that are inserted for no discernible dramatic purpose, nor do they move the story forward, but seem to be thrown just because they were able to get the use rights. And besides being superfluous to the story-line or to enhance the characterizations, some of them had everyone in the room groaning in pain and shouting, "Not ANOTHER one!" and "WHERE IS THE EDITOR?!" when the song went on and on thru multiple verses.

This is what happens when good meaning people want to make a "socially provocative" movie about a subject that they care about (the "gay dilemma,") but they don't have a powerful script or the talent to create characters that an audience will care about. Just slapping the label "gay" on characters isn't enough to make a good movie. Exacerbate that by casting actors who can't make characters who are believable or likable, and you have the disaster LEADING LADIES.

The one bright spot in this whole unfortunate mess is Laurel Vail who plays the put-upon, mousy sister and who, despite the sometimes absurd dialogue she is forced to recite and the other nonsense going on all around her, manages to hold her own, giving a quite real and touching performance. That said, it is nearly not enough to make this a movie worth spending time on.

I saw this movie at a film festival earlier this year and am so excited that it is available to the general public now! It is a really great film about love and family, with such fantastic music and lots of spectacular dancing!

It is such a sweet and heartwarming story and everyone should see it. It made me laugh and cry but ultimately I left the theater with the feeling that it is love that should lead the way in my life.

The cast is wonderfully fresh and talented. Dancers from "So You Think You Can Dance" show their talent and that, combined with the GREAT soundtrack, make you want to get up and dance yourself.

I saw Leading Ladies during its opening weekend in Champaign/Urbana, Illinois- the city where it was filmed. The theater was packed, old and young, women and men, straight and gay and they all loved it.

The dancing was breathtaking at times and just plain fun. Where else could you see a ballet, break dancing, and a mambo all in one number and in a grocery store to boot? The acting was a bit uneven at times, but when it all came together, the scenes were great.

I would love to see what the directors could have done with a real budget. It's amazing they were able create a full blown musical with only $200,000.

I saw this movie at a screening and was not only thoroughly entertained, but was very moved as well. Often in "dance themed" films, the script will suffer for the choreography, however, in Leading Ladies, the dialog moves just as fast and sensuously as the supermarket mambos. Every line and dance move lends to the narrative and the exceptional, "So You Think You Can Dance" cast is well choreographed. Another thing that is compelling is the soundtrack that drives the story instead of playing against it. As first time writers/producers/directors this is a home run for Team Beahm. "Leading Ladies" is a true independent film that sets a new standard for what can be done with a whole lot of love and exceptional creativity collide!