Chaindance

An amazingly under-rated film that has been unfairly ignored by many, I would definitely count this among the best films of 1990. Driven by a thought-provoking plot and the surprisingly powerful performances of Michael Ironside and Brad Dourif, and a fine supporting turn by Rae Dawn Chong, this movie is definitely worth a look if you happen to notice it on the video store shelf.

Even though I think the premise of this film (a government agency allowing inmates to work with the disabled) is flawed and un-doable, I still think this is a good film. Suspend your disbelief about this facet of the plot, and enjoy the message it tries to tell.

The story is the basic "losers get a second chance" plot, and I always am a sucker for such a movie, as long as it is done well. And I believe this movie is done well. It is flawed because of the implausibility of the plot, but I was able to put that aside.

Character actor Michael Ironside (who always seems to play creeps and psychos) stars in this movie, playing a loser two-bit criminal who realizes that he can have a second chance in life. Amazingly enough, Ironside also produced and co-wrote this movie. I think Ironside should do more roles such as this, and produce more films such as this. As good as he is playing creeps and jerks, his talent is underappreciated, as far as I am concerned.

Brad Dourif is outstanding playing a wheelchair-bound man who is "paired up" with Ironside's character. They are literally chained together at first, as Ironside is assigned to care for Dourif in his wheelchair. Dourif is always excellent but in this movie, he really shows his range. Absolutely amazing.

I highly recommend this film. It is available at Amazon.com under the title "Common Bonds". It has some flaws, but is full of heart and cannot help but inspire and elevate the viewer, at least a little. However, it is not for young children -- there is brief nudity, some profane language and some violence (it is set in a prison part of the time, after all).

I recorded this movie off HBO which called it "Common Bonds" and it's one heck of a acted, directed & written film. Excellent acting by all especially by Brad Dourif. Kudos to Michael Ironside for a great film.

"Chaindance" does not feature the usual whacked out Brad Dourif performance. Here he plays a very sympathetic character, severely disabled, with Michael Ironside a lot of the time chained to his wheelchair. The movie explores an uneasy relationship between the handicapped Dourif, and the explosive prisoner, Ironside. I liked "Chaindance" because it is different and not very predictable. Character development is especially good, and Dourif's performance difficult and excellent. Although the story is a real stretch of believability, it is entertaining, and that's enough for me to recommend the film ....... - MERK

I was 7 years old when I saw this movie,... I remember telling everybody that I loved it, I remember crying during all sad scenes, but the plot captured what was important and I still hold it to this day... I am 19 years old today and since then I have been searching for another movie that could move me,... no movie such as this one could be found...