Make It Happen

This film is about a young woman who works against all odds towards achieving her dream as a dancer.

"Make It Happen" is a predictable feel good movie. It has got all the ingredients to be a cheesy film. It has trendy danceable music, cool dance moves, great looking people, the jealous enemy; even the obligatory shopping scenes! As for the plot, there is no beating around the bush. Just six minutes into the film, there is already a dance audition. The pacing is fast, but it does not feel rushed. The dance moves are energetic and vibrant, which makes it a joy to watch.

"Make It Happen" gives the right youthful energy which makes viewers feel good. It is a great popcorn flick to turn your brain off. Just forget all the clichés, sit back and enjoy it.

Are there many better ways to waste an hour and a half than watching the gorgeous Mary Elizabeth Winstead strutting her stuff as a burlesque dancer? I didn't think so, but I was wrong. Winstead is breathtakingly beautiful, and sufficiently lithe and lissom for the role, but this derivative dance movie -- obviously inspired by films such as Flashdance, Fame, Breakin', and Coyote Ugly -- simply hasn't got the moves necessary for a good time.

Written by one-trick-pony Duane Adler (check out his filmography to see what I mean), this predictable urban fantasy piles on the clichés from the get-go: girl from Hicksville dreams of making it big - check! Her only family is her hard-working mechanic brother - check! She fails to make it through her audition - check! She takes a job at a nightclub where she falls for the nice guy DJ - check! Brother pays her a surprise visit and is shocked to see her on stage - check! Nice guy DJ convinces her to re-audition - check! She wows the choreographer and gets a place at dance school - check! Everyone is pleased for her, even her brother, who has had a change of heart - check!

Director Darren Grant injects very little life into proceedings: the drama is instantly forgettable, but even the dance scenes - surely the most important aspect of this genre - are incredibly bland. Don't expect any iconic moments a la Jennifer Beals water/chair moment in Flashdance - there aren't any. Don't look for cool moves as busted by Boogaloo Shrimp and Shabba-Doo in Breakin' - there aren't any. Winstead tries her best but the choreography is terrible - the final routine for her second audition isn't any better than her first attempt, but I guess failing twice wouldn't have been clichéd enough for this kind of tripe.

I watched for Winstead, but should have watched something else instead. 3/10.

How do you approach a dance movie? I feel that the story takes a firm back seat, in providing a wafer thin excuse to string some opportunities for dancing onto the screen. Granted there are some excellent story lines that come once in a while, but most times, you'd get the rudimentary dancer character who has to prove that he/she can dance to a group of nay-sayers consisting of peers or snooty judges, fall in love, and of course to rise above all challenges to claim the prize / gain acceptance from the community.

Brought to us from the writer of movies such as The Step Up and Save The Last Dance movies, here comes something that doesn't disappoint, in that it sticks to formula so that you know what to expect, nothing more or less. Mary Elizabeth Winstead (who played John McClane's grown up daughter in Die Hard 4, and scream queen in Final Destination 3) takes on the mantle of the downtrodden dancer wannabe Lauryn, who felt that she's responsible for the family garage business, until she decides to pursue her dream by leaving the small town, and head for the bright lights in the big city.

Her audition with the Chicago School of Music and Dance was a complete washout, and confidence shaken, takes to the temp-ing at a lounge called Ruby's, where she helps to cook the books. But you can bet your last dollar that this is the venue with which she'll fall in love, with a fellow music engineer Russ (Riley Smith), while lapping the coincidental opportunities for her to showcase some of her moves, before becoming an established member of the pussycat dolls of dance.

Story aside, which packed a wallop with superficial antsy challenges from established peers, an unforgiving brother who couldn't fathom her passion, and a boyfriend who can't wait to get into her pants, coupled with the nagging thought of failure and that she's no good for the Ivy League school for dance, we're really here for the set dance pieces, aren't we? There aren't many of them which stood out, given that they aren't as innovative or fused some genres together to come up with an amalgam of moves, though the character of Lauryn probably was supposed to show how an unpolished gem got to go through the paces at a club, before coming through and achieving success by her measure.

And the lounge setting does provide for some sensual, provocative costumes to drape the lithe and tall frame of Winstead's, though I had to admit I thought her assortment of hoods, wigs and the likes provided for some convenient cover-up for a body double to take over, until of course I read that she had some background in dance. There are some routines that I genuinely liked, but the one at the finale, which should be the mother of all moves in any dance movie, was the one that seriously packed a punch, with improvisation, and a combination of ballet with hip-hop, without being too obvious or conscious about it.

Yes, you've seen one you've seen them all, at least for the narrative aspect. If you're patient to sit through the dramatic portions, you'll find yourself cheering with the crowd when the dancers take to the platform. Soundtrack too was nothing short of expectations, and I give it brownie points for the inclusion of a disco retro.

I don't mean for one moment to impugn the skills of filmmaker Darren Grant, or writers Duane Adler or Nicole Avril; there's nothing inherently wrong with wanting to make a movie that's effectively one's own take on a "tried and true" genre. And the contributions of all on hand are competent - no one here is incapable. I will say, however, that I understand the criticism and broadly weak-kneed response: in every aspect of the writing, in the direction and cinematography down to specific shots, and the editing down to discrete sequencing, this is a movie so familiar and well-trodden that it's kind of awkward and laughable for the fact of it. Just a small town girl, living in a lonely world, trying to Make It in the big city and pursue her dream of Something Or Other amidst conflicting pressures? Been there, done that, countless times. This doesn't mean 'Make it happen' can't be enjoyable and worthwhile on its own merits, though it does mean that unless one has a particular reason to seek this out over or in addition to any of its brethren, you're not especially missing anything.

With that said, if one does find themselves with an opportunity to watch this, there is nonetheless much to appreciate. There's some meaningful cleverness and heart in the screenplay, recognizable though it is. I greatly admire Karyn Wagner's fetching costume design, and the work of the hair and makeup artists - has the star's hair EVER been more full and luscious? The production design and art design, likewise, are simply splendid. The soundtrack is a total blast, and I say that as someone who for the vast majority of her life never listened to any manner of dance or pop music; less notable, Paul Haslinger's score is still swell in and of itself. I genuinely love Tracy Phillips' choreography, and every person dancing shows fabulous, tremendous skill that in and of itself might actually be enough to make this worthwhile - I have two left feet, and they're on backwards, and I'm jealous. And for that matter, I think the cast give fine performances. Tessa Thompson, Karen LeBlanc, Riley Smith, and others breathe meaningful life into their characters.

The biggest surprise of all, though, is surely Mary Elizabeth Winstead. I think she's a fantastic actress, and she's demonstrated time and again why she's so in demand and so beloved. We've grown accustomed, however, to seeing her in roles that accentuate wry humor that pairs so handily with her specific vocal timbre. 'Make it happen' rather seems to allow an illustration of range well outside the norm, and I'll be the first to admit that I never took her as someone who's got some moves. The joke's on me, though, because she absolutely nails it here, to the point that alongside dance and choreography at large, Winstead's involvement may also be a singular reason to check out this little flick.

Even at its best this isn't something so stupendous as to utterly demand viewership; I repeat that we've definitely seen this before by other names. But it's still entertaining. Everyone involved put in excellent work, especially those behind the scenes, choreographer Phillips, and the cast. This might be "only a dance movie," but the combination of song and step is earnestly invigorating, and it's impossible not to get swept up in the spectacle at least a little bit. It may be a light piece of formulaic fluff, yet that's all it needs to be for its specific few points of luminosity to shine brightly. Recommended most of all for fans of Winstead or of dance, 'Make it happen' might not be an essential must-see, but it's a good time all on its own, and sometimes that's all a picture needs to be.

Lauryn Kirk (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) from a small Indiana town goes to audition for the Chicago School of Music and Dance. They want real emotions and reject her. Her car gets towed and she is unwilling to admit defeat to her brother. She gets a place to stay from Dana (Tessa Thompson) who helps get her a bookkeeping job at the burlesque club Ruby's. Dana is one of the dancers and Russ (Riley Smith) is the music director.

This is a worn-out formula. The plot is a copy of every other one of these dance movies. This has to distinguish itself with great dancing but there is nothing exceptional here. Winstead is not a big enough star to carry this although she does have that wide-eyed innocent quality. She's tall and lanky. She fits the character but the movie is not special.