Strictly Ballroom
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| Strictly was nominated for 13 AFI Awards in 1992, winning 8. |
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| Tragically, the actress who played Shirley Hastings, Pat Thomson, died before the movie won acclaim at Cannes. |
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Strictly received a ten-minute standing ovation after its midnight showing at the Cannes Film Festival. |
IN THE closing scene of the hit Australian film, Strictly
Ballroom, spectators at the Pan-Pacific Ballroom Dancing Championship
jump the barriers and take to the sacred floor, dancing however
they like to a John Paul Young pop song.
The film's star, Paul Mercurio, pictured right, says he hopes Strictly Ballroom will have the same effect on cinema audiences - to inspire them to overcome the barriers which separate ordinary people from dance.
``I hope it encourages people to get involved in dance - whether it's ballroom or ethnic styles or just bopping around the kitchen,'' he says.
The film was an outstanding success at the Cannes Film Festival in France this year, where it garnered rave reviews after a special midnight screening. The following day, Mercurio was deluged by the international media keen to know more about the stylish, affectionately satirical film and its ballet dancer star in his first movie role.
The film tells the story of Scott Hastings, gifted young ballroom dancer and son of a stage mother from hell. When Scott breaks the rules of the all-powerful Australian Dancing Federation by performing his own steps at a championship contest, he almost commits career suicide. His ambitious dance partner dumps him, leaving him without a partner for the Pan-Pacifics.
Then the ugly duckling of the dance studio, Fran (Tara Morice), emerges from the shadows. They resolve to dance their own way, regardless of the consequences.
``It's not a new story by any means,'' Mercurio said during a visit to Adelaide this week. ``It's a combination of Cinderella and the David and Goliath myth. People can relate to it.
Ballroom, spectators at the Pan-Pacific Ballroom Dancing Championship
jump the barriers and take to the sacred floor, dancing however
they like to a John Paul Young pop song.The film's star, Paul Mercurio, pictured right, says he hopes Strictly Ballroom will have the same effect on cinema audiences - to inspire them to overcome the barriers which separate ordinary people from dance.
``I hope it encourages people to get involved in dance - whether it's ballroom or ethnic styles or just bopping around the kitchen,'' he says.
The film was an outstanding success at the Cannes Film Festival in France this year, where it garnered rave reviews after a special midnight screening. The following day, Mercurio was deluged by the international media keen to know more about the stylish, affectionately satirical film and its ballet dancer star in his first movie role.
The film tells the story of Scott Hastings, gifted young ballroom dancer and son of a stage mother from hell. When Scott breaks the rules of the all-powerful Australian Dancing Federation by performing his own steps at a championship contest, he almost commits career suicide. His ambitious dance partner dumps him, leaving him without a partner for the Pan-Pacifics.
Then the ugly duckling of the dance studio, Fran (Tara Morice), emerges from the shadows. They resolve to dance their own way, regardless of the consequences.
``It's not a new story by any means,'' Mercurio said during a visit to Adelaide this week. ``It's a combination of Cinderella and the David and Goliath myth. People can relate to it.
``The pushy mothers and the political backstabbing and the
manipulating - how it was portrayed in the film was how it does
exist. I grew up in the ballet world and it's like that. I'm
sure that within rugby it's like that, and in other sports,
in politics, even in the office.
``I think the other big reason why Strictly has been received
so well is that is doesn't use sex and violence. It leaves people
feeling good, about the film and about the characters.''
Mercurio, 29, is a down-to-earth bloke who likes to spend time with his two daughters and brewing beer at his Sydney home. But his smouldering good looks and stunning dancing have put him into contention for the role of Australia's newest teen idol - an invasion of privacy he doesn't relish.
``I had 14-year-old girls screaming at me in Melbourne this week,'' he said. ``It's not something I go looking for.''
Mercurio is keen to make another movie - if it meets his artistic standards. Meanwhile, he and his wife, dancer Andrea Toy, are preparing the debut production for their company, Australian Choreographic Ensemble. Previously, Mercurio performed and choreographed with the famous Sydney Dance Company.
--The Advertiser
22 August 1992
``I think the other big reason why Strictly has been received
so well is that is doesn't use sex and violence. It leaves people
feeling good, about the film and about the characters.''Mercurio, 29, is a down-to-earth bloke who likes to spend time with his two daughters and brewing beer at his Sydney home. But his smouldering good looks and stunning dancing have put him into contention for the role of Australia's newest teen idol - an invasion of privacy he doesn't relish.
``I had 14-year-old girls screaming at me in Melbourne this week,'' he said. ``It's not something I go looking for.''
Mercurio is keen to make another movie - if it meets his artistic standards. Meanwhile, he and his wife, dancer Andrea Toy, are preparing the debut production for their company, Australian Choreographic Ensemble. Previously, Mercurio performed and choreographed with the famous Sydney Dance Company.
22 August 1992
