FLIX/The Price of FAME isn't worth the Price of Admission

Photo courtesy of MGM Fame is the story of a group of teenagers at the New York City High School of Performing Arts. The students are dancers, singers, actors, and artists who are provided an opportunity to capitalize on their talents with the hopes of one day making it big, or to become famous.

Alexandria , Virginia - Fame, which opens on Sept. 25 and is rated PG, is the remake of the 1980 Oscar-winning film of the same name.  Twenty-nine years have passed since Fame won an Oscar.  After seeing the 2009 version of the film, that streak is as safe as Cal Ripken’s consecutive games played record.
 
Fame is the story of a group of teenagers at The New York City High School of Performing Arts.  The students are dancers, singers, and actors who are given an opportunity to capitalize on their talents with the hopes of one day making it big, or to become famous.  

Photo courtesy of MGM Fame marks the continuation of a recent and, in my opinion, great trend in Hollywood. That is the remaking of classic '80s shows into movies.

In the interest of full disclosure, it should be known that FAME is not generally the type of movie I’d go see.  I do not like to dance, nor am I very good at it, as my wife will eagerly attest to.  Ben Stein’s character in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off has more rhythm than I do.  However, given the recent passing of Patrick Swayze I felt I should see something that he could have been in.  Since there was nothing coming out about the supernatural spinning clay or bank-robbing surfers, FAME it was.   

The cast of FAME includes several well-known actors, although none of them play students.  There is a "Cheers" reunion of Drs. Frasier and Lilith Crane, played by Kelsey Grammer and Bebe Neuwirth.  Charles Dutton (of "Roc") and Megan Mullally (of "Will & Grace") are also in the cast.  Along with the Drs. Crane they play the faculty at the school.  While they may be seen as old curmudgeons by their students, the actors have something the younger cast of basically no-names can only dream of…syndication royalties.

Debbie Allen also makes an appearance in FAME.  She plays the principal of the school, Mrs. Simms.  Debbie Allen must have a contract stashed away somewhere that mandates any performance of Fame, whether TV or film, must include her in the cast.  When they make this movie again in another 29 years, is she going to play the lady telling the kids to keep it down by hitting her broom on the ceiling?

FAME marks the continuation of a recent and, in my opinion, great trend in Hollywood (even if not all the films are worth seeing).  That is the remaking of classic '80s shows into movies.  First there was The Dukes of Hazzard and Transformers, now Fame, and The A-Team is currently in production.  Hopefully Night Court is next because it was an outstanding show and let's be honest, Harry Anderson can use the work.

The well-known theme song to Fame is "Fame...I’m gonna live forever, I’m gonna learn how to fly - high." Well I'd like a sports car or to be able to dunk and they have about the same likelihood of happening as this movie does as staying in the theaters for more than two weeks, let alone for all eternity.  Like The Rolling Stones sang, "You can't always get what you want."  

Photo courtesy of MGM The well-known theme song to Fame is "Fame...I’m gonna live forever, I’m gonna learn how to fly - high ". Well I'd like a sports car or to be able to dunk and they have about the same likelihood of happening as this movie does in staying in the theaters for more than two weeks, let alone for all eternity.

The film, while showing off the individual performing talents of its cast, has very little plot.  Each character has a personal issue that could be an interesting storyline, but the movie doesn't focus on it long enough for it to develop.  One girl’s father is stern and won’t allow her to branch out.  A guy’s mother doesn’t approve of him going to the school because she thinks he’s setting himself up for disappointment.  However, the movie spends such little time on them that when the subject is brought up again, if it is at all, you nearly forgot it was an issue to begin with.

The film starts off as more of a documentary.  It shows try-outs and then suddenly the students are in an assembly welcoming them to the school.  Shortly thereafter, there is a scene in the cafeteria where all the students spontaneously break out into a choreographed dance, vocal, and instrumental routine.  At this point was Fame a movie or a really long Gap commercial?  

Since I began this review mentioning the late Patrick Swayze, I'll close by opining that he has starred in several great “nothing else is on, but I can get wrapped into this” movies. Some of the his most re-watchable films include Road House, Point Break, and Red Dawn for the fellas and Ghost and Dirty Dancing for the ladies.  Fans of his work agree that Patrick Swayze will be missed.

The same can be said of Fame, just replace will with should.

To contact the writer, email him at stevedettorre@yahoo.com