Musical Chairs
Musical Chairs
PG-13 | 23 March 2012 (USA)
Musical Chairs Trailers

When his dancer partner, Mia, lands in the hospital after an accident, Armando persuades her to train for an upcoming wheelchair ballroom dancing contest.

Reviews
Jeanskynebu the audience applauded
AboveDeepBuggy Some things I liked some I did not.
Sammy-Jo Cervantes There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.
Myron Clemons A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.
jpercival I had never heard of wheelchair dancing, but thanks to this film, I now follow these artists and athletes with great joy. I loved the film, loved the characters, enjoyed some belly laughs and came away with a bigger view of the world. The theme of tolerance and acceptance resounded with both audiences with whom I saw this film, at both the Cinema Society of San Diego, then again at the Young Leaders Film Festival at the La Jolla Country Day School in San Diego. The film was received with enthusiasm by both groups, comprised of people from teenagers to senior citizens. At the Young Leaders Film Festival, the filmmaker made a special appearance and captivated the crowd. I hope she will continue to pursue such quality projects.
boruttany-569-728513 This film captures the challenges of spirit, hope, diversity and love. The actors light up the screen, the script is well written and the direction shows heart. I'm a fan of Laverne Cox - she's an actress who works hard but makes it seem natural. Also a very brave actress who challenges us to listen and learn from a woman who has a message for the world. Only she can tell it.The NYC shots were fun as were the portrait of Puerto Rican culture in NYC.The choreography wasn't too showy, a la mode for film. Stereotypes and minority portrayals are brilliantly written and broadcast with sensitivity and accuracy. The scene when the costume crew enters the hospital could have easily gone wrong. It didn't
FilmRap This is a movie from which you will learn something about people and about the heart. It is about music and it is about dance . It is about what can happen when a person suddenly finds him or herself in a wheel chair for the rest of their life. Director Susan Seidelman (Desperately Seeking Susan ) takes a screenplay by Marty Madden and somehow does a perfect casting job starting off with E.J Bonilla, a young actor who plays Armando with a flair for music, dance and the ability to project his intensity and his sincerity when he encounters Mia (Leah Pipes) a beautiful young dancer before and after her tragic accident. The story flows as smoothly as the music and the dance of this film. Most of the rest of the engaging cast is this young man's New York Puerto Rican second generation family who owns a restaurant and especially his mother (Pricilla Lopez) who has to struggle with her aspirations for her son and her realization of his love for his new girlfriend. The other group of extraordinary colorful players in this film are the people in wheelchairs who find that they can express themselves in dance. In reality only one of the actors, Auti Angel, who plays Nicky is actually confined to a wheel chair. She was a promising professional dancer who has a true story that is not too far from the plot of this movie. Behind the scenes we understand that she assisted and inspired the actors in wheelchairs to take on their personas. We view this movie as fairy tales where things happen and people say and do things not quite the way they may happen in real life. It reminds us of a musical where it can be convenient to suddenly find a place to sing (or in this case a hospital gym at night to dance in a special way). The characters and some of the dialog are somewhat clichéd. This doesn't seem to really matter because the emotion and the message of the movie is very real. We think everyone should be able to relate to this film and learn something about the human spirit. We also think that it has the potential to live on by teaching young people in schools and be an inspiration for the thousands of people every year who find themselves in a place they never thought they would be. Part of the storyline of the movie is a dance contest being held in New York labeled "The First International Wheelchair Dance Competition" In reality, while wheelchair dancing is big in Europe it hasn't quite caught on in the USA. It would not surprise us if after this film is released and gets around we will see this event in some major city. That is part of the great potential of this movie. FilmRap.net
colleenica Wonderfully funny, sad, charming, fresh story from a subject that could be maudlin. The writing and direction pack a wallop, the acting is superb--it's so natural that you might think you were eavesdropping on the family's life.Sit back and enjoy every minute and every character. Mama lovingly tries to run a family that is way beyond her power. Her antics with a spray bottle of potion add a terrific touch to the story. The music will have you bouncing in your seat.The two stars should not remain unknown for long--they are completely captivating. Two faces that you never get tired of looking at and which deliver believable emotions.The comic touches are frequent and laugh-out-loud funny and never in poor taste. Bravo to the actors, dancers, writer and director.