Make It Happen Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES PLOT SUMMARY
Embarking on a journey to fulfill her dreams as a dancer, a young girl discovers a new style of dance that will prove to be the source of both conflict and self-discovery.
| Erik Fjeldsted | Marty |
| Matt Kippen | Wayne |
| Aaron Merke | Clay |
| Terry Ray | Birthday Boy |
| John Reardon | Joel |
| Riley Smith | Russ |
| Julissa Bermudez | Carmen |
| Karen LeBlanc | Brenda |
| Ashley Roberts | |
| Tessa Thompson | Dana |
| Mary Elizabeth Winstead | Lauryn |
| Darren Grant |
4.60 out of 10 (326 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Stolen
posted on 16 Aug 2009All this is is a dancing version of Coyote Ugly. Dancing is good but if you have watched Coyote Ugly, you already know what's about to happen.Examples: In both movies there is a colleague who is horrible to them right through the movie...In both movies there is the guy who pretends to be the manager...In both, its all about getting the auditionIn both, there is a family crisis where they both decide to abandon their dream and run home but first have a good old fashioned drama scene where they abandon their boyfriends...Seriously, if you have watched Coyote Ugly, don't bother watching this one.
Festooned with clichés
posted on 19 Jul 2009OMG, I have so totally, like, just seen this chickflick, and I'm so "What are all these teenage girls doing at this movie?" To be fair, nobody actually talks like this in the movie, but I just feel that it probably represents the target demographic. I'm pretty certain that, as an old git, I'm not in the target demographic. Hang on to your hats, I'm going to spoiler this one bigtime.First of all, this movie has the Most Forgettable Title Of All Time. I kept trying to remember it on the way home, and I got Bring It On, Never Give Up, and several like that. All wrong. It's Make It Happen. Make It Happen. Got that? Good. Don't forget.What? You forgot already? Yeah, me too.So Lauryn heads out the 600 miles from Hickville to Chicago to audition for dance school. Now they're auditioning 2,000 kids for 20 places, so it's no surprise to us when Lauryn lasts 30 seconds before being booted off the stage. She withdraws to a coffee shop to nurse her disappointment, only for her car to be towed away in the middle of a thunderstorm. She is lucky, therefore, to encounter Dana, the young waitress, and also the Kindest And Most Trusting Person In The History Of Movies. Dana offers Lauryn, a complete stranger, not only indefinite board and lodgings back at her apartment, but also an introduction which leads to Lauryn getting a job as bookkeeper - she was a bookkeeper back home (I confess to feeling a rosy glow at this point, what with being firmly rooted in the beancounting business myself). It turns out that this job is at Ruby's (owned, confusingly, not by Ruby but by Brenda) where, we discover, Dana dances when she's not being a waitress. Having danced, Dana more or less disappears from the movie at this point. And Lauryn is saved from having to tell her brother, Russ, back home that she failed the audition.The writers of this movie have clearly made more than one visit to the Cliché Mine, and have emerged loaded down with swag on each visit because, as I am sure you are expecting, the next thing to happen is for Brenda to be faced with no dancers, following which Lauryn steps into the breach and is a sensation.A word about the dancing at Ruby's. This is a club which features dancing, and Brenda explains that she's after a different sort of dancing. She sure is. It is raunchy dancing which isn't raunchy. It's clearly intended to be raunchy, but the movie is PG, which means any little kid can see it. So "raunchy" translates as "mildly suggestive." When the dancer rips off her skirt, there's another smaller skirt below it, that kind of thing. But the crowd appear to love it, whistling and whooping like nobody's business. Go figure.So Lauryn does a bit of dancing for Brenda, and a romance starts with the bloke who does the music: he encourages Lauryn to go for the special extra one-off additional audition for a further 2 places at dance school which just became vacant. Further clichés heave into view...But before contact is made with them, Lauryn's brother Russ arrives at Ruby's, and leaves in some distress that Lauryn is dancing, fully clothed, in a mildly suggestive manner. During the argument which follows, he tells her that the garage - their late father's - is just about to go broke, and he blames her for their father's death. Stricken with guilt, Lauryn returns to start bookkeeping like mad at the garage.But Russ realises that he shouldn't have emotionally blackmailed his sister into giving up her dream just to save the garage, and packs her off to the audition. As she arrives, the musical boyfriend gives her a new track he's just finished (it turns out to be the unfinished one she'd encouraged him to finish earlier, no surprise there then). She's too late for the emergency extra auditions, but she throws a completely out of character wobbly and dances anyway. I was very impressed with this - dancing perfectly to a piece of music she hadn't heard before, said dance incorporating things like the piano and steps which are on stage (the locations of which she couldn't have anticipated).So it will come as no surprise to you to learn - guess what - that she passes the audition. The garage goes down the tubes, but what the hey.This movie was drivel. Recycled drivel, at that. But I kind of enjoyed it anyway. Lauryn is a pretty, personable girl (Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Bruce Willis' daughter in Die Hard 4) and quite attractively drawn as a character. She dances OK, too, although the dance sequences don't have the vitality and dynamism of those in, say, Fame, Footloose, Dirty Dancing etc.Don't expect to be surprised at any point, though. Especially after you've read this!
Warning , spoilers
posted on 18 May 2009The film is predictable, I felt that Lauren (Mary) was not as good as a lot of people made out, the other characters shone more for me, Carmen.. what an excellent version of Jessica Rabbit she makes. Ruby again was a good dancer and a nice character. Russ (Riley Smith) was good as the musical director even if he did have some cheesy lines. The story is the same old same old, but you could not help but be entertained. It was a real shame that Lauren's second audition was not half as good as one of her burlesque renditions. The story was OK the dance (Burlesque) was good, Russ (Riley Smith) was great, the rest sadly was mediocre.
Awful (with serious spoilers)
posted on 30 Apr 2009I'm not sure where to start with this film. To start with, I was offended by the fact that her audition routine is criticised for not being 'feminine' or 'sensual' enough. However, she becomes good when she basically lap dances her way in. This is her great adventure. The film attempts to make it seem decent and respectful to women by putting some cheering women in the crowd. Second, the film is basically exactly the same as 'Save the Last Dance', which I enjoyed. The plot is more or less the same, without the racial issues in her area, and less convincing acting. While the plot to Step Up 2 basically fell through, the film was saved by the stunning dance routines. The dancing here was not particularly spellbinding to tell the truth. Finally, the film is so thoroughly formulaic that I basically was able to plan out all the events in the first 10 minutes. Girl goes to audition but is crushed- girl is taken in by friendly girl and is given a book-keepers job- girl meets attractive boy but sees him as being arrogant and not nice- girl makes out with attractive not nice arrogant boy- girl randomly gets on stage and everyone realises she is a star- girl realises her dreams conflict with... things- girl is sent by domineering brother to audition- girl gets into college!!- horrid bitchy person turns out to only have been trying to help her and they are now good friends... EtcKeep your hard earned cash and go see WALL-E instead.
Why is it not possible to show two consecutive dance moves in one shot?
posted on 28 Apr 2009This film is trash. Pure and simple. Zombie Strippers has better dance sequences and for that matter much better editing as well.Mary Elizabeth Winstead does not convince and her rhythm and grace are truly suspect. I think that might be one of the reasons she pulls a hoodie over her face so the double can step in.There is nothing better than seeing beautifully performed dance on camera. Bob Fosse and Michael Jackson come to mind. They at least had the confidence to show dance moves in entirety without the use of earthquake-cam and rapid cutting.There is no substitute for talent and there is none on show here.
mixed feelings about this one
posted on 15 Feb 2009I have to be honest, I watched this movie for 2 reasons One: a small portion of the movie was taped in my local city. I wanted to check out how the landmarks where used in the movie (the mechanical shop, the bridge and the club where some landmarks that I recognized), which I should add was done really well. Second: In the past I have enjoyed dance movies. This movie is way to similar to "Save the last Dance" basically because I have seen "Save the last Dance" I knew basically what was going to happen in this movie. Besides being a copycat movie I would say Make it happen is an entertaining family movie but not as entertaining as Darren Grants other movies I have seen. I will recommend this movie to my teen aged nieces as the target age would be 21 and under.
A Nutshell Review: Make It Happen
posted on 01 Nov 2008How 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.
Excellent, intelligent and enjoyable film that is well worth seeing.
posted on 30 Sep 2008I saw Make it Happen this morning and thoroughly enjoyed the film. I found the plot to be intelligent, original, interesting and emotionally engaging. I thought all of the characters in some way evoked my sympathy and the standard of acting was excellent. I enjoyed the romance and felt there was real 'chemistry' in those scenes. There wasn't as much dancing and music as I expected, but for me that didn't matter since I was more interested in the story. (Having said that, I enjoyed what dancing and music there was very much!) I don't see why anyone of a romantic nature (male or female) wouldn't thoroughly enjoy this film. It has everything I look for in a movie - and plenty of it. Highly recommended.
An Uninspired, Dull Dance Flick
posted on 26 Sep 2008To be honest, the only reason that I went to watch this movie at the cinema was because I attend a club which involves dancing. Quite a few of the routines that we do are based on songs or dance sequences from movies such as Step Up. Upon seeing the trailers for Make It Happen, I thought that I should go to see it, just in case we try a routine which is related to the film. Still, I am likely to commend myself if I can remember most of this lacklustre movie in a couple of weeks.Lauryn (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) has dreamt of being a dancer for most of her life. However, after auditioning for the prestigious Chicago School of Music and Dance and being rejected, her hopes are severely damaged. Soon after this failure, she becomes a dancer at a burlesque club called Ruby's, and is a major success. However, Lauryn's family and her dreams soon begin to clash, and she must choose between the two...Make It Happen contains two positive elements. The dance sequences are extremely sexy and are also packed with confident energy. In the lead role, Mary Elizabeth Winstead is instantly likable and human. She isn't terrific, but she is still good enough that she puts the rest of the cast (who seem to be waiting for their pay cheques) to shame.Unfortunately, apart from the dancing and Winstead's performance, the movie falls flat. The plot is utterly predictable, the writing and direction are incredibly lazy and the pacing drags. This just feels like an attempt to cash in on the big public response to movies such as the High School Musical and Step Up instalments.So, my recommendation is to give this film a miss. I'm not really a fan of this type of movie, but I don't think that even hardcore fans will be satisfied by this superficial product. If you're looking for a good, enjoyable and pure musical experience at the cinema, it's still not too late to catch Mamma Mia!
"Coyote Ugly" mixed with "Save the Last Dance"
posted on 20 Sep 2008As another comment here pointed it out, this movie has lots in common with "Coyote Ugly". But it also reminded me of "Save the Last Dance", as the main character played there also auditioned for a famous dance school performing a dance routine that mixed classic ballet moves with modern hip hop ones. Also in both movies the main characters have lost their mothers (both of whom, if I remember this correctly 'cause it's been a while since I saw "Save the Last Dance", are dead). I actually looked rapidly at a couple of comments before deciding whether to watch "Make It Happen" or not after seeing the trailer, so I knew what to expect and I wasn't disappointed - that is because they updated the music, changed a little the location and the style, but all in all re-proposed two stories that had already been successful in the past (so we could consider it some sort of remake). From this point of view it wasn't that bad:P
Total and utter rubbish!
posted on 23 Aug 2008This is by far THE worst dance movie ever to be released,in my opinion it is boring and a waste of time. I find it very hard to believe that the actress who plays Lauren has ever received any form of dance training. She lacks rhythm and skill and i have seen monkeys dance better! She never seems to be able to dance in time to the music either, always pausing or moving too fast. Very very annoying. The storyline is total rubbish as well. I didn't think it could get much worse than Save the Last Dance 2 but i was clearly proved wrong with this one. This film is not a patch on the original dance movies like Dirty Dancing and the 1st Save the Last Dance and it certainly does not deserve to be put in the same category as these. Don' waste your time watching it!
Enjoyable Popcorn Flick
posted on 19 Aug 2008It was no surprise that, throughout Make It Happen's 80-minutes duration, one would find this latest dance flick (helmed by occasional music director, Darren Grant) riddled with the most tiresome and obnoxious clichés that the genre could offer across its existence. Yes, to be fair, the film seems to be borrowing each scene from similarly plotted features. Yet, in one way or another, Make It Happen seems to present all of them just that better.One of the flick's greatest and most undeniable asset would be lead Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who displays some of her best work here. It's hard not to swoon for Winstead, who switches from ferocious, limb-swinging urban dancer to ingénue, down-to-earth, corn-fed small town girl with impressive and flawless flair. She seems born for the role, radiating an unbelievable amount of charm, and drawing life into a well-written character. Despite having been supplied with a prosaic script, Winstead performs admirably well, both on and offstage.Regardless of Winstead's poetic beauty, the film lacks a substantial screenplay, and every line feels tacky and uninspired. It's safe to say that the film is no more scripted than it is choreographed. Adler's libretto felt unremarkably familiar, and, with or without hindsight, you could almost tell how the film will unfold before the lights dim down. It was fortunate that the rest of the troops, though never coming close to stealing the show (leave that to Winstead), played their - stereotypical - parts adequately, with the provocative Julissa Bermudez standing out exiguously.The film's lack of flesh on show is an affront to the cast's sensual, slinky sex appeal, and it is hard to find that the clubgoers are majorly made up of cheering females, rather than drooling guys. However, the dances are already enticing in nature, so more skin would not have been necessary, but simply more effective. Speaking of, the dance sequences are entertainingly beautiful, aided with a catchy soundtrack, and as a whole, undeniably a visual and aural delight - a testament to the eyes and ears.Make It Happen is not much a film rather than a montage of energetic dance romps, connected solely by filler sequences enlaced with drama and romance. That said, they are good sequences of drama, as Winstead's verisimilar approach to her character enlivens each of the film's dramatic scenes. The same cannot be said for the sequences of romance though. Try as they might, the pairing of Winstead and Smith lacks chemistry, and as a result, the film is forced to present a dull romance that you couldn't care for. It doesn't help that Smith's character is near unlikable - as another critic put it - "a smarmy douche".All the same, Grant's experience in the music video industry helped a lot here. Stunning cinematography entwine each scene, and the dance sequences are nothing short of being optically magnificent. Although there might not be much to entertain those with a passionate dislike of this variety, it is nevertheless a fine installment into the dance genre. Make It Happen passes as both a short, drama film entwined with great dance sequences, and an overtly long, energetic music video interweaved with filler drama scenes. However you put it, I believe Make It Happen is still a decent film.Verdict: Darren Grant has crafted an enjoyable popcorn dance flick, an improvement over the recent additions to the genre. There's still much room for improvement, but Winstead's soulful performance atones for much of the flaws. Nevertheless, its feeble screenplay and extremely predictable fade-out could not go off easily unnoticed.
Youthful, uplifting and vibrant popcorn flick
posted on 20 Aug 2009This 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.