Staying Alive (1983)

User Rating:

3.9/10   

Director:

Sylvester Stallone

Writers:

Nik Cohn (characters)
Sylvester Stallone (written by) ...

Release Date:

15 July 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Music

Tagline:

Tony Manero knows the old days are over - But nobody's gonna tell him he can't feel that good again.

Plot:

It's five years later and Tony Manero's Saturday Night Fever is still burning. Now he's strutting toward his biggest challenger yet - making it as a dancer on the Broadway stage.

Plot Keywords:

Dancer | Sequel | Writer Director | Title Based On Song | Spandex

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 5 nominations

Cast

John Travolta	...	Tony Manero
Cynthia Rhodes	...	Jackie
Finola Hughes	...	Laura
Steve Inwood	...	Jesse
Julie Bovasso	...	Mrs. Manero
Charles Ward	...	Butler
Steve Bickford	...	Sound Technician
Patrick Brady	...	Derelict
Norma Donaldson	...	Fatima
Jesse Doran	...	Mark
Joyce Hyser	...	Linda
Deborah Jenssen	...	Margaret
Robert Martini	...	Fred
Sarah M. Miles	...	Joy (as Sarah Miles)
Tony Munafo	...	Doorman

Runtime:

93 min | Argentina:96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Iceland:L | Spain:T | Brazil:Livre | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Norway:11 | Peru:PT | Singapore:PG | Sweden:7 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

This film is listed among the 100 Most Enjoyably Bad Movies Ever Made in Golden Raspberry Award founder John Wilson's book THE OFFICIAL RAZZIE® MOVIE GUIDE.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Tony is pacing the lobby waiting for the phone call to tell him he got the job, his mark is visible. You can see the tape on the floor where he is supposed to stop and turn around. When they show him from a farther distance, the tape is gone.

Quotes:

Tony Manero: Everybody uses everybody, don't they?
Jesse: Go to hell, Manero!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Dawson's Creek: Dance (#1.2)" (1998)

Soundtrack:

Look Out For Number One

Rocky takes on Broadway

Staying Alive, at least for the most part, is your classic style over substance fare; it boasts several background songs(with too many by Frank Stallone-Sly's brother), many dance sequences with colorful lights, and to my delight, there are some decent shots of New York City nightlife, which I am a sucker for I must admit. Anyway, we have an older Tony Manero, who's become a loser, struggling to make it as a dancer, but stuck working in a nightclub to make ends meet. He has a girlfriend named Jackie, who quite frankly is too good for him, considering how he mistreats her; Tony basically gets a break when he sleeps with a the star of a Broadway show, namely Laura, who wears bad make-up and leg warmers. It's funny to see how Travolta is oiled up and sweaty for the ladies throughout much of the film. Stallone depicted Manero as an underachiever, much like Rocky Balboa, who finally becomes the star of a silly play called Satan's Alley, while basically shunning the premise of the original, save for a nice scene between Tony and his mother back in Brooklyn.

The better parts of this movie revolves around Tony's off and on again girlfriend Jackie, who still loves him despite what I mentioned above. She's also a very good dancer/singer who does nothing but supports him through his struggles and is very excited for him when he makes it to the big time; thankfully, he finally comes to his senses by movie's end.