Dancer, Texas Pop. 81 (1998)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Tim McCanlies

Writer (WGA):

Tim McCanlies (written by)

Release Date:

1 May 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Family

Tagline:

in the middle of nowhere they had everything

Plot:

Four friends from the small Texas town of Dancer are graduating from high school and are planning to move to L.A...

Plot Keywords:

Texas | Best Friend | Digit In Title | Rancher's Son | Period In Title

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Breckin Meyer	...	Keller Coleman
Peter Facinelli	...	Terrell Lee Lusk
Eddie Mills	...	John Hemphill
Ethan Embry	...	Squirrel
Ashley Johnson	...	Josie Hemphill
Patricia Wettig	...	Mrs. Lusk
Michael O'Neill	...	Mr. Lusk
Eddie Jones	...	Earl
Wayne Tippit	...	Keller's Grandfather
Alexandra Holden	...	Vivian
Keith Szarabajka	...	Squirrel's Father
Shawn Weatherly	...	Sue Ann
Michael Crabtree	...	Mr. Hemphill
Lashawn McIvor	...	Mrs. Hemphill
Joe Stevens	...	Leon

MPAA:

Rated PG for language.

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | France:U | Portugal:M/12 (video premiere) | UK:PG | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Alpine, Texas, USA

Company:

Caribou Pictures

Trivia:

Took 25 days to film.

Quotes:

Squirrel: Hi Loretta.
Loretta: Hi Squirrel, listen don't be so depressed about choir today you bein' so terrible in all. First time's always bad. You won't be so quite terrible next week you'll see.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Playing by Heart (1998)

Soundtrack:

Where I Come From

Totally enjoyable

Though a bit slow at times, it is quite refreshing to watch a movie that doesn't have any box-office ambitions and yet exceed the expectations one would associate with a blockbuster. 4 teenage boys are faced with life-changing choices when they graduate from high school, whether to follow their parents' wishes and stay in small town Texas (as the name implies), or to strike it big in one of the big cities.

There are some commendable performances in here, notable that of Breckin Meyer as Keller Coleman, as he tries to come to terms with leaving his only kin, his grandfather, behind alone while he leaves the town with Lusk (Facinelli). Facinelli also puts in a performance better than I expected from his previous films as the son who does not want in on the family business but wishes to strike it out on his own. I wished that there could be plot involvement for Eddie Mills and Ethan Embry though, the other 2 main actors - they did not have much to act on and I for one would have liked them to have a larger role in the story. But I guess there is only so much you can show in 2 hours. Irregardless of any 'faults' this movie might have, it is still a refreshing look at small town life and the choices some of the teens have to take when they come of age.