Fame (film)

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This article is about the 1980 film. For the 1990s Broadway adaptation, see Fame (musical).
Fame

Original theatrical release poster
Directed by Alan Parker
Produced by David De Silva
Alan Marshall
Written by Christopher Gore
Starring Irene Cara
Debbie Allen
Maureen Teefy
Gene Anthony Ray
Lee Curreri
Laura Dean
Paul McCrane
Barry Miller
Antonia Franceschi
Cinematography Michael Seresin
Editing by Gerry Hambling
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date(s) 16 May 1980
Running time 134 min.
Language English
IMDb profile

Fame is a 1980 musical film conceived and produced by David De Silva, directed by Alan Parker. The film follows a group of students through their studies at a New York high school for performing arts (later renamed Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts). The film is split into sections corresponding to auditions, freshman, sophomore, junior and senior years. This movie ranked number 42 on Entertainment Weekly's list of the 50 Best High School Movies.

Tagline - Remember. Remember. Remember my name - Fame.

Contents

[edit] Plot summary

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

[edit] Auditions

The film opens with students auditioning for admittance. Those admitted include:

Several of the teachers are also introduced:

  • Miss Berg - Dance (Joanna Merlin)
  • Mr. Farrell - Drama (Jim Moody)
  • Ms. Grant - Dance (Debbie Allen)
  • Mrs. Sherwood - English (Anne Meara)
  • Mr. Shorofsky - Music (Albert Hague)

[edit] Freshman Year

Students learn on the first day of classes that academics are weighted equally with performance. Leroy clashes with Mrs. Sherwood in English class. Doris is overwhelmed by the energy and spontaneity in the lunchroom and flees, meeting Montgomery.

As the year progresses, Coco tries to convince Bruno to book performing gigs with her. Doris and Montgomery become friends, and Doris worries that she's too ordinary against the colorful personalities of the other students. Leroy and Mrs. Sherwood continue to clash over Leroy's refusal to do homework (Leroy is illiterate and ashamed to admit it). Bruno and his father argue over Bruno's reluctance to play his music publicly. Coco tells Bruno of her belief that she's "doing my last dance on this dark little planet" so it has to be spectacular. Miss Berg tell Lisa she's not working hard enough. Graduating senior Michael (Boyd Gaines) wins a prestigious scholarship and tells Doris that the William Morris Agency wants to send him out for auditions for television pilots.

[edit] Sophomore Year

New student Hillary van Doren (Antonia Franceschi) joins the school, and she and Coco clash over Leroy. Hillary seduces him. Bruno and Mr. Shorofsky debate the merits of traditional orchestras vs synthesized instruments. As an acting exercise, students have to divulge a painful memory. Ralph tells of learning about the death of Freddie Prinze. Doris relates her humiliation at being forced by her stage mother to sing at a child's birthday party. Montgomery discusses discovering his homosexuality, in the process coming out to the school, for which he is teased by Ralph wearing Rocky Horror Picture Show-style drag. Bruno's father plays Bruno's music (the title song Fame) outside the school, inspiring the student body to dance in the streets. Miss Berg washes Lisa out of the dance program and Lisa, after initially apparently considering suicide, instead declares "Fuck it, if I can't dance I'll change to the drama department."

[edit] Junior Year

Ralph and Doris discover their mutual attraction and start dating. Hillary brings Leroy home to shock her father and stepmother. Ralph's young sister is attacked by a junkie. Doris changes her name to "Dominique DuPont." She and Ralph attend a screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the 8th Street Playhouse and during the "Time Warp" Doris rips off her blouse and joins the stage show. She becomes giddy the next day as she realizes that as an actress she can put on any personality she wants, but is sobered upon running into Michael, struggling as an actor and waiting tables.

[edit] Senior Year

Ralph follows in the footsteps of his idol Freddie Prinze and performs stand-up comedy at Catch a Rising Star and garners some initial success. He falls into a hard-party lifestyle and strains his relationship with Doris. Given a prime spot at a comedy club, he bombs. Hillary is offered a spot with the San Francisco ballet and to take it has an abortion. Coco is approached in a diner by a sleazy guy claiming to be a director. She goes to his apartment for a "screen test" and he manipulates her into undressing. Leroy is offered a spot in Alvin Ailey's dance company but to be accepted must graduate. He finds Mrs. Sherwood outside her husband's hospital room and lashes out at her. She lashes back and, chagrined, he comforts her.

At graduation, the student body performs the finalé, I Sing The Body Electric.

[edit] Awards and nominations

[edit] Academy Awards

[edit] BAFTA Awards

  • BAFTA Award for Best Sound - Christopher Newman, Les Wiggins, Michael J. Kohut (won)
  • BAFTA Award for Best Editing - Gerry Hambling (nominated)
  • BAFTA Award for Best Direction - Alan Parker (nominated)
  • Anthony Asquith Award for Best Music - Michael Gore (nominated)

[edit] Golden Globes

[edit] Grammy Awards

Best Album of Original Score Written for A Motion Picture or a Television Special - Michael Gore, Anthony Evans, Paul McCrane, Dean Pitchford, Lesley Gore, Robert F. Colesberry (nominated)

[edit] Spin-offs

Fame spawned a successful television show and an Off-Broadway musical that ran on London's West End for ten years. It also spawned a non-musical play featuring the title song from the film as its lone musical number.

[edit] External link

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