The Company
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| The Company | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover for The Company |
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| Directed by | Robert Altman |
| Written by | Barbara Turner (screenplay) Barbara Turner & Neve Campbell (story) |
| Starring | Neve Campbell Malcolm McDowell James Franco Barbara E. Robertson William Dick |
| Cinematography | Andrew Dunn |
| Release date(s) | December 26, 2003 |
| Running time | 112 min. |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
- For other uses, see Company (disambiguation).
The Company is a film about the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago. It was released on December 26, 2003 in the United States and around the world in the first half of 2004. The movie was directed by Robert Altman and stars Neve Campbell, who also co-wrote and co-produced the film. The movie also stars Malcolm McDowell as the ballet company's artistic director, a character based on Gerald Arpino.[1]
Elvis Mitchell called the film "enjoyably lithe and droll" and attributed a "great deal of the film's appeal" to McDowell's performance, while noting the film "doesn't stick with you as a whole."[2] Eighty-three of the 120 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes rated the film as "fresh."[3] Box Office Mojo reported a worldwide box office of $6.4 million, less than half of its estimated $15 million budget.[4]
[edit] Story
The Company is composed of stories gathered from the actual dancers, choreographers, and office staff of the Joffrey Ballet. Most of the roles are played by real-life company members. While there are small subplots involving a love story between Campbell's character and a character played by James Franco, most of the movie focuses on the company as a whole, without any real star or linear plot. The many real-life stories woven together show the dedication and hard work that dancers must put in to their art, even though they are seldom rewarded with fame, fortune, or even a statue, painting, or album on which to look back.
It has been reported[citation needed] that The Company was a capricious idea of Campbell's for a long time – she began her career as a ballet dancer, having been a student at Canada's National School of Ballet. Altman was reportedly reluctant to take on the directing of the movie initially[citation needed], but later relented.
[edit] References
- ^ Review of The Company by Roger Ebert for the Chicago Sun-Times
- ^ Review of The Company by Elvis Mitchell for The New York Times
- ^ Summary of The Company from Rotten Tomatoes
- ^ Summary of The Company from Box Office Mojo
| Films directed by Robert Altman |
|---|
| The Delinquents • The James Dean Story • Countdown • That Cold Day in the Park • MASH • Brewster McCloud • McCabe & Mrs. Miller • Images • The Long Goodbye • Thieves Like Us • California Split • Nashville • Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson • 3 Women • A Wedding • Quintet • A Perfect Couple • HealtH • Popeye • Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean • Streamers • Secret Honor • O.C. & Stiggs • Fool for Love • Beyond Therapy • Aria • Vincent & Theo • The Player • Short Cuts • Prêt-à-Porter • Kansas City • The Gingerbread Man • Cookie's Fortune • Dr. T & the Women • Gosford Park • The Company • A Prairie Home Companion |
