Flashdance (1983)
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A determined welder in Pittsburgh dreams of becoming a professional dancer while navigating a burgeoning romance.
The story
Alex Owens is an 18-year-old welder at a steel mill in Pittsburgh who dreams of becoming a professional dancer despite having no formal training. She works as a nightly performer at a local bar and finds herself caught in a complicated dynamic when she catches the eye of Nick Hurley, the owner of the mill where she works. While Nick pursues her, Alex is also approached by a club owner who wants her to perform. Seeking to advance her career, she seeks guidance from a mentor to prepare for an audition at the prestigious Pittsburgh Conservatory of Dance and Repertory.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Alex Owens is an 18-year-old welder at a steel mill in Pittsburgh who dreams of becoming a professional dancer. She works as a nightly performer at Mawby's, a local bar, and lives with her dog, Grunt. She catches the eye of Nick Hurley, the owner of the steel mill, who pursues her, and is also approached by Johnny C. to dance at his club. After seeking advice from her mentor, Hanna Long, Alex hesitates to apply to the Pittsburgh Conservatory of Dance and Repertory due to her lack of formal training. After a series of events, including an assault by Johnny C. and the subsequent death of her mentor, Alex finds new motivation. Nick secretly helps her get an audition. Initially angry at his interference, Alex eventually finds the resolve to perform. At the audition, she successfully completes a dance routine incorporating breakdancing. She emerges to find Nick and her dog waiting for her with flowers.
- First release year
- 1983
- Runtime (minutes)
- 97
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Adrian Lyne
- Writers
- Tom Hedley · screenplay; Joe Eszterhas · screenplay; Tom Hedley · story
- Cast and characters
- Jennifer Beals · Alex Owens; Michael Nouri · Nick Hurley
- Genres
- romantic drama; dance
- Themes
- ambition; working-class struggle; romance
- Tone and mood
- passionate; stylized
- Premise and plot tags
- underdog story; dance; industrial
- Reception
- The film received mixed to negative reviews from critics but was a significant box-office success, becoming one of the highest-grossing films of 1983.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 37% · scale: percentage · review count: 49; Metacritic · score: 39 · scale: 100 · review count: 11
- Awards and nominations
- Grammy Award · Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special · win
- Production trivia
- The film's music video-style sequences influenced other 1980s films like Footloose and Top Gun.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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