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Strictly Ballroom

Strictly Ballroom

Comedy · Drama · Romance · 1992

Brave new steps put Scott's career in jeopardy. With a new partner and determination, can he still succeed?

Movie details

Strictly Ballroom

“A life lived in fear... is a life half lived.”

1992 Comedy · Drama · Romance 1h 34m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.6 / 10

Community rating

Brave new steps put Scott's career in jeopardy. With a new partner and determination, can he still succeed?

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Strictly Ballroom?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Baz Luhrmann

Written by

Baz Luhrmann · Craig Pearce

Paul Mercurio

Paul Mercurio

Scott Hastings

Tara Morice

Tara Morice

Fran

Bill Hunter

Bill Hunter

Barry Fife

Pat Thomson

Pat Thomson

Shirley Hastings

Gia Carides

Gia Carides

Liz Holt

P

Peter Whitford

Les Kendall

Barry Otto

Barry Otto

Doug Hastings

Court is in session

Put Strictly Ballroom on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.