Fame (1980)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Alan Parker

Writer:

Christopher Gore (written by)

Release Date:

16 May 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Music

Tagline:

If they've really got what it takes, it's going to take everything they've got.

Plot:

A chronicle of the lives of several teenagers who attend a New York high school for students gifted in the performing arts.

Plot Keywords:

Graduation | Audition | Actor | New York | Singer

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 16 nominations

Cast

Eddie Barth	...	Angelo
Irene Cara	...	Coco
Lee Curreri	...	Bruno
Laura Dean	...	Lisa
Antonia Franceschi	...	Hilary
Boyd Gaines	...	Michael
Albert Hague	...	Shorofsky
Tresa Hughes	...	Mrs. Finsecker
Steve Inwood	...	François Lafete
Paul McCrane	...	Montgomery
Anne Meara	...	Mrs. Sherwood
Joanna Merlin	...	Miss Berg
Barry Miller	...	Ralph
Jim Moody	...	Farrell
Gene Anthony Ray	...	Leroy

Also Known As:

Hot Lunch (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

134 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish | French

Colour:

Colour (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

Portugal:M/12 | Canada:14A | South Korea:15 | New Zealand:M | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Iceland:L | Singapore:NC-16 (cut) | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Haaren High School, 10th Avenue 59th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

United Artists

Trivia:

Debbie Allen commented in interviews that the role of Lydia was originally bigger in the movie, written as a star dance student always competing for roles with Irene Cara's Coco. So the role would not outshine Cara and the other young cast members, the role was then drastically cut down and made into the audition judge that you see in just the first ten minutes of the film. The character of Lydia, of course, was carried over to and made the star of the TV version of "Fame" (1982).

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: Reflected in various people's glasses.

Quotes:

Miss Berg: [to Lisa] Less lip, Monroe, more sweat!
Dancer: [about Miss Berg] She's just a bitch.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Danger Zone: The Making of 'Top Gun' (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

Dogs in the Yard

The last of the 70's movies

'Fame' (1980) is brilliant. It's got all these qualities that made the late 70's movies so great. It is proud of its directness and not ashamed of being over the top.

What really matters here, is the journey, not the destination. Ignorant idiots with soap opera mentality, will never realize that 'Fame' is about the struggles, anxieties and triumphs of these young people, not about their careers.

Ironically enough, none of the very talented actors of 'Fame' made it in Hollywood. 'Fame' marked the end of an era. The end of artistic freedom and experimentation and the beginning of commercialization and political correctness. It's the last statement of a generation that had a voice of its own.

10/10