The Turning Point | | Cast : | Shirley MacLaine, Anne Bancroft, Mikhail Baryshnikov | | Director : | Herbert Ross | | Studio : | Anchor Bay Entertain | | Format : | Color, Dolby, Widescreen | | Released Date : | November , 1977 | | DVD Released Date : | January 25, 2005 | | Language : | English (Dubbed) | | Audience Rating : | PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | July 11, 2005 | | Summary | Best ballet movie EVER! | Content
 | As a 22 year old, this movie came out before I was even born, but growing up, my mother always use to play this movie for us. I think I watched it over 300 times in my life, which is probably why I am a dance major. ANYWAYS, this movie can be watched by anyone. Everything about this movie makes its amazing. You get to see Baryshnikov in his prime, which many of us young dancers never got to view, and you get to see some amazing actress's in action. The whole plot behind the movie is something many dancers to this day are faced with. The question is, to leave dance to start a family and have a "normal" life, or to stay in dance forever....never expierencing a family but always be idolized for the achievments you have made. It shows both sides of the spectrum as well as some amazing dance scene's.
This movie is timeless. Yeah the clothes and hair have change, but the whole idea of what it represents has always been the same in the world of ballet.
If you are a ballet lover than this has to be part of your collection! |
| Rating | | | Date | July 07, 2005 | | Summary | subtitles | Content
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Hi Guys! I really love this movie, and I was waiting a lot of time the DVD release. But I could't know if it has any subtitles. I'm interested specially in the spanish ones. ¿Can anybody who has bought the DVD tell me if it has and in which languages, please?
thank you!!! |
| Rating | | | Date | March 01, 2005 | | Summary | They Just Can't Make'Em Like This Anymore :-( | Content
| Fabulous that they have finally found a DVD home for this, one of my favorite movies ever. Back in 1977, I was a kid of 17 and quite "different" from my peers. Being bored by Star Wars (all that noise and awful John Williams music giving me a headache!), and much more enchanted by three other movies released that same year: New York, New York, Julia, and The Turning Point. As you can see, I had quite a lot in common with other boys my age! I can remember as if it were yesterday the first time I experienced The Turning Point on the big screen. Granted, I was not, nor am I to this day, a particularly huge admirer of ballet - opera being more my style - but after seeing this flick, the combination of fine dancing, and, especially, fine film acting and script writing, just blew my mind and the lid off my head! The late 70's was a kind of renaissance for great woman actors (and ballet too!), and scripts written for them, especially MacLaine, Fonda, and Streep. This film was a stand out indeed. The scenes of MacLaine in her suburban home, preparing to receive the company of her long-lost ballet friends are just so palpable and full of emotion. Bancroft is no less compelling - gorgeous to look at (is it just me or does she not look a bit like the great Callas?), subtle in her resignation that she is no longer what she was but NOT bitter about it, the way MacLaine is quite bitter and a bit disappointed in terms of the way her life has turned out. Her caring and admiration for MacLaine's daughter, Leslie Brown, is never, I feel, done in a way to spite her one-time rival. It's simply one artist acknowledging and encouraging another for the sake of their Art. The little "inside" bits of the ballet world also contribute considerably to this film, adding truth and a texture that, I'm afraid to say, could never be done today (the ballet world is NOT the same today as it was in the late 70's, a glowing period it was indeed!!!). As for all the talk regarding Ms. Brown's acting ability, I think she is perfect for this role, projecting an innocent, vulnerable quality with an ability to also dance quite well. As for Baryshnikov? Well, what can I say. Beautiful to look at and especially amusing in the early part of the film where he is serenading the post-performance party with a little Russian melody.
This is what film making used to be about - great acting, interesting personalities, fine script writing, and an all-around interest and knowledge of what a particular film was supposed to be about.
Luigi - NYC
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| Rating | | | Date | February 09, 2005 | | Summary | Good but flawed | Content
| Glad to finally see this on DVD. Leslie Brown is pathetic as an actress and the divine Anne Bancroft is a bit melodramatic. However, having lived through this wonderful period in ballet history, and knowing some former star ballerinas, I can relate to the drama. This is truly a glimpse into the American Ballet Theatre when it was still great. Of course, the artistry and excitement reflected in the film doesn't exist anymore. Too bad! On of Ms. Brown's worst representations in the film, (she is the God daughter of executive producer Nora Kaye, who by the way was one of the most incredibly dramatic ballerinas ever), is when she performs the thrilling solo Vortex solo from Ailey's The River. Performed magnificently in performance by such greats as Eleanor D'Antuono, Brown is really BAD. Another sad thing is that the amazing performance at the end of the film at the gala have not been restored and included as bonus material. God I would have loved to see those performances in full. Oh well, probably lost on the cutting room floor. I do recommend this movie if you love ballet and want to see something of a time that has vanished. PS: Martha Scott as Lucia Chase is wonderful! |
| Rating | | | Date | January 26, 2005 | | Summary | ON DVD AT LAST! | Content
| This is one of THE BEST women's movies EVER and is one of my favorite films of all time. The movie is a very believable examinaton of the conflicts women face and the balancing acts women must succeed at in order to be true to themselves, their mates, their children, and their careers. The film holds up remarkably well, and as the film poster originally stated: "The Generations Change, But The Choices Remain The Same."
As for the DVD, it is a respectable but VERY bare bones affair. The original preview and a featurette are included. The featurette was made at the time of production and was mastered from a horrible Master Source (There may have been none better available!) and it features film clips and brief interviews with key people involved in the production.
The film is presented in its original widescreen format and looks to have been cleaned-up and color-corrected. I would have liked to have had the writer, director, and principal cast do a restrospective and/or a commentary track but just getting the movie on DVD to begin with (and looking this good) is a real accomplishment.
Those looking for good women's issues movies should make sure to look at Babyfever and The Hours. |
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