Stepping Out (1991 film)
Encyclopedia
Stepping Out is a 1991
musical-comedy film directed by Lewis Gilbert
, starring Liza Minnelli
, written by Richard Harris
and based on a play also written by Harris. Minnelli
plays the role of a has-been Broadway
performer who gives tap
lesson to a group of misfits who, through their dance classes, bond and realize what they can achieve. All the actors who play the awkward students are established theatre performers.
suburb to gritty Buffalo, New York
. Mavis' back story was expanded to allow her a chance to sing more; in the play she has a role equal to those of the students.
The students' personalities are generally the same on stage and screen, although minor plot strands have been omitted. For example, Rose was initially a Trinidad
ian, a significant immigrant population in London. Any character outside the class is an addition for the film, as well as any scene outside the classroom plus the final production number.
John Kander
and Fred Ebb
wrote a new song for the film, the title number, which is given a rousing (and lengthy) presentation at film's end, in which the formerly awkward troupe reveal themselves to be strikingly gifted performers. The number also serves as a fine example of the singing and dancing talents of Minnelli.
Variety
, in its 1991 review described the film as "It's Liza-as-you-love-her in Stepping Out, a modest heartwarmer about a bunch of suburban left-feeters getting it together for a charity dance spot. Fragile ensemble item often creaks under the Minnelli glitz, but results are likeable enough." Roger Ebert gave the film a moderate review stating "The [stage play] contained more dancing and was generally more engaging, maybe simply because it was on the stage. As a song-and-dance picture, it talks too much. As a drama, it's superficial and locked into a formula."
was nominated for a BAFTA film award in the Best Supporting Actress
category.
1991 in film
The year 1991 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*April 28 - Bonnie Raitt marries actor Michael O'Keefe in New York* Terminator 2: Judgment Day, became one of the landmarks for science fiction action films with its groundbreaking visual effects from Industrial Light & Magic.*November...
musical-comedy film directed by Lewis Gilbert
Lewis Gilbert
Lewis Gilbert CBE is an English film director, producer and screenwriter.-Early life:He was the son of music hall performers, and spent his early years travelling with his parents, and watching the shows from the side of the stage. He first performed on-stage at the age of 5, when asked to drive a...
, starring Liza Minnelli
Liza Minnelli
Liza May Minnelli is an American actress and singer. She is the daughter of singer and actress Judy Garland and film director Vincente Minnelli....
, written by Richard Harris
Richard Harris (television writer)
Richard Harris is a prolific British television writer, most active from the early 1960s to the mid-1990s. He writes primarily for the crime and detecitve genres, having contributed episodes of series like The Avengers, The Saint, The Sweeney, Armchair Mystery Theatre, and Target...
and based on a play also written by Harris. Minnelli
Minnelli
Minnelli is an Italian surname and may refer to:* Vincente Minnelli, film director* Liza Minnelli, actress and singer* Ludwig Minelli, suicide advocate...
plays the role of a has-been Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
performer who gives tap
Tap
-Mechanical and electrical:* Tap , a device for controlling the release of a liquid or gas* Tap , part of an electrical device* A cutting tool, part of a tap and die set-Entertainment:* Tap dance...
lesson to a group of misfits who, through their dance classes, bond and realize what they can achieve. All the actors who play the awkward students are established theatre performers.
Differences between play and film
In order to appeal to a broader audience, and to justify the hiring of headliner Minnelli, the setting of the play was transferred from a gritty North LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
suburb to gritty Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. Mavis' back story was expanded to allow her a chance to sing more; in the play she has a role equal to those of the students.
The students' personalities are generally the same on stage and screen, although minor plot strands have been omitted. For example, Rose was initially a Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
ian, a significant immigrant population in London. Any character outside the class is an addition for the film, as well as any scene outside the classroom plus the final production number.
John Kander
John Kander
John Harold Kander is the American composer of a number of musicals as part of the songwriting team of Kander and Ebb.-Life and career:Kander was born in Kansas City, Missouri, the son of Bernice and Harold S. Kander...
and Fred Ebb
Fred Ebb
Fred Ebb was an American musical theatre lyricist who had many successful collaborations with composer John Kander. The Kander and Ebb team frequently wrote for such performers as Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera....
wrote a new song for the film, the title number, which is given a rousing (and lengthy) presentation at film's end, in which the formerly awkward troupe reveal themselves to be strikingly gifted performers. The number also serves as a fine example of the singing and dancing talents of Minnelli.
Cast
- Liza MinnelliLiza MinnelliLiza May Minnelli is an American actress and singer. She is the daughter of singer and actress Judy Garland and film director Vincente Minnelli....
as Mavis Turner, a former Broadway dancer who currently teaches a tap class in Buffalo, New York - Bill IrwinBill IrwinWilliam Mills "Bill" Irwin is an American actor and clown noted for his contribution to the renaissance of American circus during the 1970s. He is known for his vaudeville-style stage acts, but has made a number of appearances on film and television and won a Tony Award for a dramatic role on...
as Geoffrey, a shy, widowWidowA widow is a woman whose spouse has died, while a widower is a man whose spouse has died. The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed widowhood or occasionally viduity. The adjective form is widowed...
ed insurance salesman, interested in Andy - Ellen GreeneEllen GreeneEllen Greene is an American singer and actress. Greene has had a long and varied career as a singer, particularly in cabaret, as an actor and singer in numerous stage productions, particularly musical theatre, as well as having performed in many films – notably Little Shop of Horrors...
as Maxine, a cute, funny, and slightly wild mom - Robyn StevanRobyn StevanRobyn Stevan is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her role in the film Bye Bye Blues, for which she won the Genie Award for Best Supporting Actress.- External links :...
as Sylvia, a loud-mouthed buddy of Rose. - Jane KrakowskiJane KrakowskiJane Krakowski is an American actress and singer. She is most well known for her performance of Elaine Vassal on Ally McBeal, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award, and for her current role as Jenna Maroney on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock, for which she has been nominated for three Emmy...
as Lynne, a delicate, sensitive Registered NurseRegistered nurseA registered nurse is a nurse who has graduated from a nursing program at a university or college and has passed a national licensing exam. A registered nurse helps individuals, families, and groups to achieve health and prevent disease...
, one of the best dancers - Sheila McCarthySheila McCarthySheila McCarthy is a Canadian film, stage, television actress, and singer. She is one of the most honoured actors in Canada, having won two Genie Awards , two Gemini Awards , and two Dora Awards among multiple nominations. As of 2007, she can be seen on the Canadian television series Little...
as Andy, a mousey battered wifeDomestic violenceDomestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
, who sees a possible relationship with Geoffrey - Andrea MartinAndrea MartinAndrea Louise Martin is an American and Canadian actress and comedienne. She has appeared in films such as My Big Fat Greek Wedding, on stage in productions such as My Favorite Year, Fiddler on the Roof and Candide, and in the television series, SCTV.-Personal life:Martin, the oldest of three...
as Dorothy, a naive but sincere housewife - Julie WaltersJulie WaltersJulie Walters, CBE is an English actress and novelist. She came to international prominence in 1983 for Educating Rita, performing in the title role opposite Michael Caine. It was a role she had created on the West End stage and it won her BAFTA and Golden Globe awards for Best Actress...
as Vera, an insecure, wealthy, and often abrasive woman - Carol Woods (singer / actress) as Rose, a vibrant woman with a teenage son who gets into trouble
- Shelley WintersShelley WintersShelley Winters was an American actress who appeared in dozens of films, as well as on stage and television; her career spanned over 50 years until her death in 2006...
as Mrs. Fraser, a dour rehearsal pianistPianistA pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
who longs for a connection with others - Luke Reilly as Patrick, Mavis' conceited, insensitive husband
- Nora DunnNora DunnNora Eloise Dunn is an American actress and comedian, perhaps best known for her work on NBC's Saturday Night Live.-Early life:...
as Pam, director of the upscale dance center, a rival to Mavis - Eugene Robert GlazerEugene Robert GlazerEugene Robert Glazer is an American actor best known for his portrayal of "Operations" on the TV show La Femme Nikita. Glazer was raised in Brooklyn, New York, and worked at a variety of jobs before moving to Los Angeles in the 1970s to pursue his acting career...
as Frank - Géza Kovács as Jerry
- Raymond Rickman as Alan
Casting notes
Most of the actors are Broadway-level actors and performers, several of whom have won Tony Awards, specifically Minnelli, Krakowski, Martin, Irwin and Greene (nominee). Winters and Minnelli are Academy Award winners. Woods was the only member of the Broadway cast to appear in the film.Reception
The film was released only in a very limited format (seven theaters) on October 4 1991, and grossed $246,000 total in the United States.Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
, in its 1991 review described the film as "It's Liza-as-you-love-her in Stepping Out, a modest heartwarmer about a bunch of suburban left-feeters getting it together for a charity dance spot. Fragile ensemble item often creaks under the Minnelli glitz, but results are likeable enough." Roger Ebert gave the film a moderate review stating "The [stage play] contained more dancing and was generally more engaging, maybe simply because it was on the stage. As a song-and-dance picture, it talks too much. As a drama, it's superficial and locked into a formula."
Award Nominations
Julie WaltersJulie Walters
Julie Walters, CBE is an English actress and novelist. She came to international prominence in 1983 for Educating Rita, performing in the title role opposite Michael Caine. It was a role she had created on the West End stage and it won her BAFTA and Golden Globe awards for Best Actress...
was nominated for a BAFTA film award in the Best Supporting Actress
BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Best Actress in a Supporting Role is a British Academy Film award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding supporting performance in a film...
category.