Make It Happen (film)

Last updated
Make It Happen
MakeItHappen-Art001.jpg
UK theatrical release poster
Directed by Darren Grant
Screenplay by
Story byDuane Adler
Produced by
  • Anthony Mosawi
  • Brad Luff
Starring
CinematographyDavid Claessen
Edited byScott Richter
Music by Paul Haslinger
Production
company
The Mayhem Project
Distributed by
Release dates
  • August 8, 2008 (2008-08-08)(United Kingdom)
  • December 9, 2008 (2008-12-09)(United States)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$10.1 million [1]

Make It Happen is a 2008 American dance film directed by Darren Grant and starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead. The screenplay was co-written by Duane Adler, who was a screenwriter for other dance films Step Up and Save the Last Dance .

Contents

Though the film was theatrically released internationally, the film was released direct-to-video in the United States on December 9, 2008. The film received generally negative reviews, with chief criticisms being that it was yet another by-the-numbers dance film, though Winstead's performance received significant praise. The film was also a commercial failure, only grossing $10 million. [2] [3]

Plot

Lauryn Kirk is an aspiring dancer. As there are no dance schools in her hometown of Glenwood, Indiana, Lauryn says goodbye to her brother Joel and departs for Chicago to audition for a famous dance school. Joel works as a mechanic in the family garage, and is wary of Lauryn's decision to leave but eventually gives her his blessing. When Lauryn dances at the audition, her mostly a hip hop dance routine, is rejected by the judge, who says that they need to see something more "sensual and feminine".

Dejected, Lauryn goes to a diner to down her sorrows, but soon finds her car towed off. Upon seeing her misfortunes, Dana, a friendly waitress from the diner invites Lauryn to her apartment and out of the pouring rain. Dana subsequently offers Lauryn a place to stay, considering Lauryn could not go back home and face her brother. The next day, Dana brings Lauryn to a club called Ruby's (whose dances are rooted in burlesque), where she meets with Russ, the slick-talking disc jockey, and Brenda, the club owner. Brenda hires Lauryn as a bookkeeper, in light of her skills with numbers. Lauryn watches as a dancer, Carmen, performs impressively on the stage.

Before locking up late one night, Lauryn goes on the stage and silently and elegantly dances, while unbeknownest to her, Russ watches from a distance. The next night, Brenda finds herself short of dancers. Russ asks Lauryn to dance, after having seen her graceful performance the previous night. Lauryn reluctantly agrees, and goes on stage. At first, new to the sexy routine, Lauryn looks foolish, but when Russ starts playing hip-hop music, Lauryn does a sexy hip-hop routine, and finds herself to be Ruby's new star. As Lauryn and Russ' relationship progresses, Lauryn continues performing stunningly on stage, much to Carmen and Brooke's chagrin, who try to sabotage and intimidate the newcomer.

One night, Joel catches Lauryn at the club during a dance; After an argument, in which Lauryn realizes that Joel is losing the family garage due to stacking mortgages and bills, she decides to ditch the stage and return to Indiana to save the garage. Soon after though, Joel catches a peek of Lauryn joyfully dancing in the garage one day, and asks Lauryn to give the audition another shot. Lauryn returns to Chicago for a second audition. She nails it, and happily embraces Russ, who has come to encourage her. Lauryn goes back to Ruby's to apologize to Brenda, but finds a surprise congratulatory party awaiting for her, and the party breaks into dance.

Cast

Production

Early conception

"What attracted me to "Make It Happen" was the fact that I could really just incorporate a lot of styles that I had done over the years. You have the dance element, and each little dance routine was going to be like its own little music video," Grant explains. When it came to helping the director to tell the story, Grant went to work with longtime collaborator, 1999 Kodak Cinematography Award winner David Claessen. "I've worked with David since I was a PA and an electrician, and I always liked the way he lights. We've done music videos that have been amazing and every frame is like a portrait or a picture." [4]

On July 10, 2007, the casting of Mary Elizabeth Winstead in the lead role was announced. [5] [6] Winstead was excited by the challenge of taking on a lead role and getting to dance onscreen. [7] Winstead, who started dancing at the age of four, was thrilled and a little shocked to be offered the role of Lauryn. "I actually got offered the role kind of out of the blue. And I was extremely excited because it's a dance film and dance has been a passion of mine for a long time, especially growing up, so it was just a really great opportunity."[ citation needed ] Soon after, Winstead began practicing the dance moves with choreographer Tracy Phillips. In June, Riley Smith announces his association with the film in his official website. [8] On August 16, Ashley Roberts was announced as joining the film by Entertainment Sunflashes. [9]

The film was shot on location in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, from August 8 until September 17, 2007. [10] They also shot briefly in Chicago for two days. [7]

Marketing

In mid July, promotions for the film began in UK. On July 11, the theatrical international trailer was released through Optimum Releasing, followed by promotional and production stills. Soon after, promotional clips began sneaking their way into the Internet, and TV spots started airing in UK TV channels. The theatrical trailer was released thereafter. The first UK review surfaced on August 3. Make It Happen was released in the UK on August 8, 2008.

The film was further released in Iceland on the 28th of August, and then in Singapore and Australia on September 4. The film debuted in the Philippines on 1 October, and recently premiered in Hong Kong theaters on November 13. The film was also released in Netherlands on February 5, 2009 and Belgium on the 18th.

Make It Happen made its final theatrical run in France, on 10 June 2009, exactly a year after the film's shooting production began.

Release

Home media

Make It Happen was released on standard DVD in the UK on December 29, 2008. Supplementary materials include: "She's Got Moves" DVD Game, an interview with Mary Elizabeth Winstead, 13 deleted and extended scenes, blooper reel, trailers and TV spots. [11] The film never received a theatrical release in the United States and instead went straight to DVD on December 9, 2008, while finding release on DVD on November 4, 2008. The DVD possesses the removed plotline of Dana's sudden pregnancy, and of her eventual miscarriage and also an extended sequence of Brooke's audition. [12]

Make It Happen has yet to be released on Blu-ray in the US. It was released in Blu-ray on 20 July 2009 in the UK. The only special features available are a few trailers for other Weinstein releases, and Dutch subtitles. The release is Region B Locked. [13] [14] [15] The film eventually got a Canadian Blu-ray as well, released on January 25, 2011 by Alliance Films as a Region A Locked disc. It also similarly lacks special features. [16]

Reception

Box office

Make It Happen was released first in the UK on Friday, the 8th of August. During its initial release, the film grossed $945,349 over the weekend and ended up fifth on the box office chart. It spent a total of one week on the top 10 chart, before dropping down to the 12th position in its second week, earning $216,923 as the weekend gross. The film grossed $2,616,579 a total of over its run in the UK. It was further released on the 4th of September in both Australia and Singapore, where it went on to collect a total of $1,526,207 and $91,686 respectively. It made $108,174 in the Philippines after its debut on 1 October. The film was released direct to DVD in the US on December 9, 2008.

Make It Happen sat on #5 in the box office chart in Slovakia, earning $18,202, and ended up with $62,362 throughout its release in Slovakia. The film was later released in Netherlands on 5 February 2009. In its first week, the film stood at #8 in the chart, charting $113,045, and racked up $414,585 throughout its release. The film was released on March 3, 2009 in Hungary, where it collected a total of $19,830 for four weeks. Make It Happen stands at #6 during its weekend gross in Thailand, where it collected $42,693 in its first weekend. In Italy, where the film came out on 5 April, it made $1,588,417. Furthermore, the film was released on 16 March in Russia and on the 23rd in Malaysia. It made a feeble $41,443 during its 4 weeks run in Malaysia, but in a contrast, made $492,825 during its 6 weeks run in Russia.

Make It Happen was released in France on 10 June 2009, where the film collected a total of $1,209,457. The film made its final run in theaters in Lebanon, where it went on to collect $8,481. In total, Make It Happen made $10,153,961 in the international box office. [1]

Critical response

The film received generally unfavorable reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 22% based on reviews from 18 critics. The site's consensus states: "Cheap, predictable, formulaic and unimaginative generic dance film. Comes across as Showgirls for simpleton teens, but with much less flesh on show". [17]

Critics disliked the film's similarities with other dance flicks such as Save the Last Dance and Flashdance . The dance moves were also criticized as being lazy, and offering nothing groundbreaking. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave it 1 out of 5 and described it as "Cheesy and icky, but calamitously fails to offer any high-octane dance to ease the pain." [18]

Critics agreed that the film's biggest asset was Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Reviewer Mike Martin says, "Winstead infuses every moment with an amazing amount of charm". [19] Matthew Turner of ViewLondon even goes to say it "compensates for the generally poor direction." [20] The story has also been said to have "plenty of heart". "[...] the screenplay makes an effort to build a story and characters and interest, to put Lauryn's dancing ambition in context and the dance sequences in the third act more explosive," said critic Andrew L. Urban. [12]

The film was listed as the 36th Worst 2008 Film at Times Online. [21]

Soundtrack

No official soundtrack has been planned for the film, but Make It Happen features the following songs, among others:

Related Research Articles

<i>Showgirls</i> 1995 erotic drama film by Paul Verhoeven

Showgirls is a 1995 erotic drama film directed by Paul Verhoeven, written by Joe Eszterhas, starring Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan, Gina Gershon, Glenn Plummer, Robert Davi, Alan Rachins, and Gina Ravera. An ambitious young woman hitches a ride to Vegas to pursue her dreams of being a professional dancer and showgirl.

<i>The Slipper and the Rose</i> 1976 British film

The Slipper and the Rose: The Story of Cinderella is a 1976 British musical retelling the classic fairy tale of Cinderella. The film was chosen as the Royal Command Performance motion picture selection for 1976.

<i>Risky Business</i> 1983 film by Paul Brickman

Risky Business is a 1983 American coming-of-age teen comedy film written and directed by Paul Brickman and starring Tom Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay. It follows the sexual exploits of high school senior Joel Goodsen (Cruise), who is staying home alone during his parents' vacation trip and meets a call girl named Lana. The film is considered to be Cruise's breakout role.

<i>Audition</i> (1999 film) 1999 film by Takashi Miike

Audition is a 1999 Japanese horror film directed by Takashi Miike and written by Daisuke Tengan. An adaptation of Ryu Murakami's 1997 novel, it stars Ryo Ishibashi and Eihi Shiina. The film follows a middle-aged widower who enlists the help of his film producer friend to stage a fake audition in order to meet a new girlfriend, only to find that the dark past of the woman he chooses severely affects their relationship.

<i>Urban Legend</i> (film) 1998 film by Jamie Blanks

Urban Legend is a 1998 slasher film directed by Jamie Blanks, written by Silvio Horta, and starring Jared Leto, Alicia Witt, Rebecca Gayheart, Tara Reid, and Michael Rosenbaum, and is the first installment in the Urban Legend film series. Its plot focuses on a series of murders on the campus of a private New England university, all of which appear to be modeled after popular urban legends. In addition to its younger cast, the film features supporting performances from Robert Englund, Loretta Devine, John Neville, and Brad Dourif.

<i>Live Free or Die Hard</i> 2007 US action film directed by Len Wiseman

Live Free or Die Hard is a 2007 American action thriller film directed by Len Wiseman, and serves as the fourth installment in the Die Hard film series. It is based on the 1997 article "A Farewell to Arms" written for Wired magazine by John Carlin. The film's name references New Hampshire's state motto, "Live Free or Die".

<i>Final Destination 3</i> 2006 American supernatural horror film

Final Destination 3 is a 2006 American supernatural horror film directed by James Wong. A standalone sequel to Final Destination 2 (2003), it is the third installment in the Final Destination film series. Wong and Glen Morgan, who worked on the franchise's first film, wrote the screenplay. Final Destination 3 stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Ryan Merriman, and takes place years after the first film. Winstead plays Wendy Christensen, a high school graduate who has a premonition that a roller coaster she and her classmates are riding will derail. Although she saves some of them, Death begins hunting the survivors. Wendy realizes photographs she took at the amusement park contain clues about her classmates' deaths. With survivor and friend Kevin Fischer (Merriman), Wendy tries to use this knowledge to save the rest of the survivors and ruin Death's scheme.

<i>Sky High</i> (2005 film) 2005 film by Mike Mitchell

Sky High is a 2005 American superhero comedy film directed by Mike Mitchell, and written by Paul Hernandez, and Kim Possible creators Bob Schooley and Mark McCorkle. The film stars Kelly Preston, Michael Angarano, Danielle Panabaker, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Kurt Russell. It follows Will Stronghold (Angarano), the son of two superheroes, who is enrolled in an airborne high school for teenage superheroes where his powers kick in. He must deal with a growing distance from his old friends, a threat from a mysterious supervillain, and get the girl of his dreams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Elizabeth Winstead</span> American actress (born 1984)

Mary Elizabeth Winstead is an American actress and singer. Her first major role was that of Jessica Bennett on the NBC soap opera Passions (1999–2000). She came to wider attention for her roles in the horror series Wolf Lake (2001–2002), the horror films Final Destination 3 (2006) and Death Proof (2007), and the slasher film Black Christmas (2006); by the end of the 2000s she had gained a reputation as a scream queen.

<i>My Bloody Valentine</i> (film) 1981 Canadian slasher film by George Mihalka

My Bloody Valentine is a 1981 Canadian slasher film directed by George Mihalka and written by John Beaird. It stars Paul Kelman, Lori Hallier, and Neil Affleck. The plot tells about a group of young adults who decide to throw a Valentine's Day party, only to incur the vengeful wrath of a maniac in mining gear who begins a killing spree.

<i>Black Christmas</i> (2006 film) 2006 film by Glen Morgan

Black X-Mas is a 2006 slasher film written and directed by Glen Morgan, and starring Katie Cassidy, Michelle Trachtenberg, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Oliver Hudson, Lacey Chabert, Kristen Cloke, Crystal Lowe and Andrea Martin. The film takes place several days before Christmas and tells the story of a group of sorority sisters who are stalked and murdered in their house during a winter storm. It is a loose remake and reimagining of the 1974 film of the same name. A co-production of Canada and the United States, the film was produced by Morgan and James Wong through their production company Hard Eight Pictures, along with 2929 Productions, Adelstein-Parouse Productions and Hoban Segal Productions. It is the second film in the Black Christmas series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wendy Christensen</span> Final Destination franchise fictional character

Wendy Christensen is a fictional character in the Final Destination franchise. The character, created by James Wong and Glen Morgan, and portrayed by actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead, serves as the protagonist in Final Destination 3. Outside of the films, the character also appears in the novelization of Final Destination 3.

<i>Death Proof</i> 2007 American film

Death Proof is a 2007 American slasher film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It stars Kurt Russell as a stuntman who murders young women with modified cars he purports to be "death-proof". Rosario Dawson, Vanessa Ferlito, Jordan Ladd, Rose McGowan, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Tracie Thoms, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Zoë Bell co-star as the women he targets.

<i>The Cheetah Girls: One World</i> 2008 American TV series or program

The Cheetah Girls: One World is a 2008 American musical film, released as a Disney Channel Original Movie. It premiered on Disney Channel on August 22, 2008. It is the third and final film of The Cheetah Girls trilogy, and the only film not to feature Raven-Symoné.

<i>Hannah Montana: The Movie</i> 2009 film by Peter Chelsom

Hannah Montana: The Movie is a 2009 American teen musical comedy drama film based on the Disney Channel television series Hannah Montana. The film is produced by Walt Disney Pictures. Directed by Peter Chelsom and written by Dan Berendsen, the film stars series regulars Miley Cyrus, Billy Ray Cyrus, Emily Osment, Moises Arias, Mitchel Musso and Jason Earles, as well as Lucas Till, Vanessa Williams, Margo Martindale and Melora Hardin. The film tells of how Miley Stewart's popularity and alternate celebrity persona begins to take over her life, so her father convinces her to take a trip to her hometown of Crowley Corners, Tennessee to get some perspective on what matters most in life.

<i>Scott Pilgrim vs. the World</i> 2010 film by Edgar Wright

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is a 2010 romantic action comedy film co-written, produced and directed by Edgar Wright, based on the graphic novel series Scott Pilgrim by Bryan Lee O'Malley. It stars an ensemble cast, with Michael Cera as Scott Pilgrim, a slacker musician who is trying to win a competition to get a record deal, while also battling the seven evil exes of his new girlfriend Ramona Flowers, played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead.

<i>Elle: A Modern Cinderella Tale</i> 2010 American film

Elle: A Modern Cinderella Tale is a 2010 American teen musical comedy-drama film directed by John and Sean Dunson and starring Ashlee Hewitt and Sterling Knight. The screenplay was written by Bo Ransdell, Ryan Dean and Thomas Martin and produced by Sean Dunson, John Dunson and Carlucci Weyant.

<i>The Ring Two</i> 2005 American film directed by Hideo Nakata

The Ring Two is a 2005 American supernatural horror film and sequel to the 2002 film The Ring, which was a remake of the 1998 Japanese film Ring. Hideo Nakata, director of the original Ring, directed this film in place of Gore Verbinski. Noam Murro was attached before Nakata, but left due to creative differences. Naomi Watts, David Dorfman and Daveigh Chase reprised their roles with Simon Baker, Elizabeth Perkins and Sissy Spacek joining the cast. This film also marks the debut of Mary Elizabeth Winstead.

<i>The Odd Life of Timothy Green</i> 2012 film by Peter Hedges

The Odd Life of Timothy Green is a 2012 American fantasy comedy-drama film written and directed by Peter Hedges from a story by Ahmet Zappa. Starring Jennifer Garner, Joel Edgerton, Dianne Wiest, CJ Adams, Rosemarie DeWitt, Ron Livingston, David Morse and Common, the film is about a magical pre-adolescent boy whose personality and naïveté have profound effects on the people in his town. The film was produced by Walt Disney Pictures and released theatrically on August 15, 2012. It received mixed reviews from critics, earned $55.3 million on a $25 million budget and had modest ticket sales in its debut weekend. CJ Adams's performance won him a Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film, while Odeya Rush's performance was nominated for the same award. The Odd Life of Timothy Green was released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on Blu-ray and DVD on December 4, 2012.

<i>Gemini Man</i> (film) 2019 American science fiction action thriller film by Ang Lee

Gemini Man is a 2019 American science fiction action thriller film directed by Ang Lee. It stars Will Smith in the main dual role, alongside Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Clive Owen and Benedict Wong. The film follows a retiring Force Recon Marine scout sniper who is targeted by a much younger clone of himself while on the run from a corrupt private military company.

References

  1. 1 2 Make It Happen (2008) Box Office Mojo
  2. ↑ "Film review: Make It Happen". TheGuardian.com . 7 August 2008.
  3. ↑ "Make It Happen (PG)". Independent.co.uk . 23 October 2011.
  4. ↑ "THE MOVIE PAGES presents MARY ELIZABETH WINSTEAD & AARON MERKE, JOHN REARDON in "MAKE IT HAPPEN" makeithappen.htm". www.impactservices.net.au.
  5. ↑ Hayes, Dade (July 10, 2007). "Weinstein Co. onboard for dance film". Variety . Retrieved 2020-10-20.
  6. ↑ Jeff Giles (July 11, 2007). "Mary Elizabeth Winstead set to "Make It Happen" in Burlesque Flick". Rotten Tomatoes . Archived from the original on 2008-06-27. Retrieved 2020-10-10.
  7. 1 2 Clint, Caffeinated (30 August 2008). "Exclusive Interview : Mary Elizabeth Winstead". Moviehole.
  8. ↑ Riley Smith (June 25, 2007). "Summer Time, CD time, Ready for the Road..." RileyMusic.de. Archived from the original on 2007-10-06. Retrieved 2020-10-20. Its a dance movie that im sure your all going to dig
  9. ↑ "Lights, Camera, Action, Pussycat!". Winnipeg Sun . Postmedia Network . Retrieved 2009-01-23.[ permanent dead link ]
  10. ↑ "Production is Happening on Make It Happen". ComingSoon.net. 10 August 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-11.
  11. ↑ "Optimum Releasing: Make It Happen". Optimum Releasing. Archived from the original on 2009-07-28. Retrieved 2008-11-07.
  12. 1 2 Andrew L. Urban (January 8, 2009). "Make It Happen: DVD". Urban Cinefile . Archived from the original on 2009-04-13. Retrieved 2020-10-20.
  13. ↑ "Make It Happen Blu-ray (United Kingdom)".
  14. ↑ "Amazon.Co.UK: Make It Happen [Blu-ray][2008]". Amazon UK. Retrieved 2009-06-24.
  15. ↑ Make it Happen (UK – BD RB) in News > Releases at DVDActive
  16. ↑ "Make It Happen Blu-ray (Tout Pour la Danse) (Canada)".
  17. ↑ "Make It Happen". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 2020-10-25.
  18. ↑ Peter Bradshaw (7 August 2008). "Film review: Make It Happen". The Guardian . "Make It Happen". The Guardian . 5 August 2008. Cheesy and icky, but calamitously fails to offer any high-octane dance to ease the pain
  19. ↑ "Teletext Big Screen Film Reviews". Archived from the original on 2008-08-27. Retrieved 2008-09-11.
  20. ↑ Matthew Turner. "Make it Happen Film Review". Archived from the original on August 14, 2008. Retrieved May 14, 2010.
  21. ↑ "100 Worst Movies of 2008". The Times. London. December 8, 2008. Retrieved 2009-07-25.[ dead link ]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.