Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks | |
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Directed by | Arthur Allan Seidelman |
Written by | Richard Alfieri |
Based on | Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks by Richard Alfieri |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Vilmos Zsigmond |
Edited by | Bert Glatstein |
Music by | Attila Pacsay |
Production companies | Docler Entertainment Entpro |
Release date |
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Running time | 107 minutes |
Countries | Hungary [1] United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $106,323 |
Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks is a 2014 Hungarian-American [1] comedy-drama film starring Gena Rowlands and Cheyenne Jackson alongside a supporting cast including Jacki Weaver, Rita Moreno, Julian Sands and Anthony Zerbe. [2] [3] The film was adapted by Richard Alfieri from his play of the same name and directed by Arthur Allan Seidelman. [4] It was the final film of director of photography Vilmos Zsigmond, who died two years after the film's release in 2016 [5] [6] and last film of Rowlands before she retired in 2015, followed by her death in 2024. [7] [8]
A retired woman hires a dance instructor to give her private dance lessons at her home—one per week for six weeks. What begins as an antagonistic relationship turns into a close friendship as they dance together.
The film has a 50% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 12 reviews, with an average score of 5.29/10. [9] Stephen Whitty of The Star-Ledger referred to the film as "a very poor movie." [10] Nicolas Rapold of The New York Times wrote "The soppy, instructive story of acceptance feels handed down from another era, though Ms. Rowlands can fire off a one-liner at 20 paces, and she effortlessly conveys oh-my-oh-me adorable." [11]
Virginia Cathryn "Gena" Rowlands was an American actress, whose career in film, stage, and television spanned nearly seven decades. She was a four-time Emmy Award and two-time Golden Globe winner, was twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress.
Gloria is a 1980 American neo-noir crime thriller film written and directed by John Cassavetes. It tells the story of a gangster's former girlfriend who goes on the run with a young boy who is being hunted by the mob for information he may or may not have. It stars Gena Rowlands, Julie Carmen, Buck Henry, and John Adames.
Faces is a 1968 American drama film written, produced, and directed by John Cassavetes—his fourth directorial work. It depicts, shot in cinéma vérité-style, the final stages of the disintegrating marriage of a middle-aged couple, played by John Marley and newcomer Lynn Carlin. Cassavetes regulars Gena Rowlands, Seymour Cassel, Fred Draper, and Val Avery also star.
Taking Lives is a 2004 American psychological thriller film directed by D. J. Caruso and starring Angelina Jolie and Ethan Hawke, with supporting roles by Kiefer Sutherland, Olivier Martinez, Tchéky Karyo, Jean-Hugues Anglade, and Gena Rowlands. Loosely adapted from the novel of the same name by Michael Pye, the film centers on an enigmatic serial killer who takes on the identities of his victims.
Vilmos Zsigmond was a Hungarian-American cinematographer. His work in cinematography helped shape the look of American movies in the 1970s, making him one of the leading figures in the American New Wave movement.
Anthony Jared Zerbe is an American actor. His notable film roles include the post-apocalyptic cult leader Matthias in The Omega Man, a 1971 film adaptation of Richard Matheson's 1954 novel, I Am Legend; as an Irish Catholic coal miner and one of the Molly Maguires in the 1970 film The Molly Maguires; as a corrupt gambler in Farewell, My Lovely; as the leper colony chief Toussaint in the 1973 historical drama prison film Papillon; as Abner Devereaux in Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park; as villain Milton Krest in the James Bond film Licence to Kill; Rosie in The Turning Point; Roger Stuart in The Dead Zone; Admiral Dougherty in Star Trek: Insurrection; and Councillor Hamann in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions.
Opening Night is a 1977 American psychological drama film written and directed by John Cassavetes, and starring Gena Rowlands, Ben Gazzara, Joan Blondell, Paul Stewart, Zohra Lampert, and Cassavetes. Its plot follows a stage actress who, after witnessing the accidental death of a fan, struggles through a nervous breakdown while she prepares for an upcoming Broadway premiere.
Cheyenne David Jackson is an American actor and singer. His credits include leading roles in Broadway musicals and other stage roles, as well as film and television roles, concert singing, and music recordings.
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Something to Talk About is a 1995 American comedy-drama film directed by Lasse Hallström, from a screenplay written by Callie Khouri. It stars Julia Roberts and Dennis Quaid as an estranged couple, Kyra Sedgwick as Roberts' sister, and Robert Duvall and Gena Rowlands as their parents.
Unhook the Stars is a 1996 American drama film directed by Nick Cassavetes, and starring his mother Gena Rowlands, Marisa Tomei, Gérard Depardieu, Jake Lloyd in his film debut, David Sherrill, David Thornton, Bridgette Wilson and Moira Kelly.
Arthur Allan Seidelman is an American television, film, and theatre director and an occasional writer, producer, and actor. His works are distinguished by a humane, probing, and sympathetic depiction of characters facing ethical challenges. His approach to directing is guided by his belief that character and relationships, along with an emphasis on genuine emotion over intellectualization, are the keys to unlocking the dramatic potential of a performance, a play, or a screenplay.
Richard Alfieri to Sam and Nena Alfieri is an American playwright, screenplay writer, novelist, film producer, and actor. His awards include two Writers Guild Awards and an Emmy nomination.
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Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks is a 2001 play by American playwright Richard Alfieri. It is a play with only two characters: Lily Harrison, the formidable widow of a Baptist minister, and Michael Minetti, a gay and acerbic dance instructor hired to give her dancing lessons. It premiered at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles before moving to Broadway. It has gone on to performances in 24 countries and been translated into 14 languages.
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The Polka King is a 2017 American biographical comedy film directed by Maya Forbes and written by Forbes and Wallace Wolodarsky. The film is about real-life Polish-American polka band leader Jan Lewan, who was imprisoned in 2004 for running a Ponzi scheme. The film stars Jack Black as Lewan, as well as Jenny Slate, Jason Schwartzman, and Jacki Weaver. It premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2017. It was released on Netflix on January 12, 2018.
Spielberg is a 2017 American documentary film directed by Susan Lacy, and is centered on the career of film director Steven Spielberg. It premiered at the 2017 New York Film Festival and aired on HBO on October 7, 2017.