Product Description

Together theyve got a hit tv sitcom & a hot relationship. But the match made in heaven descends into ratings hell as the distance between keeping it real & selling out gets shorter & shorter. Studio: Hbo Home Video Release Date: 06/01/2004 Starring: Nicole Ari Parker Vicellou Reon Shannon Run time: 106 minutes Rating: R Director: Reggie Rock Bythewood

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #75878 in DVD
• Brand: Warner Brothers
• Released on: 2004-06-01
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Original language: English, Spanish
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .20 pounds
• Running time: 106 minutes

Customer Reviews

Intelligent Drama About TV Business
DANCING IN SEPTEMBER is the long-form directing debut of Reggie Rock Bythewood, writer of GET ON THE BUS. Although the film had its world premiere at the 2000 Hollywood Black Film Festival, it was not widely seen until it premiered on HBO a year later.

The film tells the story of Tommy Crawford (Nicole Ari Parker of TV's "Soul Food"), a staff writer on a television sitcom. When she dares speak her mind at a story meeting, the executive producer's fragile ego is bruised and Tommy abruptly gets the axe.

Fortunately, all is not lost. Tommy pitches her own television series to a start-up television network (not unlike the WB or UPN). George Washington (Isaiah Washington), an ambitious executive at the network, sees Tommy's show as a way up the corporate ladder and champions the project. Before you know it, the series (called "Just Us") is on the network's fall line-up and a special bond develops between Tommy and George. Through it all, Tommy is forced to navigate through the politics of network television. As the saying goes, "Be careful of what you ask for, because you might get it."

Isaiah Washington gives one of his best performances to date in DANCING IN SEPTEMBER. Unlike the Damon Wayans character in Spike Lee's similarly themed, BAMBOOZLED, George is believeable throughout the film. Although you may not always like George, his character is very consistent. Unlike, BAMBOOZLED, the story stays true to form, although there's a subplot that throws the film's equilibrium off slightly when it turns violent.

One of the real highlights among the cast is Nicole Ari Parker's performance. She is fantastic in this film. Made before she signed on do to "Soul Food" for Showtime, it was her first starring role (not counting the fine featurette MUTE LOVE). Her dramatic range is quite impressive. In short, she brings a depth and intelligence to her character that is rarely seen in younger actors of today.

Another reason to check out this movie is for Vicellous Reon Shannon's performance as James or "Semaj." He plays a street vendor that is cast in Tommy's series. Some of his scenes with Parker and with her "Soul Food" co-star, Malinda Williams are among the strongest in the film.

For those who liked BAMBOOZLED, they should love this film. In many ways it is more effective in showing how television networks will do almost anything in their neverending pursuit of ratings. One of the reasons for this is probably the fact that Bythewood worked for many years as a writer for network television. He doesn't need to show actors in blackface to make his point, like Spike Lee did in his film.

Also, actor for actor, the performances are much better in DANCING IN SEPTEMBER and more believeable than BAMBOOZLED. Even actors in relatively small roles get to shine. One that immediately comes to mind is that of Jenifer Lewis, who plays a character in Tommy's series.

Other than what has been already mentioned, one warning about the film is that it is an insider's view of television. This might not appeal to some viewers that do not have a connection with "the business." It may seem foreign to them. Hopefully, viewers will look past that and just enjoy the film.

In short, DANCING IN SEPTEMBER is a solid directorial debut for Reggie Rock Bythewood. It has quality acting, drama and something important to say about the world. Hopefully, we'll be seeing more from Bythewood and his fine ensemble in the near future.

Last but not least, kudos go out to HBO for allowing audiences to see this very worthwhile film. Combined with Showtime, the Independent Film Channel, Black Starz! and the Sundance Channel, cable seems to be the place where intelligent films get their place to shine.

Staying true to yourself
I really enjoyed this movie. It shows what can happen when you are behind the scenes of show business. How a person can get caught up, and how much it can change your life, and not always for the better. A really good movie to watch, with some good acting. People will want to compare this movie to Bamboolzed, but they are very different. I saw this when it first came on HBO a few years ago. Tommy Crawford (Nicole Ari Parker of TV's "Soul Food"), is a staff writer on a television sitcom. When she speaks out about the show she is writing on she gets fired.

She pitches her own television series to a start-up television network. George Washington (Isaiah Washington), an ambitious executive at the network, sees Tommy's show as a way up the corporate ladder and champions the project. Tommy's (called "Just Us") is on the network's fall line-up after some "creative tweaking."

Another reason to check out this movie is for Vicellous Reon Shannon's performance as James or "Semaj." His character is going through some emotional changes, and he is trying to make good with the mother of his child played by Melinda Williams (Soul Food Series). This movie is really excellent, and it's one you really should see. It's powerful without beating you on the head. You will get the message easily.

Dancing in September
Although some might like to compare this movie to Bamboozled, I find that they are similar in theme but from two different points of view. Bamboozled shows us the inside of the television sitcom from the actors point of view. Whereas Dancing in September, we get to see the workings of television from the writers/producers viewpoint . I found Dancing in September to be an excellent film. The writing was first rate and the acting was equally as good. I have been following Isaiah Washington's career from his early days on Living Single, and have admired how much he has grown as an actor. If you want to see what goes on behind the scenes of situation comedy, Dancing in September is the movie to see. If you've ever wondered why a somewhat funny character suddenly goes over the top then Dancing in September is the movie to watch.