DVD Review - Marily Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing and Charm School

This is a sweet little film that I think got lost in the shuffle. Writer/director Randall Miller has created a sensitive story about love, death and fate.

Frank Keane (Robert Carlyle) is a baker who is having trouble getting over his wife's death. While out making deliveries he comes upon an overturned car with an injured man in it. He stops and calls for help. He discovers that the man is named Steve Mills (John Goodman). While on the way to the hospital Steve tells Frank that he was on his way to honor a forty year old commitment to meet his former childhood sweetheart Lisa at the Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing and Charm School. Since he won't be able to make it he gives Frank the card with the address. Frank is reluctant to go but once he gets there he perks up and his life begins to change. Among the people he meets is Marilyn's daughter Marienne (Mary Steenburgen), the cocky Randall Ipswitch (Donnie Wahlberg) and Meredith Morrison (Marissa Tomei) who Frank is especially interested in (I liked the fact that she was a vegetarian).

Frank goes to a support group of men who lost their wives. He relates to them what happened to him and it is so obvious that this twist of fate was very positive for him. But we also get to learn about Steve and how he came to make this strange commitment. I really like Carlyle a lot and I think that he is a very underrated actor. His performance in this film was low key but very emotionally satisfying. I also liked Steenburgen a lot. Her Marienne is quite a character. Some other well known actors in this film are Danny DeVito, Sean Astin, David Paymer, Sonia Bragia and Camryn Manheim as the grown up Lisa.

Sure, sometimes Marily Hotchkiss got a little corny. But so what?! It brought tears to my eyes which would surely be enough. But it also made me want to take a dance class. So if you are looking for a lovely romantic film with a bit of sadness then this one is for you.