Love 'N' Dancing is a 2009 American romantic movie about a couple who compete in a swing dancing contest. The film was directed by Robert Iscove and features actors Amy Smart, Tom Malloy (who also wrote the screenplay), and Billy Zane. Jeff Bihlman and Scot Bihlman (known as The Bihlman Brothers) added seven original songs to the movie's soundtrack. Critics gave the film negative reviews.
Plot
Jessica Donovan is engaged to Kent, who is very busy with his job. They decide to take dance classes to prepare for their wedding. However, Kent is too occupied with work to attend any of the lessons. Jessica, on the other hand, begins to enjoy dancing and grows fond of the dance teacher, Jake. Jake is deaf and uses hearing aids, but he is a two-time former US Open Swing Dancing Champion. His former dance partner, Corrine, is now a judge in the Open Tournaments. Jake and Corrine were once engaged, but their relationship ended when Corrine cheated on Jake.
As Jessica takes more dance lessons, her interest in dancing and Jake increases. At the same time, Kent becomes upset with her because she spends time dancing with Jake instead of helping with household tasks. Kent also feels jealous of the time Jessica spends with Jake.
Jessica shows great talent in dancing. Jake invites her to join him in the National Open Swing competition. This causes more conflict between Jessica and Kent, and eventually, Jessica ends her engagement to him. Jake and Jessica also discover they have strong feelings for each other and express their emotions just before the competition.
During the competition, Corrine is one of the judges. Jake and Jessica perform well and avoid arguing after their dance, unlike many other couples. After the competition, a series of updates shows what happens to the main characters in the future.
Cast
- Amy Smart as Jessica Donovan
- Tom Malloy as Jake Mitchell
- Billy Zane as Kent Krandel
- Caroline Rhea as Bonnie
- Nicola Royston as Corrine Kennedy
- Leila Arcieri as Danielle
- Rachel Dratch as Kalle
- Betty White as Irene /think
Background
On May 9, 2007, Amy Smart became part of the project. Production began on July 16, 2007, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. On March 23, 2009, Screen Media Films bought the rights to show the film.
Response
The film did not perform well at the box office. It was released in only a small number of theaters, earning $47,812 in domestic theaters and $26,036 from foreign theaters. Worldwide, the film earned $73,848.
Love N' Dancing received mostly negative reviews from critics. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 17% based on twelve reviews, with an average rating of 3.3/10. On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 43 out of 100, based on four critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.
Peter Debruge of Variety wrote that: "Malloy's changes that hurt the chemistry between characters push the experience toward overly sentimental moments when the otherwise standard movie means to be inspirational, limiting interest in this low-budget indie to those who are sincerely or ironically inclined." Paste contributor Sean Gandert criticized the "impossibly lazy and clichéd" story and Iscove for focusing more on shooting the "admittedly alluring dance sequences" than creating something "perfunctory" for the rest of the film, concluding that "a few pretty dances aren't enough substance to make for a fulfilling, or even moderately entertaining movie when the rest of the material is so weak." Chuck Wilson of LA Weekly commended Smart for bringing a spark to this "amiably dull dance drama" and the "terrific numbers" but criticized Iscove for keeping a "coolly professional distance" from the dancers and diminishing their chemistry. Robert Abele of the Los Angeles Times wrote that despite Smart and Malloy's character arcs and the "nicely done twirl-and-dip sections" by Robert Royston, he felt it was "pretty unremarkable stuff," concluding that "with standard characters and a woefully predictable script, you'll mostly be tapping your feet as a waiting measure for the next time 'Love N' Dancing' needs two people to step out on the floor." In a 2019 retrospective review, Janelle Tipton of Backstage commended Smart and Malloy's "charm and chemistry" for going through "contrived plot points and clunky obligatory dialogue for believability," the supporting performances of Zane and Rhea, and Iscove's filmmaking showing restraint in doing "flashy camerawork" with the dance scenes, concluding that: "Love N' Dancing tries for offbeat and thus generates moments of unexpected humor, but it doesn't have quite enough quirk to work. Nor is the terpsichorean talent enough to recommend it."
Amy Smart was nominated for Choice Movie Actress: Music/Dance at the 2009 Teen Choice Awards for her work in the film, but ultimately lost to Miley Cyrus for Hannah Montana: The Movie.