Love 'N' Dancing is a 2009 American romantic drama film about a couple who compete in a swing dancing competition. 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) wrote seven original songs for the film's soundtrack. The movie received poor reviews from critics.
Plot
Jessica Donovan is engaged to Kent, who works very long hours. They begin taking dance classes to prepare for their wedding. However, Kent is too busy with his job to attend any of the lessons. Jessica, on the other hand, starts to enjoy dancing and eventually develops feelings for her dance teacher, Jake. Jake is deaf and uses hearing aids, but he is a two-time winner of the US Open Swing Dancing Championship. His former dance partner, Corrine, is now a judge at swing dancing competitions. Jake and Corrine were once engaged, but their relationship ended when Corrine was unfaithful.
As Jessica takes more dance lessons, her interest in both dancing and Jake grows. At the same time, Kent becomes unhappy because Jessica is too busy to cook and spends time dancing with Jake.
Jessica shows great ability in dancing, and Jake invites her to join him in the National Open Swing competition. This causes more conflict between Jessica and Kent, and eventually, Jessica ends their engagement. Jake and Jessica also realize they have strong feelings for each other and express their emotions before the competition.
During the competition, Corrine is one of the judges. Jake and Jessica perform well and avoid arguing with other couples after their dance. The story ends with updates on what happens to the main characters in the future.
Cast
- Amy Smart portrays Jessica Donovan
- Tom Malloy portrays Jake Mitchell
- Billy Zane portrays Kent Krandel
- Caroline Rhea portrays Bonnie
- Nicola Royston portrays Corrine Kennedy
- Leila Arcieri portrays Danielle
- Rachel Dratch portrays Kalle
- Betty White portrays Irene
Background
On May 9, 2007, Amy Smart became part of the project. Production began on July 16 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. On March 23, 2009, Screen Media Films acquired the film's distribution rights.
Response
The film did not earn much money at the box office because it was released in only a small number of theaters. It made $47,812 in the United States and $26,036 in other countries, totaling $73,848 worldwide.
"Love N' Dancing" received mostly negative reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 17% based on twelve reviews, with an average score of 3.3 out of 10. On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 43 out of 100, based on four critics, which means the reviews were mixed or average.
Peter Debruge of Variety wrote that the film's changes to a familiar formula hurt the chemistry between characters and made the story feel overly sentimental instead of inspiring. Sean Gandert of Paste criticized the story as lazy and clichéd, saying the film focused too much on dance scenes and not enough on the rest of the plot. He concluded that the movie lacked enough substance to be enjoyable. Chuck Wilson of LA Weekly praised Amy Smart for adding energy to the film and the quality of the dance numbers but said the director, Iscove, kept a distant tone that reduced the dancers' chemistry. Robert Abele of the Los Angeles Times noted that while Smart and Malloy's character development and some dance scenes were well done, the film had predictable characters and a weak script that made it unremarkable. In a 2019 review, Janelle Tipton of Backstage said Smart and Malloy brought charm and chemistry to the film despite its contrived plot and awkward dialogue. She also praised the supporting actors and the director's restraint in using flashy camera techniques for dance scenes. However, she concluded that the film's quirky moments were not enough to make it stand out, nor were the dance performances sufficient to recommend it.
Amy Smart was nominated for Choice Movie Actress: Music/Dance at the 2009 Teen Choice Awards for her role in the film but lost to Miley Cyrus for her role in Hannah Montana: The Movie.