Just too many stories and too many left untold. The movie caught my attention and had a good starting plot, but just didn't deliver. The movie did a good job making me feel for the main actors but left me wanting to understand more. What really happened with Josh's father? Why didn't they dive into this further?! The ending was a little hokie. Definitely worth watching.
27 Reviews
Not bad
davidantzelevitch8 May 2021
This is not a bad movie, just a bad ending
fiverrmoney12 January 2017
This movie was unique and I have no idea why so many people don't like it. Often movies with good reviews suck. And vise verse mostly.
This movie made me laugh, cry and feel for the characters. It's not suppose to be real, it's a fiction, and an entertaining one too. It would get a higher score from me if the ending was better then it was. But overall it was a good and entertaining movie, and the reviewers are not giving this movie justice.
I don't type reviews often, but I'm just so tired of people giving good movies bad reviews, and you know why, because of their personal opinion, if they didn't like it or got offended so be it, but don't let your opinion give a good movie a bad rep.
I enjoyed this movie and the story was good, sure it could have been filled up but that is what books are for, not movies.
You should go and watch this movie right now, it's worth your time and more.
This movie made me laugh, cry and feel for the characters. It's not suppose to be real, it's a fiction, and an entertaining one too. It would get a higher score from me if the ending was better then it was. But overall it was a good and entertaining movie, and the reviewers are not giving this movie justice.
I don't type reviews often, but I'm just so tired of people giving good movies bad reviews, and you know why, because of their personal opinion, if they didn't like it or got offended so be it, but don't let your opinion give a good movie a bad rep.
I enjoyed this movie and the story was good, sure it could have been filled up but that is what books are for, not movies.
You should go and watch this movie right now, it's worth your time and more.
Painfully predictable
drynberk28 April 2017
Well its the bad kid coming to town,and he has a chip on his shoulder.The high school has a problem also they haven't won the cheer-leading competition in 7 years!Oh no.....now mix in hometown fallen heroes theme from the war you have 2 movies in 1. Its the movie (footloose 1984)but not in a good way.Biggest problem every scene the main characters are upset,angry and painfully predictable.The movie couldn't finish quick enough.
Flushing the wounds
ferguson-67 May 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Greetings again from the darkness. It's a coming of age film. Nope, it's small town Americana film. Wait
it's a high school dance film. Hold on, it's an anti-war film. Sorry about that, it's a film about families struggling with grief. Not that a film has to be any one type – the best rarely are – but writer Oscar Orlando Torres and first time director Daniel Duron are all over the place with this one.
Josh (Lucas Til, Havoc from the X-Men films) is a troubled young man with dazzling DJ skills beloved in the NYC club scene. An unfortunate turn leads to his mother (Maria Bello) and a Judge banishing him to live with his long lost father (Tom Everett Scott) in a small, idyllic place that could be AnyTown USA or more appropriately, NoPlace USA. Josh is required to go to regular counseling for one year, and of course his therapist (Josh Duhamel) is as unstable as most any patient (as noted by his passion for soccer).
As with any new high school student, Josh is quickly befriended by Tony the nerdy little brother of the beautiful dance team captain Mary (Kherington Payne, Fame 2009). Tony is played by Jae Head, who you will remember as the sharp-but-still-goofy little brother in The Blind Side. It's pretty obvious where this is headed when we first see the lame dance routines. In the blink of an eye, Josh's music has elevated the dance team to elite status while he also stumbles into a romantic situation with Mary.
We soon learn that this town is hiding something. No, it's not like The Stepford Wives, but in case we can't figure it out on our own, Mary illuminates the War Memorial Tree – filled with military medals awarded to those the town has lost to war. See, the whole town has been touched war casualties, but no one will deal. Laura Dern plays mom to Tony and Mary, but she is so disoriented by grief, that she often thinks her oldest son is still returning home someday.
With elements of Footloose and Step Up, the story is continually brought crashing back around us with clips from Platoon – a film Josh so loves that it plays a central role in the film's climax and redemption for all involved. The best parts of the film revolve around grief and pain, but those elements are constantly chopped up with the abbreviated dance contests. Some script doctoring would have helped rescue a film that seems to have too much to say, yet underserves a solid cast (though Til and Payne are too old to play high schoolers).
Josh (Lucas Til, Havoc from the X-Men films) is a troubled young man with dazzling DJ skills beloved in the NYC club scene. An unfortunate turn leads to his mother (Maria Bello) and a Judge banishing him to live with his long lost father (Tom Everett Scott) in a small, idyllic place that could be AnyTown USA or more appropriately, NoPlace USA. Josh is required to go to regular counseling for one year, and of course his therapist (Josh Duhamel) is as unstable as most any patient (as noted by his passion for soccer).
As with any new high school student, Josh is quickly befriended by Tony the nerdy little brother of the beautiful dance team captain Mary (Kherington Payne, Fame 2009). Tony is played by Jae Head, who you will remember as the sharp-but-still-goofy little brother in The Blind Side. It's pretty obvious where this is headed when we first see the lame dance routines. In the blink of an eye, Josh's music has elevated the dance team to elite status while he also stumbles into a romantic situation with Mary.
We soon learn that this town is hiding something. No, it's not like The Stepford Wives, but in case we can't figure it out on our own, Mary illuminates the War Memorial Tree – filled with military medals awarded to those the town has lost to war. See, the whole town has been touched war casualties, but no one will deal. Laura Dern plays mom to Tony and Mary, but she is so disoriented by grief, that she often thinks her oldest son is still returning home someday.
With elements of Footloose and Step Up, the story is continually brought crashing back around us with clips from Platoon – a film Josh so loves that it plays a central role in the film's climax and redemption for all involved. The best parts of the film revolve around grief and pain, but those elements are constantly chopped up with the abbreviated dance contests. Some script doctoring would have helped rescue a film that seems to have too much to say, yet underserves a solid cast (though Til and Payne are too old to play high schoolers).
An unexpectedly good movie
LaoagMikey23 September 2017
I went into this because I like Lucas Till. I have put off watching it for several weeks because I thought I would be wasting my time. I have so many movies and TV shows to watch and I just can't spend time on bad ones. This is not rated very highly on IMDb and that put me off.
Well I was wrong! And any reviewer that says this is not a worthwhile movie failed to watch it. It is a little hard to watch because of the strong emotion but well worth your time. This is a movie with heart overflowing.
It is a huge plot with lots and lots of character arcs. A whole town full of them. At first, you might think all of the townies are nutz but it comes out why and there is a good reason. Hundreds of them.
I don't want to spoil the ride but this is one I might see multiple times and that's unusual. There is so much to it. The plot is tight. There are parallels in individual story lines of the characters that you might catch. They are not obvious but just watch this carefully, not while playing poker as I was at the start but really watch it. It will make a big impression on you. I guarantee it! Mike
Well I was wrong! And any reviewer that says this is not a worthwhile movie failed to watch it. It is a little hard to watch because of the strong emotion but well worth your time. This is a movie with heart overflowing.
It is a huge plot with lots and lots of character arcs. A whole town full of them. At first, you might think all of the townies are nutz but it comes out why and there is a good reason. Hundreds of them.
I don't want to spoil the ride but this is one I might see multiple times and that's unusual. There is so much to it. The plot is tight. There are parallels in individual story lines of the characters that you might catch. They are not obvious but just watch this carefully, not while playing poker as I was at the start but really watch it. It will make a big impression on you. I guarantee it! Mike
BRAVE for sure
paulmatthew2229 May 2015
You have to be VERY brave to sit through this horse-crap of a movie,.I feel AWFUL,.How the "really good" cast could try to "act" their way through it is commendable,.I guess actors need money,.But wow,.I think a DJ movie about Zombies with athletic aspirations to become Junkies would have been a better premise,.Ouch,.Worst movie I can remember,.I have a GREAT memory : )
Do yourself a favor and RUN from this movie,.I guess the one positive is that there are a slew of actors in this flick that can look back and say that THIS is the worst movie they were ever in,.
Please guys,.Never write a script about post-war trauma and dance competitions ever again,.How it was done ONCE is incredible
Do yourself a favor and RUN from this movie,.I guess the one positive is that there are a slew of actors in this flick that can look back and say that THIS is the worst movie they were ever in,.
Please guys,.Never write a script about post-war trauma and dance competitions ever again,.How it was done ONCE is incredible
Stop ASKING FOR " The Perfect Film " This one is Entertaining is that the ideas after all ?
VaRiXD18 June 2015
It'S cool, Music is fun, make me think of All these contest show The story is family friendly it's simple, the actor are good simple and effective.
So STOP believing all these so call EXPECT that come tons and tons of word to justify there genius brain lol
WATCH THIS is you like music, Dance and don't want to think about other film alike, it's ENTERTAINING is that the ideas of movie ?
or do you prefer all these sic movie with " cliché " that we see over and over These movie that show so many hidden msg, THIS BRAVETOWN Movie is nice Not the movie of the yrs but decent regarding all the crap movie we see.
It'S young, entertaining and it's simple The young boy struggle with normal teens problem
PS: I'm 55 years old I can imagine what problem teen may have these day how they need to adapt so I find to be a good representation struggle
So pls enough with all these EXPERT comment this movie is worth watching if you like dancing and music and specially talent show as I do :)
So STOP believing all these so call EXPECT that come tons and tons of word to justify there genius brain lol
WATCH THIS is you like music, Dance and don't want to think about other film alike, it's ENTERTAINING is that the ideas of movie ?
or do you prefer all these sic movie with " cliché " that we see over and over These movie that show so many hidden msg, THIS BRAVETOWN Movie is nice Not the movie of the yrs but decent regarding all the crap movie we see.
It'S young, entertaining and it's simple The young boy struggle with normal teens problem
PS: I'm 55 years old I can imagine what problem teen may have these day how they need to adapt so I find to be a good representation struggle
So pls enough with all these EXPERT comment this movie is worth watching if you like dancing and music and specially talent show as I do :)
Not Worth Your Time
rdg4531 October 2018
So terrible it's almost brilliant
rstef129 July 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Prior to viewing this, my favorite bad movie was Showgirls. Well Joe Eszterhas, move over because there's a new sheriff in (Brave)town and his name is Oscar Torres. Oscar has taken elements of Footloose, Flashdance, Step Up and every maudlin family drama from the Lifetime and the Hallmark Channel and clumsily mixed them into this rotting carcass of a script.
Josh, a 17 year old Electronica DJ at a club in the big city by night, is sullen and unhappy because daddy left, and his single and working mom doesn't keep milk in the fridge. Meanwhile he spends his nights partying like a boss at the club, scoring with a hot groupie and getting millions of views on line while popping pills left and right until he overdoses. In an unintentionally hilarious scene, Josh appears before a judge, who reads a long list of priors and then sentences him to spend a year in North Dakota with his estranged dad. Sure, that would happen.
Before you know it, Josh is the toast of little town America with his dance grooves. There are plenty of tear filled side plots about people who have lost family and friends in various wars and can't get past their grief. Until our own little Pollyanna, that's Josh folks, comes into their lives and starts to heal them while he himself is healed. And it's all done so simply and quickly through bad movie magic!
But the real capper is the big dance finale. In a small town that has lost many citizens to various wars, Josh decides to get the dance team, who have made it to the state finals (is this really a thing? I mean, I thought Bring It On was just a fever dream), to dance to his electronica take on the score of Platoon. When my jaw hit the floor, I picked it up so I could stifle the laughter. Honestly, I felt like I had popped one of the pills that sent Josh to North Dakota. It is so cynical and wrong headed of the makers of the film that it would leave a bad taste in your mouth if the whole enterprise wasn't so moronically stupid and ridiculous.
Bravetown works better as a comedy than drama, but really fails even at that. I'm giving it 2 stars rather than zero because it made me laugh really hard at certain scenes throughout.
Josh, a 17 year old Electronica DJ at a club in the big city by night, is sullen and unhappy because daddy left, and his single and working mom doesn't keep milk in the fridge. Meanwhile he spends his nights partying like a boss at the club, scoring with a hot groupie and getting millions of views on line while popping pills left and right until he overdoses. In an unintentionally hilarious scene, Josh appears before a judge, who reads a long list of priors and then sentences him to spend a year in North Dakota with his estranged dad. Sure, that would happen.
Before you know it, Josh is the toast of little town America with his dance grooves. There are plenty of tear filled side plots about people who have lost family and friends in various wars and can't get past their grief. Until our own little Pollyanna, that's Josh folks, comes into their lives and starts to heal them while he himself is healed. And it's all done so simply and quickly through bad movie magic!
But the real capper is the big dance finale. In a small town that has lost many citizens to various wars, Josh decides to get the dance team, who have made it to the state finals (is this really a thing? I mean, I thought Bring It On was just a fever dream), to dance to his electronica take on the score of Platoon. When my jaw hit the floor, I picked it up so I could stifle the laughter. Honestly, I felt like I had popped one of the pills that sent Josh to North Dakota. It is so cynical and wrong headed of the makers of the film that it would leave a bad taste in your mouth if the whole enterprise wasn't so moronically stupid and ridiculous.
Bravetown works better as a comedy than drama, but really fails even at that. I'm giving it 2 stars rather than zero because it made me laugh really hard at certain scenes throughout.
An Underrated Movie
nicholasjohnveiga11 May 2020
I went into this film feeling fairly neutral about it. Given my expectations, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Lucas Till gave a wonderful performance as the lead. He was vulnerable, yet open enough to let someone else in. His struggle to make this happen becomes the heart and soul of the movie. Some reviewers said the script was unoriginal. I disagree. It explored love, trust, and betrayal in an intimate way. These are timeless themes. The dance routines were quite good. Josh Duhamel likewise gave a brilliantly understated performance as the therapist helping the lead.
The movie definitely honors the veterans, especially their families. Yes, the soldiers are brave and make sacrifices, but so do their families. The film explores the heavy toll service and sacrifice has on the family. It also ties in neatly with the pain felt by the lead actor.
I recommend this indie movie. It's a lot better than some of the stinkers I've seen these days.
The movie definitely honors the veterans, especially their families. Yes, the soldiers are brave and make sacrifices, but so do their families. The film explores the heavy toll service and sacrifice has on the family. It also ties in neatly with the pain felt by the lead actor.
I recommend this indie movie. It's a lot better than some of the stinkers I've seen these days.
I just couldn't give it a 1...
FTo116 January 2016
I won't give it an awful outright. The premise is misdirected. There aren't any surprises. The writing is very sophomoric. The character development is nonexistent on the whole. There are a few glimmers of hope which fade quickly.
That being said there are actually some very good moments in this film. Those are because of the actors. Lucas Till is an underrated actor. The guy does the best he can with the character he was given. Josh Duhamel gives a pretty good performance as well considering the script, yet again. Laura Dern, is a very underrated actress. She has a subtlety that is wasted in this film.
If you watch it because of certain actors, as did I, you probably won't think it is just completely terrible. It's not a complete waste of time, but dang near it.
That being said there are actually some very good moments in this film. Those are because of the actors. Lucas Till is an underrated actor. The guy does the best he can with the character he was given. Josh Duhamel gives a pretty good performance as well considering the script, yet again. Laura Dern, is a very underrated actress. She has a subtlety that is wasted in this film.
If you watch it because of certain actors, as did I, you probably won't think it is just completely terrible. It's not a complete waste of time, but dang near it.
Simply a treat to watch
saleem08029828 April 2017
If you're looking for the opportunity to just watch something that will immerse you so deeply that you'll forget about your troubles or problems for the span that this movie runs for, then barge right with some popcorn.
Overall, I'd give this movie a 10, if not for the hype train around the end that went down the drain, but simply a treat to watch.
Overall, I'd give this movie a 10, if not for the hype train around the end that went down the drain, but simply a treat to watch.
What Was This Movie About Again?
nammage1 January 2016
Warning: Spoilers
My rating 5/10 is for some minor scenes throughout and mainly a technical rating.
This was not a good movie. I felt like I was watching a Hallmark film with Step Up thrown in. Okay, this teenage boy who is a DJ 99% of the time and a 17 year old 1% of the time. He comes from a dysfunctional family. A mother who never wanted him (apparently) but quit drugs to take care of him but apparently she couldn't do that right because the guy takes care of himself yet he's a drug addict (since 12) and gets into a lot of trouble. So, he has a drug overdose and is sent to live with his father who actually comes off as this good guy but who left him and his mom after he was born, and you never really learn why.
So the kid has to go to a counselor per court orders who is more screwed up than he is, and he meets a girl from a screwed up family because her older brother died in Iraq (we never learn anything about her own father, and where he is) but that's the norm in this highly diverse small town in North Dakota that everyone has lost everyone but they don't deal with the loss they just bury it.
I'm sorry but I live in a small town of almost 7,000 people. So small that the nearest movie theater is in the next state up. We honor our dead. Whether they fought in a war, or not. I'm not saying that it's not possible for an entire town to all hold in their baggage collectively...well, maybe I am. It just seems so fictionalized for this film because of all the happy dancing going on! There was more dancing in this film than I thought there would be. It was more of a character in of itself than all the other things combined.
Okay, the kid has parental issues which never seem to be resolved. He's the main character, and it felt like he was a third character in this film. His girlfriend, her family, her dead brother and his best friend (the counselor) actually seem to be the main focus of the film. Well, that and all the "dancing".
There was just so many arcs in this film that only one of them gets resolved: the girlfriend's baggage (and by-way the counselor's), and cheesily I might add. What about the main character?!?!
The kid gets beat up a couple of times by this jock and his friends but it's okay because the kid lost his own parents when he was little. That story: not resolved.
Other cheesy things like: you can't watch a war film because people from this tiny town have lost people in a war and it's just too emotional. Well, if that's the message then don't watch this movie, that's all they talk about.
This movie went nowhere.
So bad.
-Nam
This was not a good movie. I felt like I was watching a Hallmark film with Step Up thrown in. Okay, this teenage boy who is a DJ 99% of the time and a 17 year old 1% of the time. He comes from a dysfunctional family. A mother who never wanted him (apparently) but quit drugs to take care of him but apparently she couldn't do that right because the guy takes care of himself yet he's a drug addict (since 12) and gets into a lot of trouble. So, he has a drug overdose and is sent to live with his father who actually comes off as this good guy but who left him and his mom after he was born, and you never really learn why.
So the kid has to go to a counselor per court orders who is more screwed up than he is, and he meets a girl from a screwed up family because her older brother died in Iraq (we never learn anything about her own father, and where he is) but that's the norm in this highly diverse small town in North Dakota that everyone has lost everyone but they don't deal with the loss they just bury it.
I'm sorry but I live in a small town of almost 7,000 people. So small that the nearest movie theater is in the next state up. We honor our dead. Whether they fought in a war, or not. I'm not saying that it's not possible for an entire town to all hold in their baggage collectively...well, maybe I am. It just seems so fictionalized for this film because of all the happy dancing going on! There was more dancing in this film than I thought there would be. It was more of a character in of itself than all the other things combined.
Okay, the kid has parental issues which never seem to be resolved. He's the main character, and it felt like he was a third character in this film. His girlfriend, her family, her dead brother and his best friend (the counselor) actually seem to be the main focus of the film. Well, that and all the "dancing".
There was just so many arcs in this film that only one of them gets resolved: the girlfriend's baggage (and by-way the counselor's), and cheesily I might add. What about the main character?!?!
The kid gets beat up a couple of times by this jock and his friends but it's okay because the kid lost his own parents when he was little. That story: not resolved.
Other cheesy things like: you can't watch a war film because people from this tiny town have lost people in a war and it's just too emotional. Well, if that's the message then don't watch this movie, that's all they talk about.
This movie went nowhere.
So bad.
-Nam
Too many themes, not enough substance.
kdavies-693473 November 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Proving Hollywood is will to sell out war vets for ticket sales.
I don't really know how to classify this film under any one particular genre. I guess it's more or less a teen-romance, but it has elements of other emotion based films. Anti-war stance, coming of age, bad boy turns good, dance off, and the classic redemption tale are all part of this jumbled mess. It's not great... yeah... it's just not very good either.
Outside of the thematic issues, the characters are pretty awful. The main couple aren't really to be admired in this film. I found the young heart-throb to be a pretty awful person. I get that he has had a rough life, but a 18 year old NY DJ with drug issues and a whiny personality isn't someone who I felt any apathy for. His girlfriend isn't much better, and her acting skills were pretty off. She couldn't look a single person in the eye the whole film, which really throws off any of the argumentative scenes she's involved with. There is a scene where they are both hurling "WHO'S GOT THE HARDER LIFE," moments which is really just painful to watch. Josh Duhamel isn't half bad, as the PTSD recovering soldier returned home to council underprivileged kids. He's the only believable character.
There is a massive problem with this film, as anyone who watched it through till the end will know. It has possibly the most redundant ending of any film I've seen.
SPOILERS HERE:
Outside of the relationship that is formed between the two main characters, they may have changed (SLIGHTLY) as individuals, but what about their real problems? You might think they have come to accept the death of a loved one, but what about the boy's relationship with his father and mother? The daughter's mentally ill mother, and her deepening depression? His drug addiction? It leaves all of these huge problems still hanging at the end. I know... movies don't have to summarize all the problems and should leave some questions at the end, but those are for IDEA films, and this is most definitely not one of those.
Anyways, I rated it pretty low for it's use of war vets in a dance off, for WAY MORE BEATS HEADPHONES SHOTS THAN ARE NECESSARY (I don't know a single DJ who uses those, buy some freaking marshals man), and the constant references to Platoon. Which is a much better film. You're better off watching that.
3/10
I don't really know how to classify this film under any one particular genre. I guess it's more or less a teen-romance, but it has elements of other emotion based films. Anti-war stance, coming of age, bad boy turns good, dance off, and the classic redemption tale are all part of this jumbled mess. It's not great... yeah... it's just not very good either.
Outside of the thematic issues, the characters are pretty awful. The main couple aren't really to be admired in this film. I found the young heart-throb to be a pretty awful person. I get that he has had a rough life, but a 18 year old NY DJ with drug issues and a whiny personality isn't someone who I felt any apathy for. His girlfriend isn't much better, and her acting skills were pretty off. She couldn't look a single person in the eye the whole film, which really throws off any of the argumentative scenes she's involved with. There is a scene where they are both hurling "WHO'S GOT THE HARDER LIFE," moments which is really just painful to watch. Josh Duhamel isn't half bad, as the PTSD recovering soldier returned home to council underprivileged kids. He's the only believable character.
There is a massive problem with this film, as anyone who watched it through till the end will know. It has possibly the most redundant ending of any film I've seen.
SPOILERS HERE:
Outside of the relationship that is formed between the two main characters, they may have changed (SLIGHTLY) as individuals, but what about their real problems? You might think they have come to accept the death of a loved one, but what about the boy's relationship with his father and mother? The daughter's mentally ill mother, and her deepening depression? His drug addiction? It leaves all of these huge problems still hanging at the end. I know... movies don't have to summarize all the problems and should leave some questions at the end, but those are for IDEA films, and this is most definitely not one of those.
Anyways, I rated it pretty low for it's use of war vets in a dance off, for WAY MORE BEATS HEADPHONES SHOTS THAN ARE NECESSARY (I don't know a single DJ who uses those, buy some freaking marshals man), and the constant references to Platoon. Which is a much better film. You're better off watching that.
3/10
An Honor to All Who Have Served
sanclan13 November 2018
This is an excellent movie. Yes, it has dance, a DJ, music, electronica, etc. It has the teenage element, the bullying element, the young romance element, and the chip on the shoulder element, BUT it is a very good story. Well acted, directed, produced, etc., each element in the movie has a message, a meaning, and a feeling provoked. I highly suggest this movie and it is now permanently in our library, to be watched time and again...
Idiot premise = bad movie
phoenixmichaels6 June 2018
Why the low score?
thatstheone_parlay26 February 2017
It's a heartfelt story about a kid who feels lost and unwanted learning how to cope with his issues and give to others what he never received. While I thought that some of the details along the way were unnecessary to the plot, they were kind of necessary for the character development. The casting was good, the storyline was good, the acting was pretty good, and all in all I'd rate the movie about 8/10, but because it was scored so low I felt the need to boost it with a 10/10. I'd say it's worth a watch. If anything, I enjoyed it.
An incoherent storyline with a talented cast.
stephenmatlock15 February 2023
Warning: Spoilers
We watched this because of the "talented musician and dancing" tagline.
Perhaps that tagline oversells the movie a bit.
The acting is fine. The cast is fine. The intent of the story is poignant.
But the actual plot is, in a word, unbelievable.
There is an entire town in North Dakota that regularly sends its best and brightest off to war, and they return broken--or not at all.
And the entire town is traumatized, generation after generation, by their deaths.
But the boys go off to war, friends and family stay behind, and the cycle continues
BUT ALSO this tiny town in Western North Dakota somehow becomes the host of the statewide high school cheer dance off which is filled with cheer teams from across the state all dancing in the most suggestive poses and steps and outfits possible, something that notoriously conservative North Dakota is known for.
These two threads are maybe connected.
But how they are connected is a thread too fine to see.
None of these people *for generations* will talk about their grief.
And yet they are completely accepting of Las Vegas showgirls as cheer squad. Because that's how small towns are in America's heartland.
It's not a terrible movie. The actors are fine, and the production values are good.
But ultimately this film just doesn't land.
3/10 stars.
Perhaps that tagline oversells the movie a bit.
The acting is fine. The cast is fine. The intent of the story is poignant.
But the actual plot is, in a word, unbelievable.
There is an entire town in North Dakota that regularly sends its best and brightest off to war, and they return broken--or not at all.
And the entire town is traumatized, generation after generation, by their deaths.
But the boys go off to war, friends and family stay behind, and the cycle continues
BUT ALSO this tiny town in Western North Dakota somehow becomes the host of the statewide high school cheer dance off which is filled with cheer teams from across the state all dancing in the most suggestive poses and steps and outfits possible, something that notoriously conservative North Dakota is known for.
These two threads are maybe connected.
But how they are connected is a thread too fine to see.
None of these people *for generations* will talk about their grief.
And yet they are completely accepting of Las Vegas showgirls as cheer squad. Because that's how small towns are in America's heartland.
It's not a terrible movie. The actors are fine, and the production values are good.
But ultimately this film just doesn't land.
3/10 stars.
So tacky
maigen_obx13 July 2020
Super movie, brilliant music and a movie to think about
utewehrle4 March 2018
I'm a fan of Lucas Till and I'm from Germany. At first I bought and watched the movie because of Lucas Till but the movie has a lot more to offer the great music, the great dance scenes and the action are very captivating at least for me. In my view, the film is absolutely great. The actors are fabulous and make the movie very interesting and you can not stop watching it. That's why I give you the full 10 points.
Thank you and a greeting from Germany
Had to watch the movie with remote in hand because Music is 10x louder than dialog
anaraguilar7 July 2022
I want to finish this movie, I really do, but the scenes with music are so incredibly loud compared to dialog that I have to turn it down .. a lot.. my dogs keep getting startled awake and I just keep getting annoyed ( this is even when the dialog was almost inaudible)
I'm basically watching this movie on mute and reading subtitles.
I'll try finishing this movie and come back and edit my score. If this pattern doesn't change, I'm leaving it as a 4 because as viewers we shouldn't be this annoyed and we should be able to hear the actors speak.
I'm basically watching this movie on mute and reading subtitles.
I'll try finishing this movie and come back and edit my score. If this pattern doesn't change, I'm leaving it as a 4 because as viewers we shouldn't be this annoyed and we should be able to hear the actors speak.
Good ideas not well developed
SlowBaby29 April 2018
There are many good, original themes in this movie. They aren't deeply processed. On one side some of the details aren't necessary to the plot, on the other way don't explain them makes us feel like to watch half a movie. It's a fiction (many details are obviously unreal). Good as entertainment that make you think about. I don't like dance scenes anyway it's only my taste. Good, must to watch.
Terrible acting.
luc-746141 July 2021
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