"MAD HOT BALLROOM" (2005) (Documentary) (PG) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons *None *None Mild Minor None Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Mild None None Mild Minor Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Mild None Mild Moderate None QUICK TAKE: Documentary: Various squads of young kids from inner city schools train to compete in a ballroom dancing competition. PLOT: Documentary filmmakers Marilyn Agrelo and Amy Sewell take a look at the American Ballroom Theater's Dancing Classrooms program that instructs inner-city kids in New York about ballroom dancing and prepares them for a city-wide competition. As told by the 11-year-old boys and girls from several schools, as well as their adult instructors, we see how the regimented training and practice instills confidence in the kids who all come from various socio-economic backgrounds to compete in the ballroom dancing championship. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Since it's about kids, they might, but the description of the documentary (kids doing ballroom dancing) might make some decide otherwise. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG For some thematic elements. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: All of the people who are seen in the documentary appear as themselves, students of varying backgrounds and attitudes as well as their teachers/instructors who try to give them something extra in their lives. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this PG-rated documentary. There's some non-explicit, but sexually related dialogue by kids about sex and bodily changes (such as about pregnancy, a boy looking at a more mature girl's chest, gay marriage, etc.), while some of the classic ballroom dances have some exaggerated hip moves (that some may view as sexual in nature) and a song has non-explicit, but sexually related lyrics. Other thematic elements include kids talking about issues such as a parental infidelity; disadvantaged kids; kids who can't dance due to their religion; talk by kids about drunks and drug use (referring to adults) as well as what some adults do to kids (referring to kidnapping and possibly rape); and a brief reference to the missing Twin Towers in lower Manhattan. Some colorful/imitative comments are present, there's a kid with a bad attitude, and a boy briefly comments on killing himself to avoid the dance classes (and he looks/sounds serious, but nothing more comes of that). Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE There's no use or sight of either, but the following related comments are made. One girl says the kind of guy she's looking for is one who doesn't sell drugs. A girl briefly comments on seeing people selling drugs and feeling sorry for them. A girl talks about drunks and what they could do to young girls with developed bodies (presumably referring to rape or molestation). BLOOD/GORE None, but a boy comments about not having to change the sheets due to no longer peeing in bed during the night. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE A girl mentions her father cheating on her mother -- resulting in a stepbrother -- and that the girl thinks her mother should leave her father for that (but nothing else is made of this issue). One boy has a bad attitude and won't dance with a girl his instructor has picked out (as a result he's out of the class). FRIGHTENING SCENES A boy makes some comments about killing himself so that he doesn't have to compete (and he looks serious), but we don't know how serious the comment really is. GUNS/WEAPONS None. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "She's hot," "Second place is the first loser," "I'm indignant" (the reply after the question, "Anything you want to share?"), "We're toast," "You guys totally rule" and "Show us what your momma gave you." The film could inspire some kids to watch to take up ballroom dancing (or try the same on their own at home). A boy makes some comments about killing himself so that he doesn't have to compete (and he looks serious), but we don't know how serious the comment really is. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) None. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) The old Peggy Lee song "Fever" has some non-explicit, sexually related lyrics such as "When you put your arms around me, I get a fever that's so hard to bear" and "Captain Smith and Pocahontas had a very mad affair." PROFANITY At least 1 use of "Oh my God." SEX/NUDITY Some viewers may view the following first two entries as somewhat sexual in nature. A female teacher explains the merengue dance to her students as "upstairs they're sleeping, downstairs there's a party going on" (referring to the hips). One of the young girls says (about dancing) that she likes to move her hips a lot. One of the girls says the problem with being a girl is that you have to be pregnant (talking about down the line in life). About one of the girls, one of the boys states, "She's hot." A girl mentions her father cheating on her mother -- resulting in a stepbrother -- and that the girl thinks her mother should leave her father for that. The boys comment about growing up, such as getting hair in weird places. Some boys briefly comment on what they've heard about gay marriage (there's no detailed talk). The old Peggy Lee song "Fever" has some non-explicit, sexually related lyrics such as "When you put your arms around me, I get a fever that's so hard to bear" and "Captain Smith and Pocahontas had a very mad affair." A boy comments on having a tall female dance partner, that she was like an adult and then shows that he was looking at her chest with open-mouth awe. SMOKING None. TENSE FAMILY SCENES A girl mentions her father cheating on her mother -- resulting in a stepbrother -- and that the girl thinks her mother should leave her father for that (but nothing else is made of this issue). TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT How the dance instruction, practice and competition changes the kids. A principal states that many of her students are poor kids from the Dominican Republic who live with many family members in one house, suffer from a poverty rate of 97% and don't have many advantages compared to middle-income kids. How boys and girls of that age (11) view the opposite sex. We hear that two Muslim students can't participate in the dancing as it's against their religion (instead they act as the "deejays" for practice). A boy from another country, who speaks little English, says he likes the class since the other kids don't care that he came from another country. One girl says the kind of guy she's looking for is one who doesn't sell drugs. A boy makes some comments about killing himself so that he doesn't have to compete (and he looks serious), but we don't know how serious the comment really is. A girl mentions her father cheating on her mother -- resulting in a stepbrother -- and that the girl thinks her mother should leave her father for that. A girl talks about drunks and what they could do to young girls with developed bodies (presumably referring to rape or molestation). The boys comment about growing up, such as getting hair in weird places and not having to change the sheets due to no longer peeing in bed during the night. A girl says that 11-year-old girls are the preferred target of kidnappers. Some boys briefly comment on what they've heard about gay marriage. The comment that some of the male teachers are role models for some of the young boys. The concept of good sportsmanship in competitions like this. When his class visits lower Manhattan to compete, an instructor briefly asks the students (about the Twin Towers) "Can you believe they used to stand there?" (but we don't see the actual site). The comment that the key to success is to find something you love and do it well. Some of the teachers talk about how participating in the dance classes and competitions changed some of their kids for the better. VIOLENCE None. Reviewed April 25, 2005 / Posted May 20, 2005

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