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(About Our Ads) "HOW SHE MOVE" (2008) (Rutina Wesley, Dwain Murphy) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Heavy Minor Moderate Minor None Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Moderate None None *None Heavy Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Heavy Minor Heavy Moderate Mild QUICK TAKE: Drama: Following her sister's drug-related death, a young woman returns home from prep school, then joins a competitive dance troupe in order to earn prize money and be able to go back to school. PLOT: Raya (RUTINA WESLEY) is a hardworking student at prep school when she learns her sister has died of a drug overdose. Raya returns home to Toronto, where she must deal with her grieving mother, Faye (MELANIE NICHOLLS-KING), and resentful peers, such as Michelle (TRE ARMSTRONG), while preparing to pass an exam that will let her return to school and so, as she sees it, escape her underclass environment, especially the dealers with whom her sister spent time. A series of events leads to Raya's decision to join a dance crew -- and not the women's crew that featured her sister, but a men's troupe, because they win larger contest prize monies. Though mixed crews are rare in high-level competitions, Bishop (DWAIN MURPHY) accepts Raya because she is a great, energetic dancer, and also because he has a crush on her. Following more trials and tribulations -- including an argument over a contest that breaks up the crew temporarily -- the dancers make their way to the big finals in Detroit, emceed by Keyshia Cole and Deray Davis (as themselves). Here, Raya confronts her own anger and frustration over her sister's death, apologizes to her mother for lying about several events (in order to spare her mother more pain), and the team pulls together to perform a spectacular number. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Yes, if they like hip-hop dance, dance contests, or stories about struggling to get into college. Though the stars are all unknown in the U.S., they are appealing, WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For some drug content, suggestive material and language. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: RUTINA WESLEY plays Raya, who must overcome grief and guilt when her sister dies, take an exam to get into Seaton Prep School and earn a scholarship, and help her male teammates win a hip-hop dance contest. Along the way, she lies to her mother but learns this is not an effective way to escape her neighborhood. DWAIN MURPHY is Bishop, Raya's crew leader and crush, who learns to trust her instincts and give up some control of the team. BRENNAN GADEMANS is Quake, Bishop's little brother and a terrific choreographer, a point his brother has too long ignored. MELANIE NICHOLLS-KING is Faye, Raya's mother, angry and afraid following the loss of her other daughter to drug abuse. CLE BENNETT is Garvey, leader of a rival crew and drug dealer, whom Raya blames in part for her sister's death. TRE ARMSTRONG plays Michelle, Raya's rival for Bishop's attention and, for a time, assigned by the school principal to be tutored by Raya. CONRAD COATES plays David, Raya's father, overwhelmed by his guilt and feeling that he is unable to take care of his family. KEVIN DUHANEY plays E.C., Bishop's longtime friend and dance crew member, angry that he admits a girl on the crew. 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 quick look at the content found in this PG-13 drama. Profanity consists of at least 1 "f" word, while other expletives and colorful phrases are uttered, as is some non-explicit, sexually related dialogue. Some women are seen in revealing attire, one performs a brief lap dance at a party, a couple is briefly seen in bed (she on top, her bare back is viewed) and male and female dancers separately do some pelvic thrusting on the dance floor. Additional dance moves and other material may be enticing for some kids to imitate. Two girls get in a fight (kicking and hitting). Various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, at least two characters smoke joints in social settings (and it's noted that a character has died of a drug overdose), and there's some drinking. Background smoke is visible at a party and a couple of dance contests. Several scenes show family tension, some of that related to the aftermath of the death of a sibling/daughter, while two characters separately vomit before competing. If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE While in class at prep school, Raya learns that her sister has died of a drug overdose, then goes home to be with her mother. Raya follows Michelle to an apartment where at least one person is smoking a joint. Raya warns Michelle, "You start making people like this a habit, then you're the habit." At a party after a dance contest, Raya sees Michelle and other dancers drinking, while one young man is smoking a joint. Garvey chides Raya for being upset about her sister, then explains "She had a need," which he apparently filled. BLOOD/GORE Quake vomits before a dance contest (you see his head down and hear the noise, but don't see the vomit). Raya vomits before a dance contest (you see her head down and hear the noise, but don't see the vomit). DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Bishop lies to Raya (he says the bus has stopped running), so he can give her a ride home. She smiles when she finds out. After Raya thinks she's failed an exam, she slams into the girls' room at the school (alarming a couple of girls at the sink) and cries alone in a stall. Raya sees Michelle's mother yelling at her and throwing her clothes off a balcony. Concerned about worrying her mother, Raya lies to her about how well she did on the exam (she says she "aced it" when she thinks she's failed it, but -- SPOILER ALERT-- at the end of the film, this turns out not to be a lie, because she has in fact "aced it"). Raya snaps at Bishop about their neighborhood in Toronto: "That's all this place is Bishop, a whole lot of people killing themselves over things that don't even matter." Raya tells Michelle she should not hang around people who do drugs and Michelle tells her, essentially, to mind her own business. A girls' dance crew steals the moves from another, male crew. Bishop kicks Raya off his crew when she performs dance moves they haven't practiced during a contest. Raya takes a place on a rival team, and Bishop is upset. Raya gets angry at drug dealer Garvey, who has given her dead sister's locket to another girl (and who she partially blames for her sister's death). When Raya pawns the locket to get money for Bishop's team to enter a contest, he still won't forgive her, and Michelle has to yell at him to get him to realize his mistake. FRIGHTENING SCENES Raya and Michelle fight, and that includes hitting, knocking down, and kicking. GUNS/WEAPONS None. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "Bullsh*t," "Bitch," "A pair of panties punked you out" and "Leave the fools to this foolishness." Some dance moves might inspire imitation, as the choreography is very creative and fun to watch. A person gives another "the finger." An introduction to a dance contest refers to audience members as "pimps and players." JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) None. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None, but some songs contained lyrics that we couldn't fully hear and/or understand, thus presenting the possibility that they potentially contain objectionable material. PROFANITY At least 1 "f" word, 16 "s" words 5 asses, 3 damns. SEX/NUDITY Women appear repeatedly (at contests and at a party) in outfits that show cleavage, especially Michelle and background characters. An introduction to a dance contest refers to audience members as "pimps and players." During a dance contest, young women thrust their hips. During a dance rehearsal, young men hump the floor, with the camera focused on their clothed bottoms, briefly. Michelle shows cleavage while studying in the library. During the second dance contest, young women showing cleavage thrust their hips and wear shorts, and the camera briefly focuses on their clothed bottoms. Michelle performs a lap dance on a young man's lap at a party (very brief) Raya walks into a bedroom and discovers Garvey in bed with a girl. We see her bare back as she's astride him (a very brief glimpse). Raya and Bishop kiss on stage after they win the big contest, and her mother smiles approvingly from the audience. SMOKING Background characters smoke in several scenes, at dance contests (you see smoke in the air) and at a party. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Raya learns her sister has died of a drug overdose, and then returns home to Toronto, where she must deal with her grieving mother Faye brushes Raya's hair, as they both remember the dead sister/daughter, then Faye says, "Looking pretty don't mean nothing if you live in dirt." Raya lies to her mother about passing an exam (she thinks she's failed it). Raya sneaks out of the apartment to go to a contest that she knows her mother won't approve of. Raya sees her mother and father grow tense. Faye complains that he hasn't fixed the floor, while he looks depressed. Raya sneaks away to Detroit, lying to her mother about traveling to Baltimore for a college preparation consortium. She calls her mother from Detroit and leaves a message saying she'll call back (from Baltimore) in a few days. Later, her mother discovers where she is and goes to Detroit herself, where she confronts Raya and insists she "Leave the fools to this foolishness." Raya sees Michelle's mother yelling at her and throwing her clothes off a balcony. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT The death of a sibling or daughter. Drugs. Pressure to do well in school. Lying to one's parents, to keep up a "perfect" image. Competition -- in dance, in physical fighting, in school. VIOLENCE You hear about Raya's sister's death from drugs, but don't see it. Raya and Michelle fight, and that includes hitting, knocking down, and kicking. Some of the dance moves look aggressive, but they are plainly dance moves. Reviewed January 17, 2008 / Posted January 25, 2008