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Make It Happen (film)
Encyclopedia
Make It Happen is a 2008
dance film
directed by Darren Grant
and starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead
. The screenplay was co-written by Duane Adler, who was a screenwriter for Save the Last Dance
and Step Up
, films that also involved dancing.
The movie opens in Glenwood, Indiana
, where Lauryn Kirk (Mary Elizabeth Winstead
) narrates the first few parts. There are no dance schools in Glenwood and Lauryn says goodbye to her brother, Joel (John Reardon
) before departing for Chicago
to audition for a famous dance school, the fictional Chicago School of Music and Dance. Although Joel, who works as a mechanic
in the family garage, is wary of Lauryn's decision to enroll, he eventually gives her his blessing. When Lauryn enters the stage, however, her dance (mostly a hip hop
routine) was halted by the judge, who hostilely rejects her, saying that they need to see something more "sensual and feminine".
Dejected, Lauryn goes to a diner to down her sorrows, but soon finds her car towed off. Upon seeing her misfortunes, Dana (Tessa Thompson
), a friendly waitress from the diner invites Lauryn to her apartment and out of the pouring rain. Dana subsequently offers Lauryn a place to stay, considering Lauryn could not go back home and face her brother. The next day, Dana brings Lauryn to a club
called Ruby's (whose dances are rooted in burlesque
), where she meets with Russ (Riley Smith
), the slick-talking disc jockey
, and Brenda (Karen LeBlanc), the club owner. Brenda hires Lauryn as a bookkeeper, in light of her skills with numbers. Lauryn watches as a dancer, Carmen (Julissa Bermudez
) performs impressively on the stage.
Before locking up late one night, Lauryn goes on the stage and silently and elegantly dances, while unbeknownest to her, Russ watches from a distance. The next night, Brenda finds herself short of dancers. Russ asks Lauryn to dance, after having seen her graceful performance the previous night. Lauryn reluctantly agrees, and goes on stage. At first, new to the sexy routine, Lauryn looks foolish, but when Russ starts playing hip-hop music, Lauryn does a sexy hip-hop routine, and finds herself to be Ruby's new star. As Lauryn and Russ' relationship progresses, Lauryn continues performing stunningly on stage, much to Carmen's chagrin.
One night however, Joel catches Lauryn at the club during a dance; After a bicker, in which Lauryn realizes that Joel is losing the family garage due to stacking mortgages and bills, she decides to ditch the stage and return to Indiana to save the garage. Soon after though, Joel catches a peek of Lauryn joyfully dancing in the garage one day, and asks Lauryn to give the audition another shot. Uplifted, Lauryn returns to Chicago for a second audition. She nails it, and happily embraces Russ, who has come to encourage her. Lauryn goes back to Ruby's to apologize to Brenda, but finds a surprise congratulatory party awaiting for her. The movie concludes as the party breaks into a dance.
With the main principles of the production set, the filmmakers went on to find their Lauryn Kirk. On July 11, 2007, Rotten Tomatoes
reveal the casting of Mary Elizabeth Winstead
in the lead role. Winstead, who started dancing at the age of four, was thrilled and a little shocked to be offered the role of Lauryn. "I actually got offered the role kind of out of the blue. And I was extremely excited because it's a dance film and dance has been a passion of mine for a long time, especially growing up, so it was just a really great opportunity." Soon after, Winstead began practicing the dance moves with choreographer Tracy Phillips. In June, Riley Smith announces his association with the film in his official website. On August 16, Ashley Roberts was announced as joining the film by Entertainment Sunflashes.
The film was shot on location in Winnipeg
, Manitoba
, Canada, from August 8 until September 17, 2007.
, followed by promotional and production stills. Soon after, promotional clips began sneaking their way into the Internet, and TV spots started airing in UK TV channels. The theatrical trailer was released thereafter. The first UK review surfaced on August 3. Make It Happen was released in the UK on August 8, 2008.
The film was further released in Iceland
on the 28th of August, and then in Singapore
and Australia
on September 4. The film debuted in the Philippines
on the 1st of October, and recently premiered in Hong Kong
theaters on November 13. The film was also released in Netherlands
on February 5, 2009
and Belgium
on the 18th.
Make It Happen made its final theatrical run in France
, on the 10th of June 2009, exactly a year after the film's shooting production began.
chart. It spent a total of one week on the top 10 chart, before dropping down to the 12th position in its second week, earning $216,923 as the weekend gross.
The film grossed $2,489,030 a total of over its run in the UK. It was further released on the 4th of September in both Australia and Singapore
, where it went on to collect a total of $1,518,790 and $91,686 respectively. It made $86,540 in the Philippines after its debut on the 1st of October. The film was released direct to DVD in the US on December 9, 2008.
Make It Happen sat on #5 in the box office chart in Slovakia
, earning $18,202, and ended up with $45,126 throughout its release in Slovakia. The film was later released in The Netherlands
, on the 5th of February, 2009. In its first week, the film stood at #8 in the chart, collecting $113,045, and raked up $78,043 in its second week.
The film was released on March 3, 2009 in Hungary
, where it collected a total of $14,928 for four weeks. Make It Happen stands at #6 during its weekend gross in Thailand
, where it collected $42,693 in its first weekend. In Italy
, where the film came out on the 5th of April, it made $789,132. Furthermore, the film was released on the 16th of March in Russia
and on the 23rd in Malaysia. It made a feeble $26,171 during its 4 weeks run in Malaysia, but in a total contrast, it made $350,938 during its 6 weeks run in Russia.
Make It Happen made its final run in theaters in France
, on the 10th of June 2009, where the film collected an impressive total of $920,706.
, the film stands at a 24% approval score, based on 17 reviews. It is certified as "rotten", with the consensus being: "Cheap, predictable, formulaic and unimaginative generic dance film. Comes across as Showgirls
for simpleton teens, but with much less flesh on show". The film also stands at a 0% rating based on 4 reviews from RT's Top Critics.
Apparently, many critics disliked the film's similarities with other dance flicks such as Save the Last Dance
and Flashdance
. Another main criticism was that, except for a few scenes where Lauryn appears with a bare midriff, the film did not contain enough skin. One reviewer stated, "You're liable to see more flesh in a Pussycat Dolls
video than here". The dance moves were also criticized as being lazy, and offering nothing groundbreaking.
On the other hand, many agreed that the film's biggest and most universally-agreed asset was Mary Elizabeth Winstead
. Reviewer Mike Martin says, "Winstead infuses every moment with an amazing amount of charm". Matthew Turner of ViewLondon even goes to say it "compensates for the generally poor direction." The story has also been said to have "plenty of heart". "[...] the screenplay makes an effort to build a story and characters and interest, to put Lauryn's dancing ambition in context and the dance sequences in the third act more explosive," quote one Andrew L. Urban.
Nevertheless, the film was listed as the 36th Worst 2008 Film at Times Online.
in the UK on December 29, 2008. Supplementary materials include: "She's Got Moves" DVD Game, an interview with Mary Elizabeth Winstead, 13 deleted and extended scenes
, blooper
reel, trailers
and TV spots. The film has also gone straight to DVD
in the US on December 9, 2008, while finding release on DVD on November 4, 2008. The DVD possesses the removed plotline of Dana's sudden pregnancy, and of her eventual miscarriage and also an extended sequence of Brooke's audition.
Make It Happen was released in Blu-Ray on the 20th of July, 2009. The only special features available are a few trailers for other Weinstein releases, and Dutch
subtitles.
has been planned for the film, but Make It Happen features the following songs, among others:
2008 in film
This is a list of all major films made in 2008.-Highest-grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2008...
dance film
Dance film
Dance Film is the creation of choreography that exists only in the medium of film/video. At its best, DanceFilm uses filming and editing techniques to create twists in the plotline, multiple layers of reality, and emotional/psychological depth....
directed by Darren Grant
Darren Grant
Darren Grant is an American music video director. He has done over 80 music videos for mostly R&B and Hip Hop artists.He is best known for directing all the music videos from Destiny's Child's debut album, he also worked with them on their later music videos including Grammy winning single...
and starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Mary Elizabeth Winstead is an American actress. She is best known for her scream queen roles in the horror films Final Destination 3, Black Christmas, Death Proof, and The Thing...
. The screenplay was co-written by Duane Adler, who was a screenwriter for Save the Last Dance
Save the Last Dance
Save the Last Dance is a 2001 romantic drama dance film produced by MTV Films, directed by Thomas Carter and released by Paramount Pictures on January 12, 2001. The film stars Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick Thomas as a teenage interracial couple in Chicago who work together to help the main...
and Step Up
Step Up (film)
Step Up is a 2006 American dance/romance film directed by Anne Fletcher starring Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan.Set in Baltimore, Maryland, the film follows the tale of the disadvantaged Tyler Gage and the privileged modern dancer Nora Clark , who find themselves paired up in a showcase that...
, films that also involved dancing.
Plot
Glenwood, Indiana
Glenwood is a town in Fairview and Orange townships, Fayette County and Union Township, Rush County in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 250 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Glenwood is located at ....
, where Lauryn Kirk (Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Mary Elizabeth Winstead is an American actress. She is best known for her scream queen roles in the horror films Final Destination 3, Black Christmas, Death Proof, and The Thing...
) narrates the first few parts. There are no dance schools in Glenwood and Lauryn says goodbye to her brother, Joel (John Reardon
John Reardon
John Reardon is a Canadian former all-star college football player for Mount Allison University . He started acting in 2001 and has appeared in several TV shows and movies, such as Tru Calling as Randall Thompson, White Chicks as Heath, Scary Movie 4 as Jeremiah and Merlin's Apprentice as...
) before departing for Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
to audition for a famous dance school, the fictional Chicago School of Music and Dance. Although Joel, who works as a mechanic
Mechanic
A mechanic is a craftsman or technician who uses tools to build or repair machinery.Many mechanics are specialized in a particular field such as auto mechanics, bicycle mechanics, motorcycle mechanics, boiler mechanics, general mechanics, industrial maintenance mechanics , air conditioning and...
in the family garage, is wary of Lauryn's decision to enroll, he eventually gives her his blessing. When Lauryn enters the stage, however, her dance (mostly a hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
routine) was halted by the judge, who hostilely rejects her, saying that they need to see something more "sensual and feminine".
Dejected, Lauryn goes to a diner to down her sorrows, but soon finds her car towed off. Upon seeing her misfortunes, Dana (Tessa Thompson
Tessa Thompson
Tessa Lynne Thompson is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for the role of Jackie Cook on the TV series Veronica Mars.-Personal life:...
), a friendly waitress from the diner invites Lauryn to her apartment and out of the pouring rain. Dana subsequently offers Lauryn a place to stay, considering Lauryn could not go back home and face her brother. The next day, Dana brings Lauryn to a club
Club
A club is an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal. A service club, for example, exists for voluntary or charitable activities; there are clubs devoted to hobbies and sports, social activities clubs, political and religious clubs, and so forth.- History...
called Ruby's (whose dances are rooted in burlesque
Burlesque
Burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects...
), where she meets with Russ (Riley Smith
Riley Smith
Riley Smith is an American film and television actor and singer for the band The Life of Riley.-Background:Smith's parents are Russ and Roxanne Smith...
), the slick-talking disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
, and Brenda (Karen LeBlanc), the club owner. Brenda hires Lauryn as a bookkeeper, in light of her skills with numbers. Lauryn watches as a dancer, Carmen (Julissa Bermudez
Julissa Bermudez
Julissa Bermudez is a Dominican actress. She is best known for her work as co-host on BET's most popular music video countdown show 106 & Park and former host of Jersey Shore: After Hours and related Jersey Shore specials....
) performs impressively on the stage.
Before locking up late one night, Lauryn goes on the stage and silently and elegantly dances, while unbeknownest to her, Russ watches from a distance. The next night, Brenda finds herself short of dancers. Russ asks Lauryn to dance, after having seen her graceful performance the previous night. Lauryn reluctantly agrees, and goes on stage. At first, new to the sexy routine, Lauryn looks foolish, but when Russ starts playing hip-hop music, Lauryn does a sexy hip-hop routine, and finds herself to be Ruby's new star. As Lauryn and Russ' relationship progresses, Lauryn continues performing stunningly on stage, much to Carmen's chagrin.
One night however, Joel catches Lauryn at the club during a dance; After a bicker, in which Lauryn realizes that Joel is losing the family garage due to stacking mortgages and bills, she decides to ditch the stage and return to Indiana to save the garage. Soon after though, Joel catches a peek of Lauryn joyfully dancing in the garage one day, and asks Lauryn to give the audition another shot. Uplifted, Lauryn returns to Chicago for a second audition. She nails it, and happily embraces Russ, who has come to encourage her. Lauryn goes back to Ruby's to apologize to Brenda, but finds a surprise congratulatory party awaiting for her. The movie concludes as the party breaks into a dance.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Mary Elizabeth Winstead Mary Elizabeth Winstead Mary Elizabeth Winstead is an American actress. She is best known for her scream queen roles in the horror films Final Destination 3, Black Christmas, Death Proof, and The Thing... |
Lauryn Kirk |
| Riley Smith Riley Smith Riley Smith is an American film and television actor and singer for the band The Life of Riley.-Background:Smith's parents are Russ and Roxanne Smith... |
Russ |
| Tessa Thompson Tessa Thompson Tessa Lynne Thompson is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for the role of Jackie Cook on the TV series Veronica Mars.-Personal life:... |
Dana |
| Julissa Bermudez Julissa Bermudez Julissa Bermudez is a Dominican actress. She is best known for her work as co-host on BET's most popular music video countdown show 106 & Park and former host of Jersey Shore: After Hours and related Jersey Shore specials.... |
Carmen |
| John Reardon John Reardon John Reardon is a Canadian former all-star college football player for Mount Allison University . He started acting in 2001 and has appeared in several TV shows and movies, such as Tru Calling as Randall Thompson, White Chicks as Heath, Scary Movie 4 as Jeremiah and Merlin's Apprentice as... |
Joel Kirk |
| Karen LeBlanc | Brenda |
| Ashley Roberts Ashley Roberts Ashley Maria Roberts is an American dancer, showgirl, recording artist, model, actress, fashion designer and television personality, best known as a former member of the modern burlesque group the Pussycat Dolls... |
Brooke |
| Matt Kippen | Wayne |
Early conception
"What attracted me to "Make It Happen" was the fact that I could really just incorporate a lot of styles that I had done over the years. You have the dance element, and each little dance routine was going to be like its own little music video," Grant explains. When it came to helping the director to tell the story, Grant went to work with long time collaborator, 1999 Kodak Cinematography Award winner David Claessen. "I've worked with David since I was a PA and an electrician, and I always liked the way he lights. We've done music videos that have been amazing and every frame is like a portrait or a picture."With the main principles of the production set, the filmmakers went on to find their Lauryn Kirk. On July 11, 2007, Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reveal the casting of Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Mary Elizabeth Winstead is an American actress. She is best known for her scream queen roles in the horror films Final Destination 3, Black Christmas, Death Proof, and The Thing...
in the lead role. Winstead, who started dancing at the age of four, was thrilled and a little shocked to be offered the role of Lauryn. "I actually got offered the role kind of out of the blue. And I was extremely excited because it's a dance film and dance has been a passion of mine for a long time, especially growing up, so it was just a really great opportunity." Soon after, Winstead began practicing the dance moves with choreographer Tracy Phillips. In June, Riley Smith announces his association with the film in his official website. On August 16, Ashley Roberts was announced as joining the film by Entertainment Sunflashes.
The film was shot on location in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada, from August 8 until September 17, 2007.
Marketing
In mid July, promotions for the film began in UK. On July 11, the theatrical international trailer was released through Optimum ReleasingOptimum Releasing
StudioCanal UK is a film distributor company working in the UK and Ireland. The company releases many films, including foreign language films, anime releases such as Studio Ghibli's films and independent British, Irish and American films in the UK and sometimes Ireland.Optimum was acquired by...
, followed by promotional and production stills. Soon after, promotional clips began sneaking their way into the Internet, and TV spots started airing in UK TV channels. The theatrical trailer was released thereafter. The first UK review surfaced on August 3. Make It Happen was released in the UK on August 8, 2008.
The film was further released in Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
on the 28th of August, and then in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
on September 4. The film debuted in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
on the 1st of October, and recently premiered in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
theaters on November 13. The film was also released in Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
on February 5, 2009
2009 in film
The year 2009 saw the release of many films. Seven made the top 50 list of highest-grossing films, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that as of this year, their Best Picture category would consist of ten nominees, rather than five .- Highest-grossing films :Please note...
and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
on the 18th.
Make It Happen made its final theatrical run in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, on the 10th of June 2009, exactly a year after the film's shooting production began.
Financial reception
Make It Happen was released first in the UK on Friday, the 8th of August. During its initial release, the film grossed $945,349 over the weekend and ended up fifth on the box officeBox office
A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through an unblocked hole through a wall or window, or at a wicket....
chart. It spent a total of one week on the top 10 chart, before dropping down to the 12th position in its second week, earning $216,923 as the weekend gross.
The film grossed $2,489,030 a total of over its run in the UK. It was further released on the 4th of September in both Australia and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, where it went on to collect a total of $1,518,790 and $91,686 respectively. It made $86,540 in the Philippines after its debut on the 1st of October. The film was released direct to DVD in the US on December 9, 2008.
Make It Happen sat on #5 in the box office chart in Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, earning $18,202, and ended up with $45,126 throughout its release in Slovakia. The film was later released in The Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, on the 5th of February, 2009. In its first week, the film stood at #8 in the chart, collecting $113,045, and raked up $78,043 in its second week.
The film was released on March 3, 2009 in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, where it collected a total of $14,928 for four weeks. Make It Happen stands at #6 during its weekend gross in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, where it collected $42,693 in its first weekend. In Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, where the film came out on the 5th of April, it made $789,132. Furthermore, the film was released on the 16th of March in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and on the 23rd in Malaysia. It made a feeble $26,171 during its 4 weeks run in Malaysia, but in a total contrast, it made $350,938 during its 6 weeks run in Russia.
Make It Happen made its final run in theaters in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, on the 10th of June 2009, where the film collected an impressive total of $920,706.
Critical reception
The film received mostly unfavorable reviews from critics. On the review aggregator site, Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, the film stands at a 24% approval score, based on 17 reviews. It is certified as "rotten", with the consensus being: "Cheap, predictable, formulaic and unimaginative generic dance film. Comes across as Showgirls
Showgirls
Showgirls is a 1995 American drama film directed by Paul Verhoeven and starring former teen actress Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan, and Gina Gershon...
for simpleton teens, but with much less flesh on show". The film also stands at a 0% rating based on 4 reviews from RT's Top Critics.
Apparently, many critics disliked the film's similarities with other dance flicks such as Save the Last Dance
Save the Last Dance
Save the Last Dance is a 2001 romantic drama dance film produced by MTV Films, directed by Thomas Carter and released by Paramount Pictures on January 12, 2001. The film stars Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick Thomas as a teenage interracial couple in Chicago who work together to help the main...
and Flashdance
Flashdance
Another song used in the film, "Maniac", was also nominated for an Academy Award. It was written by Michael Sembello and Dennis Matkosky, and was inspired by the 1980 horror film Maniac. The lyrics about a killer on the loose were rewritten so that it could be used in Flashdance...
. Another main criticism was that, except for a few scenes where Lauryn appears with a bare midriff, the film did not contain enough skin. One reviewer stated, "You're liable to see more flesh in a Pussycat Dolls
Pussycat Dolls
The Pussycat Dolls are an American pop girl group and dance ensemble based in Los Angeles; currently consisting of Lauren Bennett, Vanessa Curry, Kristal "Lyndriette" Smith, Tiffany "Taz" Zavala, Kia Hampton and Paula Van Oppen. The Pussycat Dolls were founded by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995...
video than here". The dance moves were also criticized as being lazy, and offering nothing groundbreaking.
On the other hand, many agreed that the film's biggest and most universally-agreed asset was Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Mary Elizabeth Winstead is an American actress. She is best known for her scream queen roles in the horror films Final Destination 3, Black Christmas, Death Proof, and The Thing...
. Reviewer Mike Martin says, "Winstead infuses every moment with an amazing amount of charm". Matthew Turner of ViewLondon even goes to say it "compensates for the generally poor direction." The story has also been said to have "plenty of heart". "[...] the screenplay makes an effort to build a story and characters and interest, to put Lauryn's dancing ambition in context and the dance sequences in the third act more explosive," quote one Andrew L. Urban.
Nevertheless, the film was listed as the 36th Worst 2008 Film at Times Online.
Home media
Make It Happen was released on standard DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in the UK on December 29, 2008. Supplementary materials include: "She's Got Moves" DVD Game, an interview with Mary Elizabeth Winstead, 13 deleted and extended scenes
Deleted scene
In Entertainment, especially the film and television industry, Deleted scenes are parts of a film removed or censored from or replaced by another scene in the final "cut", or version, of a film...
, blooper
Blooper
A blooper, also known as an outtake or boner is a short sequence of a film or video production, usually a deleted scene, containing a mistake made by a member of the cast or crew. It also refers to an error made during a live radio or TV broadcast or news report, usually in terms of misspoken words...
reel, trailers
Trailer (film)
A trailer or preview is an advertisement or a commercial for a feature film that will be exhibited in the future at a cinema. The term "trailer" comes from their having originally been shown at the end of a feature film screening. That practice did not last long, because patrons tended to leave the...
and TV spots. The film has also gone straight to DVD
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
in the US on December 9, 2008, while finding release on DVD on November 4, 2008. The DVD possesses the removed plotline of Dana's sudden pregnancy, and of her eventual miscarriage and also an extended sequence of Brooke's audition.
Make It Happen was released in Blu-Ray on the 20th of July, 2009. The only special features available are a few trailers for other Weinstein releases, and Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
subtitles.
Soundtrack
No official soundtrackSoundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
has been planned for the film, but Make It Happen features the following songs, among others:
- Teach Me How To Dance - Che'NelleChe'NelleCheryline Lim known by her stage name Che'Nelle, is an Australian recording artist. in 2005 she was signed to Virgin Records America, an imprint of EMI.-1983-2005: Early life:...
- Put It Down - Zshatwa
- Going Home - Mozella
- My Way - Bella Brooke
- Hustle - JameliaJameliaJamelia Niela Davis , best known mononymously as Jamelia, is an English singer-songwriter, model, entertainer, television presenter and actress. She is most famous for her use of a cappella and prolific work in the R&B genre...
- Get What I Want - Bitter:SweetBitter:sweetBitter:Sweet is an electronic/trip-hop duo with jazz-like qualities from Los Angeles. The band is composed of Shana Halligan, who provides vocals and lyrics and composes the songs, and Kiran Shahani, who produces and composes the songs.- Appearances :...
- Hoodie - Lady SovereignLady SovereignLouise Amanda Harman , better known by the stage name Lady Sovereign, is an English rapper & grime artist. She is noted for her professional success in performing styles of music generally dominated by males...
- Get Your Shoes On - Elisabeth Withers
- Ruby BlueRuby BlueRuby Blue were a UK folk rock/pop band of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Fronted by Rebecca Pidgeon, they released a total of four albums, beginning with Glances Askances in 1987 and Down From Above in 1990. The original members of the band were Rebecca and Roger Fife...
- Róisín MurphyRóisín MurphyRóisín Marie Murphy is an Irish singer-songwriter and record producer, known for her electronic style.Murphy first came to note as part of the electronic music duo Moloko. Her partner in the band was then-boyfriend Mark Brydon. After the two ended their romantic relationship, Murphy released her... - Steamy - Tamara Powell
- Shawty Get LooseShawty Get Loose"Shawty Get Loose" is the third single from rap artist Lil Mama's debut album, VYP: Voice of the Young People. "Shawty Get Loose" is Lil Mama's first number one single. The single is the remix version, where it features Chris Brown singing the chorus, and T-Pain rapping on the second verse. In the...
- Lil MamaLil MamaNiatia Jessica Kirkland professionally known as Lil Mama, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, musician, and dancer.-Early life:...
ft. T Pain & Chris Brown - Triple Double - Ohmega WattsOhmega WattsOhmega Watts, real name Milton Campbell, is a hip hop producer and vocalist from Brooklyn, New York. He releases music under the name Ohmega Watts and as a part of the Lightheaded crew.-Biography:...
- Break It Down - Alana D.
- Love YaLove Ya"Love Ya" is the debut single released in 2007 by the UK Soul, Electro and R&B group Unklejam and the first from their self-titled debut album, to be released in late 2007....
- UnklejamUnklejam-Background:Unklejam's name is taken from Funkadelic's 1979 album Uncle Jam Wants You. Their sound is a mixture of Electro, R&B and soul with influences ranging from P-Funk to Prince and Sly and the Family Stone. The band were signed to Virgin Records.... - Bottoms Up - Keke PalmerKeke PalmerLauren Keyana "Keke" Palmer is an American actress and singer who rose to fame for her performance in the 2006 film Akeelah and the Bee. She also starred as the title character in the Nickelodeon sitcom True Jackson, VP...
- Hello - Kip Blackshire
- Flash Back - Fat Freddy's Drop
- Beware Of The DogBeware of the Dog"Beware of the Dog" is a song written by Jamelia, Stuart Crichton, Tommy Lee James, Karen Poole and Martin Gore, produced by Crichton for Jamelia's third album Walk with Me...
- JameliaJameliaJamelia Niela Davis , best known mononymously as Jamelia, is an English singer-songwriter, model, entertainer, television presenter and actress. She is most famous for her use of a cappella and prolific work in the R&B genre... - Push ItPush It (Salt-N-Pepa song)"Push It" is a song by the group Salt-N-Pepa, released as a single in 1986. It peaked at number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1987 and has been certified Platinum by the RIAA...
- Salt-N-PepaSalt-N-PepaSalt-N-Pepa is an American hip hop trio from Queens and Brooklyn, New York, that was formed in 1985. The group, consisting of Cheryl "Salt" Renee James, Sandra "Pepa" Denton, and Deidra "DJ Spinderella" Roper, was one of the first all-female rap crews.... - Just Dance - Lady GaGaLady GaGaStefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...