Strictly Ballroom

Strictly Ballroom is a 1992 Australian romantic comedy film. This film tells the story of an Australian ballroom dancer, Scott and his struggle to establish his unique personal style of dance steps to win the Pan-Pacific Grand Prix Dancing Championship. Scott’s steps have been opposed by all the ballroom dancers including his mother because his steps are not strictly ballroom.

In the whole story, I can see the value of determination in Scott. Even though Scott was opposed by people around him, he still wants to use his own unique steps to dance. Her original partner did not agree with him, and she chose to change her partner. The moment everyone is opposing his idea, there is a lady named Fran who is not a dancer is very interested in his unique dancing ideas. Scott started to teach Franc the ways to dance strictly ballroom as the hope is there when someone wants to be his dancing partner. Through whole the way of practices, there is no one agreed with them. Scott did not give up his determination when everyone wants him to conform to original dancing steps. He had finally stronger his determination when he has met with Fran’s family. Franc’s grandmother and father teach him the steps and rhythms, he very enjoys when he is dancing together with her family.

      

            The value of conformity can be seen in all the dancers in the film except Scott. Scott is a maverick dancer who wants to create his personal unique dancing steps in winning the competition. All the dancers opposed to his new steps including his mother who has tried hard to stop Scott from dancing incorrectly. Despite Scott knowing that breaking rules would lead to losing the competition, he did not conform to them. Even though Scott lost the competition, his dance partner, Liz and the approval everyone, he still did not conform to the original strict ballroom moves. In the last competition of the film, he finally dancing with his new partner, Franc by using what he had learned from her family. In the end, this non-conformity led to a memorable performance.

However, romance scene has always caught my attention. The intimate love fulfilled with commitments, intimacy, and passion. This can be seen in between the interaction of Fran and Scott. From the movie, Scott and Fran share proximity when they are dancing and practising together. When Scott wants Fran to be his new partner, they did spend long hours of time in practising dance together in the dancing studio. The power of love has been shown when Scott wants to dance in his own way and Fran wanted to dance with him in Scott's way. Both Scott and Fran shares mutual liking to each other. The intimacy between Scott and Franc can be shown when they are dancing together. Though Fran was the one who fell in love towards Scott, her love did encourage and inspire Scott when he is opposing by all the people around him. After the interesting training with Fran and her family, Scott fell in love toward Fran. I would like to think their similarity in interest can lead them to be a good couple in the intimate relationship as they can practise and join competition together. The honours of winning competitions would be their best memories when they are getting older. 

Lastly, Scott's family and Fran's family do express their love and caring in different ways. In the whole movie, Scott's mother did not support Scott when he needs support from his lovely family. His mother shows her love in wanting Scott dance in original dancing steps and she had found the best dancing partner for him. On the other hand, Fran's father did show his love in teaching them the steps in dancing and they did enjoy it happily. I can see the passion of Fran's father and grandmother in dancing through their facial expression. Fran's family always showing the positive support even though her father initially did not allow Fran to dance. A sentence "Listen to the rhythm, do not be fear" from Fran's grandmother and the rhythms clap by Scott's father and others did encourage as well as motivate Franc and Scott to dance during the competition though someone are trying to stop them from dancing on the stage. They finally get approved from all the people and lead the audients to dance together with them.   

Running on Empty

This film is a story of a countercultural couple, Annie and Arthur on the run from FBI and how one of their son Danny started to have his own life. Yet the crisis of this family is very much relevant to what every family has going through. The journey of this family is just like an adventure, they have to keep moving to a new place to avoid the caught of FBI. The story is started when they have moved to a new town. 

Arthur plays a father and husband role. His character as a father is just same as every father in the real world who always making sure every family member is in the safe zoom. He plays a very important role to be a role model of his kids and make sure they do not disclose their real identity to public. I can see Arthur as a father, he wants to keep his family close just like every father does. This can be seen in the scene when Danny wants to study at Julliard but he do not allowed Danny to do so because he knows once he give the permission, he may never see his son. The father-son relationship showed the greatness of love, Arthur has finally allowed his son to stay at the town to continue his study at the school to pursue his dream. I believe this is a great and hard decision for every parent as their kid will going to leave them temporary. A very special scene in this film between Arthur and Danny is Arthur did not get angry when he knew Danny had have sex with girlfriend. This is totally different and I guess it will never happen among Asian parents. Arthur plays a good husband role as well when they were celebrating his wife birthday to strengthen the bonding between each other. Aurthur tries to give what he can give to his wife and kids. 

Annie as a mother, she loves her sons very much. A close relationship between a mother and a son can be seen between Annie and Danny. The secure attachment of Danny towards his mother can be seen when he is hugging and playing piano together with his mother. Annie loves her kids very much as every mother does. The moment when she knew Danny likes Lorna, she is very supportive and positive toward Danny’s action. Meanwhile, Annie found out about Danny's audition, and begins to come to terms with the fact that she must let her son go and find his 'own' way. This does not sit well with Arthur, even as Annie risks their safety to contact her estranged father and arrange a home and life for Danny if they should decide to leave him behind. In the end, when Arthur hears on the radio that one of their underground colleagues has been shot and killed running from the authorities, he realizes that it is better for his son to pursue his dreams than to continue living a dangerous life on the run for which he bears no responsibility. Authoritative parenting can be seen in this film as Annie and Arthur allow Danny to explore more freely and having them to make their own decisions based upon their own reasoning even though there are sometimes to letting their kids go.  

Danny, a teenager who is overwhelming as a pianist had catch the attention of his music teacher.  His music teacher pushes him to audition for Julliard, a famous music school of world and his talent have gotten the chance to study at Julliard. Danny is an early matured teenage due to the environment he is living with. He wants to study at Julliard but he finally still put his parents on the top. His respect and maturity should be learned for every teenager as it is every important to put our parents at the first place.  While Danny’s music teacher pushes Danny to audition for Julliard, Danny also falls in love with Lorna, the teacher's teenage daughter. The intimate love can be seen between them. As the pressure to have his own life and realize his own dreams intensifies, Danny reveals his family secret to Lorna.  He learns the value of love in the relationship during his teenage stage. 

After watching this film, I believe every one is trying to play their own role well in real world. No matter what cultural we are living with, the values of love, maturity, honesty, intimacy, passionate, genuine, appreciation as well as trustworthy are every important in every stage of life. Every one is learning the new things in every moment and experience. Without love, laughing and happinness, I believe the world will turn into quiet and dark.