Dancing At The Blue Iguana (2000)

23% of critics liked it
(22 reviews)
43% of users liked it
(2,618 ratings)

The personal lives of five exotic dancers go under the microscope in this drama, the first American feature from director Michael Radford. Eddie (Robert Wisdom) is the manager of a strip club in suburban California known as the Blue Iguana, where he keeps an eye on the women who make their living… More The personal lives of five exotic dancers go under the microscope in this drama, the first American feature from director Michael Radford. Eddie (Robert Wisdom) is the manager of a strip club in suburban California known as the Blue Iguana, where he keeps an eye on the women who make their living dancing for his customers. Stormy (Sheila Kelley) is an attractive, thick-skinned woman who is getting old enough to realize her days as a dancer may be numbered. Jo (Jennifer Tilly) likes to think of herself as the Blue Iguana's star attraction, though her career may hit a detour now that she's learned she's pregnant. Angel (Daryl Hannah) is a sweet, but immature woman, who tries to deal with her fear of being unloved by adopting a child. Jasmine (Sandra Oh), an aspiring poet, tries not to get settled into a career as a stripper, while being encouraged in her writing by coffeehouse owner Dennis (Chris Hogan), who features spoken word performers. And Jesse (Charlotte Ayanna), the youngest of the performers, expresses her desperate need for approval in her desire to please the customers. Dancing at the Blue Iguana received its world premiere at the 2000 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 2 hr. 3 min.
Directed By: Michael Radford
Written By: Michael Radford, David Linter
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: Sep 1, 2000 Wide
On DVD: Dec 25, 2001
Studio: Keystone Entertainment

Critic Reviews

James Berardinelli, ReelViews
This, I suppose, is what happens when a director allows his actors to put together a movie -- it's sort of like letting the inmates run the asylum.
Michael Atkinson, Mr. Showbiz
A predictable exercise in fake tawdriness and half-nude psychodrama.
Stephen Holden, New York Times
More than anything, Dancing at the Blue Iguana is an acting showcase that allows its stars to strut their emotional range.
Lou Lumenick, New York Post
Mostly this is a whole lot of chain-smoking and griping about men. You'd be better off renting Demi Moore's Striptease.
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
Even if Dancing at the Blue Iguana can't rise to the level of the performances of Hannah, Oh and others, it is nonetheless engaging, not without humor and an aura of authenticity.
Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com
Always a more interesting acting exercise than compelling drama.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
There's a lot of tepid exotic dancing as the girls' writhe and slither around the pole.

Read all 7 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Coxxie M

great boobs... dont watch for story
Chris W

This film gives a very poignant, truthful, insightful, and artistic look into the world of exotic dancing. Great performances by a talented ensemble cast. Definitely worth a look or two.
Brian R

It is mainly about five women who dance and make their living at a strip club called The Blue Iguana. The women seem to be looking for some kind of redemption of the sorts but I didn't find any or couldn't understand what was going on. Some of the women are shown as… More
It is mainly about five women who dance and make their living at a strip club called The Blue Iguana. The women seem to be looking for some kind of redemption of the sorts but I didn't find any or couldn't understand what was going on. Some of the women are shown as hysterical with no sense of self worth whatsoever and need to calm their nerves by indulging in alcohol and smoking ciggarettes. There is one girl who seems sort of straight played by Sandra Oh who loves going to poetry sessions and becomes attracted to a guy there. Daryl Hannah is the worst in this picture because her character is pretty depressing and lost. Im not really sure what made her take on a role like this but embarrassing nonetheless. Meg Tilly's performance is also a very sad let down. Michael Radford's film is a disappointment and maybe his picture would have worked if he just sat down and really worked on a polished screenplay instead of trying to do a Robert Altman improvasational ensemble piece. Maybe Paul Thomas Anderson could have made this a little more enjoyable. NOTE: Although I put down Darryl Hannah's perfomance her documentary "Strip Notes" is more gritty and fascinating then Radford's movie.

Cast

            Charlotte Ayanna as Jessie

            Daryl Hannah as Angel

            Sheila Kelley as "Stormy" Marie Hughes

            Sandra Oh as Jasmine

            Jennifer Tilly as Jo

            Elias Koteas as Sully

            Vladimir Mashkov as Sacha

            Robert Wisdom as Eddie Hazel

            W. Earl Brown as Bobby

            Kristin Bauer as Nico

            Jesse Bradford as Jorge

            Stephen Hornyak as trucker

            Buckley Norris as talking man

            Isabelle Pasco as female customer

            Vincenzo Ricotta as customer

            Jack Conley as Officer Pete Foster

            John K. Thomas as poetry man

            David Amos as Dave

            Lobo Sebastian as rough looking guy

            Christina Cabot as Christina

            Maurice Compte as drug buyer

            Rod Rowland as Charlie

            Kevin Hunt as DJ

            Peggy Jo Jacobs as Sarah adoption official

            Ted Rooney as assistant

            Joel Hurt Jones as customer

            Pete Gardner as Jerry S&M Client

            Igbal Theba as clerk

            Harper Roisman as Harry Goldberg

            Jason Kravitz as Gordon

            Bill Chott as Angel's Regular

            Chris Hogan as Dennis

            Carolyne Aycaguer as Sophie Delvaux poetress

            R.C. Bates as Jimmy

            Marta Cunningham as Yolanda

            Ruthanna Hopper as Desiree

            Michael Loprete as Stormy's regular

            Ellyn Maybe as Fiona poetress

            Tenya Neilson as Castle

            Shannon Ransom as bartender

            Thomas Sherlorke as Jo's turned on customer
See full cast