Naturi Naughton, Kay Panabaker, Anna Maria Perez de Tagle

A reinvention of the original 1980 hit film, Fame follows a talented group of dancers, singers, actors, and artists over four years at the New York City High School of Performing Arts, a divers...( read more  read more... )e, creative powerhouse where students from all walks of life are given a chance to live out their dreams and achieve real and lasting fame...the kind that comes only from talent, dedication, and hard work. In an incredibly competitive atmosphere, plagued by self-doubt, each student's passion will be put to the test. In addition to their artistic goals, they have to deal with everything else that goes along with high school, a tumultuous time full of schoolwork, deep friendships, budding romance, and self-discovery. As each student strives for his or her moment in the spotlight, they'll discover who among them has the innate talent and necessary discipline to succeed. With the love and support of their friends and fellow artists, they'll find out who amongst them will achieve Fame...

Flixster Users

51% liked it

168,394 ratings

Critics

28% liked it

101 critics

PG, 1 hr. 47 min.

Directed by: Kevin Tancharoen

Release Date: September 25, 2009

Invite friends to see Get Showtimes

DVD Release Date: January 12, 2010

Stats: 5,987 reviews

Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Your Rating



clear rating

Flixster Reviews (5,987)


  • October 25, 2009
    This movie is shot like a documentary following a group of teenagers from their auditions to their graduation from the Performing Arts school in New York. It is not as wholesome as High School Musical, nor is it as gritty as the original Fame movie. The music is modern and releva...( read more)nt for today's reality TV addicts.
  • October 16, 2009
    ''You have talent. Now let's see what we can do with it.''

    An updated version of the 1980 musical, which centered on the students of the New York Academy of Performing Arts.

    Kay Panabaker: Jenny Garrison

    Lets get this straight, did this remake want to be a remak...( read more)e? Fame is trying to attain a modern vantage point on students aspiring to acting or music. The characters are different but some of their stories were mirrored, the fantastic musical score of the original film was largely ignored, and the film seemed to go out of its way to hide the fact that Performing Arts is a New York City institution. None of the students have New York accents, the girl who played Jenny was so miscast as the Doris Vinsecker mimic she should have sprouted pigtails and been telephoned to central America where she obviously originated, and the street scenes pinpointing New York as the locale for this movie were minimal.

    Character layering? There was minimal effort. Did you care when the girl who gets the gig with the modern dance company dumps her brokenhearted fellow PA student boyfriend? Why should you? They only appear together in 2 scenes prior to their breakup: when he is admiring her from afar as she dances a solo and when she invites him to a dinner with her parents to annoy them. When the dark girl (loosely modeled after the Coco character in the original) breaks into "Out Here on My Own," you want to laugh because she's a polar opposite: the product of a domineering father and passive mother who forbid her to do anything but continue on the classical pianist career path they launched her on. She's not out there on her own, she's being double-teamed by her stuffy parents and left to suffocate in an oppressive home environment. Ditto for other characters as well. We are left to wonder about many characters' emotional states because we haven't been made privy to what led up to them.

    Embracing the original score (with added genres to be true to present day) might have saved this flick. Including "Out Here On My Own," erroneously crooned in the middle of the movie, and the feeble salute to its namesake at the end when Fame plays over the credits, didn't do it for me. in fact it seemed to drone on prolonging the agony. The new music introduced in this film isn't remarkable or memorable, although obviously great dancing and singing doesn't always equal a great film.

    Kelsey Grammar, Debbie Allen, Bebe Neuwirth, and Megan Mullally give Fame a much needed boost in many scenes, but frequently diluted by the newbies. And maybe they didn't, because their portrayals of the four key administrators at this school were half-hearted and lifeless. For a school overflowing with creativity, the faculty had limited personas.
    And speaking of creativity, the original film was dead on depicting the students as lovable narcissistic ego maniacs passionate about the craft they hoped to perfect. There was none of that here. The film passes through these students' four years at PA without even a hint that they've mastered their craft or grown in any way.
    In short, the writing was bad, the acting mediocre, the direction was missing it's rightful flow, the editing was in sleep mode, and the score was a snore. Go watch and view the original. It might be a little dated but it's one fantastic thrill ride.
  • October 3, 2009
    This movie shouldn't be really called Fame since it's not a remake but rather another -completely different- form of the 1980 one; which by the way, unlike this one, was good. It's closer to High School Musical than it is to Fame.

    It was definitely ...( read more)entertaining, but the characters were very poorly developed and not at all appealing or sympathetic. The storyline and script are flat and lack focus and depth, while the movie is overall not engaging. The songs are songs you'd expect Miley Cyrus to sing, and the romance is just all over the place.

    So, why the one-and-a-half stars? Definitely for the choreography and dancing routines which are phenomenal! I love dance with all my heart and I was entertained, not bored and I just wanted to hop around after seeing it. There you have it!
  • September 28, 2009
    Yeah, I saw it. Shut up. It's really just what you want it to be. Musical montages instead of character development. Tried and true cliches (the kid from iowa, the angry kid, the kid whose parents won't let her follow her dreams...) It's much fun to watch Frasier, Lilith and Kare...( read more)n be tough but supportive teachers, though.
  • September 27, 2009
    I really hate watching Kay Panabaker. Her face just anoys me! lol other than that i was very entertained! I love theater and this movie was just what me and my friends wanted. I kinda wish there would have been more dance seces...the ones that were there were amazing!!
  • November 20, 2009
    es mas entretenida que la primera.. pero el problema es que la primera es mucho mas realistica en terminos en lo que toma mucho trabajo llegar a la fama..y que en verdad muchos no llegan.................y eso esta peliculafallo en

    de todos modos es buena
  • November 17, 2009
    Ive heard this movie really sucks! Don't see it!!!!
  • November 16, 2009
    Dancing and singing always makes me happy! But, I'm not really aa fan of the Fame-franchise. Never liked the first movie.. And this one was not much better. But I loved Megan Mullally!
  • November 14, 2009
    Plastic.
    It looked like a better version of "High School Musical". I didn't feel like it was reality unlike "Fame: The Original Movie".
  • November 13, 2009
    To be honest, the only reason why I watched this was 'cause my gurl TK be in it! Was only in there for 5 seconds and she still killed it. Maddest B* in the game! Overall, it was nice.

Critic Reviews


September 28, 2009
A.O. Scott, At the Movies

I don't mind the cornball and I don't mind the clichés, but I just think that the thing has to be executed a little better than this. full review

September 25, 2009
Pete Hammond, Back Stage

As a group this cast probably wouldn't even make it past Hollywood week on "American Idol". full review

September 25, 2009
Colin Covert, The Minneapolis Star Tribune

The picture is fitfully effective, but the story disappears in the editing bay. The movie has about as much heft as watching jesters and fire eaters at a village fair. full review

September 25, 2009
Claudia Puig, USA Today

Fame offers slick entertainment with some exuberance, but it's devoid of soul or heart. full review

September 25, 2009
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

[Its] hyperreal documentary quality is combined with a borderline fantasy feeling, which will probably drive some literal-minded viewers up the wall, but which is actually the movie's best element and... full review

September 24, 2009
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times

Much of Fame draws us in, through the irresistible appeal of young people bursting with energy. full review

September 24, 2009
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

The new Fame is a sad reflection of the new Hollywood, where material is sanitized and dumbed down for a hypothetical teen market that is way too sophisticated for it. It plays like a dinner theater v... full review

View more Fame reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Official Trailer

More Like This


Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • High School Musical 3: Senior Year
    High School Musical 3: Senior Year (100%)
  • Center Stage: Turn It Up
    Center Stage: Turn It Up (0%)
  • Dirty Dancing
    Dirty Dancing (100%)
  • Make It Happen
    Make It Happen (80%)

Facts


No facts approved yet. Be the first

Theater Showtimes


No showtimes found.

Fame : Watch Free on TV


Fame Trivia


  • Daniel Craig is the new 007. But in which British gangster film did he find fame?  Answer »
  • For which 2 dance movies did Irene Cara sing the theme song?  Answer »
  • These two buddy 'droids rocketed to fame in 1977 with the release of"Star Wars". What were the names of the fireplug and the gold guy?  Answer »
  • Winona Ryder has a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame ?  Answer »

Movie Quizzes


No quizzes for Fame. Want to create one?

Most Popular Skin


No skins yet. Interested in creating one?