Leading Ladies Blog

I’ve taken the liberty of reposting this review in its entirety here, as the original blog sports a not-so-safe-for-work type theme with lots of man-ass and adds chock-full-o naked dudes. [tee-hee]

It took me a little while to warm up to Leading Ladies, which tells the story of a larger-than-life stage mother, Sheri Campari, and her two 20-something daughters – Toni, a quiet wallflower, and Tasi, the star of an amateur ballroom dance circuit. Sounds kind of familiar, doesn’t it? For the film’s first few scenes, I felt like I was watching an updated version of Mama Rose, Gypsy and June – which isn’t really a criticism coming from someone who loves musicals. However, I was hoping for something a little more original – and then I happily received it as Toni accompanied Tasi’s gay dance partner, the adorably flamboyant Cedric, to a dance club, where the movie’s infectious soundtrack kicked in with some fabulous dance sequences. It was then that I began to fall in love with Leading Ladies – just as Toni met Mona, a young lesbian who took her for a spin on the dance floor. This rather ordinary film suddenly bloomed into a unique girl-meets-girl dancing delight that completely captured my heart.

The performances couldn’t be better. Melanie LaPatin perfectly plays the domineering Sheri who has to deal with dramatic changes in both her daughters’ lives, while Shannon Lea Smith makes an engaging Tasi. Benji Schwimmer, who won first place on TV’s So You Think You Can Dance in 2006, displays his amazing dance prowess as Cedric as well as some scene-stealing comedic skills. And Laurel Vail and Nicole Dionne heat up the screen and the dance floor as Toni and Mona, whose sweet romance will put a smile on your face. They are definitely a couple to root for.
Finally, I must congratulate the husband-and-wife directing team of Daniel Beahm and Erika Randall Beahm on their impressive feature film debut (she also wrote the screenplay with Jennifer Bechtel). And I was thrilled to learn while reading the closing credits that Leading Ladies was filmed on location in Champaign, Illinois, which is only a few miles from my hometown. The last ‘Thank You’ in the credits is to "all the people in the city of Champaign who just kept saying ‘yes’ to everything we asked for." I thank them, too, because with their help, the creators and actors and crew were able to give us such a great movie that I hope everyone will go see.

Show time: 9:30 pm, Thursday, November 11, at the Landmark Theater (2828 N. Clark)
Running time: 102 minutes
Website: www.leadingladiesmovie.com

Some things that new Facebook fans had to say after this weekend:

Timing, cinematography, talent, music and an original fresh story that is simply outstanding. What a gem of a film from our own state. Bravo! Hope another screening is added because of word of mouth praise at Denver’s Film Fest this week – I want friends to see it! –Mary Laffey

All went really well on Friday night. People loved Leading Ladies.  Some guy who sat a few rows in front of Laurel and me was laughing so loud and hard it was almost embarrassing!! –Melanie LaPatin

Great flick! –Mark Hoffman

Walk, run, crawl, bike, hike, fly… however you can get there, if you’re even close to where this is showing you MUST go see it! –John L Bowers

Leading Ladies was excellent. It made me laugh. It made me cry. I would totally see it again. –Heather Byron

Just saw the Denver show tonight. Great job! We particularly loved the grocery store fantasy segment. Very fun and sweet movie! –Christine Meadows

Thank you for a hilarious film that raises good questions & gives some damn good answers for making the world a more passionate and compassionate place ♥ ♥ ♥ –Patrycja Sara

I loved Leading Ladies!!!!!!!!!! Thank you, thank you for making it! –Brooke Gessay

I saw this tonight in Alexandria and just adored it! Thanks for putting a smile on my face and a song in my heart (great music too!). I’m recommending this to all my friends. – Robin Lurie Braverman

Saw Leading Ladies in Northampton. Loved it!!! And meeting Nicole/Mona was unbelievably heart felt!!! She is as sweet as she is in the movie. Great Hugs!! –Vanessa Raubaugh

In Focus with Eden Lane
“33rd Starz Denver Film Festival”

• Friday, November 5 at 9:30 pm on Channel 12.1
• Sunday, November 7, 11:00pm on Channel 12.1
• Wednesday, November 10 at 1:00 am on Channel  12.2

This week, host Eden Lane takes a look at 33rd Starz Denver Film Festival. Eden meets with festival director Britta Erickson to learn about how the festival is created, and what to look forward to.  Eden also introduces a local filmmaking couple as they prepare for the debut of their dance film, LEADING LADIES, which has set out to “kick-ball-change the world, one step at a time.”

The University of Colorado at Boulder interviewed Erika and wrote a story on the ambitious undertaking of shooting an independent feature film.

http://artsandsciences.colorado.edu/magazine/2010/10/cu-led-team-does-pas-de-deux-onto-the-screen/

Local blog Denveater.com recently included Leading Ladies in their “Dinner and a Movie” post wherein several narrative features and shorts from the 33rd Starz Denver Film Festival were paired with various restaurants around the city.  We were teamed up with Beatrice & Woodsley.  I love the restaurant’s interior, but I’m not quite sure how the chainsaw themed “woodsy” establishment got paired with Leading Ladies.

Nonetheless, the blog post spawned one of my favorite reviews of LL to date:

I spent the first 5 minutes thinking this was going to be a corny, overacted piece of crap. I spent the remaining 97 totally enchanted by an adorably campy, smart, wholly original romantic comedy/musical.

The film’s co-writer Jen Bechtel wrote:

Yeah, first impressions are tough for this one, because Sheri starts things off and Sheri is a person who overacts her life (at least initially), so it takes a moment to realize that Melanie is absolutely spot on.

As I posted on our Facebook page:

Yeah, the first five minutes is an adjustment period for the average viewer, but once you’re in, I think the rest of the review is a fair assessment (even if I AM a little biased). [smile] Campy? Sure. But also tender and thoughtful, and you don’t often get that combo. We’ve had a couple people let us know that if Sheri wasn’t campy (if she were more “real”), you’d actually hate her, and that would take the fun out of the film.

…we meet people ALL THE TIME who are waaaay more over the top than Sheri. She’s crazy, but those people are out there and we all know one (or more)! Melanie does a FANTASTIC job being Sheri, and we LOVE her for it.

…

Here it is, folks.  The moment that every filmmaker waits for… a POSITIVE review in VARIETY!  We are thrilled with this press, and think you will be too!

Click here to see the review on VARIETY’s website: http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117943039.html?categoryid=2559&cs=1

The first line reads:

It may seem quite an impossibility, but the film Leading Ladies is, simply put, a quietly revolutionary dance musical.

Needless to say we are thrilled with the review.  Please click the link below to read the rest of the article.

http://feministreview.blogspot.com/2010/07/leading-ladies.html