US (1985): Dance/Drama
Sometimes movies are built around a great idea begging for a story, in this case pairing ballet legend Mikhail Baryshnikov with tap great Gregory Hines. The resulting storm of dance in White Nights, as one would expect, is great, but the story is a little forced. Baryshnikov plays (in parallel to his own life) a Russian defector to the U.S. who ends up a prisoner in the motherland after his plane is forced to land in Leningrad during an emergency. Hines is an American expatriate who gets involved with the situation. Director Taylor Hackford punctuates an escape scenario and relationship dilemmas with as many dance sequences as possible, and the result is a wobbly, unconvincing tale with some furious footwork. Fortunately, performances carry the day, as the two male leads are both very strong as actors, and the supporting cast -- Isabella Rossellini, Helen Mirren, and filmmaker Jerzy Skolimowski -- is terrific. (New Visions/Columbia) (Tom Keogh, Amazon.com)
2 nominations, 1 Award
· Music Best Song 1985: "Say You, Say Me" Lionel Richie - Music & Lyric
· Music Best Song 1985: "Separate Lives (Love Theme from White Nights)" Stephen Bishop - Music & Lyric
