Fame (2009)
By: Kevin Tancharoen (director), Allison Burnett (screenplay), Christopher Gore (original motion picture)
Starring: Kay Panabaker, Naturi Naughton, Kherington Payne, Megan Mullally, Bebe Neuwirth, Debbie Allen, Asher Book, Cody Longo, Walter Perez, Charles S. Dutton, Kelsey Grammer
An updated version of the 1980 musical, which centered on the students of the New York Academy of Performing Arts.
When the original Fame was released, I was about two and a half years old. I couldn’t tell you when it was I last watched it, and the few impressions I have of Fame are mostly of the television show it spawned and the general phenomenon. It was a pretty big deal back then, going on to become one of the most beloved high school films of all time and winning a number of notable awards. Needless to say, it has a pretty considerable legacy, and I’m sure that remaking it seemed like a great idea at the time.
There’s a lot to complain about here, watered-down characterization and shoddy editing chief among them, but what strikes me most about the remake of Fame is that it is supposed to be a movie all about heart, but feels like it has none. It’s polished and primped and cold despite the stunning visuals and tremendous talent being paraded across the screen. The characters are mere sketches, the pacing erratic, and you’re not ever really given a chance to connect to these kids when the whole point of the movie is connecting with these kids. When bad things happen to the characters, I don’t care. When good things happen to the characters, I don’t care. What we see of their humanity is short-lived and lacking tangibility.
Make no mistake, it’s a pretty movie with fantastic choreography and vocal talent, but there’s nothing risked and nothing gained, here. It feels absolutely ordinary, which is a real problem when your story is about trying to be special. The grand finale at the end is ostentatious and utterly unreal, a graduation ceremony that could be from Venus for all that I was able to relate to it. History has proven that Fame can be a story that people can be inspired by, but the remake feels like it’s not even trying.
