Strictly Ballroom

Zany, romantic, and funny. I love this movie for the dancing, the costumes, and the way we are introduced to the story as if the film were a documentary. Scott (Paul Mercurio) is an amateur ballroom dancer who has been groomed for the Pan Pacific ballroom championships since he was six. However, now that he’s grown up, he would prefer to dance his own steps. Unfortunately, the ballroom federation would prefer that he did not. In fact, because of his insistence to dance his own steps during dance competitions, his partner drops him. This allows a beginner (Tara Morice), who has never danced with a partner (except girls), to summon up enough courage to tell him that she would like to be his partner and dance “his way” in the Pan Pacific championship. The dancing is fun to watch and the costumes are out of this world. This film won many awards in Australia, including best film, best director, and best costume design.