The Turning Point (1977)

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The year 1977 was very good for director Herbert Ross. Not only did Ross direct this film, which was nominated for eleven Academy Awards, but he also helmed "The Goodbye Girl," which received five nominations. Out of the twenty Oscar acting nominees that year, seven were from his two films. If you love ballet, you will love "The Turning Point." If you have flashbacks to elementary school and suffering through your little sister's bit part in "The Nutcracker" the same way military veterans flashback to combat, you might still like "The Turning Point."

Deedee (Shirley MacLaine) is a former dancer now running a ballet school with her husband Wayne (Tom Skerritt) in Oklahoma City. The American Ballet Company comes through, and Wayne and Deedee reunite with all their old friends and rivals- both incarnated in Emma (Anne Bancroft). Emma and Deedee competed for the same part back in the day, but Deedee ended up pregnant and Emma went on to be a star of the company.

Deedee, however, gave birth to Emilia (Leslie Browne), who is now a supreme dancer in her own right and joins the company. Deedee and Emilia move to New York City for a summer where childless Emma makes herself Emilia's surrogate mom, and Deedee finds herself in the arms of old crush Rosie (Anthony Zerbe), never living the life Emma lives. The two head for a collision course on the night of Emilia's onstage lead debut.

While I am not a big ballet fan, I am a big fan of good acting. MacLaine and Bancroft nail their parts and Ross never lets one actress overshadow the other. Both of them are equally heroic and flawed, so the viewer cannot come down on one side or the other. Leslie Browne is hot and cold as Emilia, letting her great dancing speak for her character. Mikhail Baryshnikov is very effective in a clicheed role as the company horndog Yuri, who quickly beds Emilia. While Wayne is wishy-washy, we find out why at the end of the film, and Skerritt holds his own.

As with "The Goodbye Girl," Ross directs with a vengeance, never letting the camera stop. He is not show-offy or pretentious, but he keeps things going at a fast clip, even the dance sequences. They do not run too long or too short, but are brief enough where you can still appreciate the pure athleticism of the performers. I have not been in awe of dancers like this since I sat through the original "West Side Story." Watch for a wonderfully edited sequence where a fantasy dance between Yuri and Emilia turns into the two making love, a perfect blend of cuts and musical accompaniment. I do complain that the film runs about fifteen minutes too long, and some closure with Deedee and Rosie would have been nice.

"The Turning Point" is not everyone's cup of tea, but the actors and direction save it from being just another melodrama.

Stats:
(1977) 119 min. (* * * *) out of five stars
-Directed by Herbert Ross
-Written by Arthur Laurents
-Cast: Shirley MacLaine, Anne Bancroft, Tom Skerritt, Leslie Browne, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Anthony Zerbe, Martha Scott, Antoinette Sibley, Alexandra Danilova, Starr Danias, Marshall Thompson, James Mitchell
(PG)
*Academy Awards*
-Best Picture (lost to "Annie Hall")
-Best Actress- Anne Bancroft (lost to Diane Keaton for "Annie Hall")
-Best Actress- Shirley MacLaine (lost to Diane Keaton for "Annie Hall")
-Best Supporting Actor- Mikhail Baryshnikov (lost to Jason Robards for "Julia")
-Best Supporting Actress- Leslie Browne (lost to Vanessa Redgrave for "Julia")
-Best Director- Herbert Ross (lost to Woody Allen for "Annie Hall")
-Best Original Screenplay (lost to "Annie Hall")
-Best Cinematography (lost to "Close Encounters of the Third Kind")
-Best Art Direction/Set Decoration (lost to "Star Wars")
-Best Sound (lost to "Star Wars")
-Best Film Editing (lost to "Star Wars")
*BAFTA*
-Best Actress- Anne Bancroft (lost to Jane Fonda for "Julia")