A Chorus Line poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Michael Douglas, Terrence Mann, Alyson Reed, Cameron English, Vicki Frederick ... see more see more... , Audrey Landers , Michael Blevins , Yamil Borges , Sharon Brown , Gregg Burge , Tony Dean Fields , Nicole Fosse , Jan Gan Boyd , Michelle Johnston , Janet Jones , Pam Klinger , Charles McGowan , Justin Ross , Blane Savage , Matt West , John Hammil , J. Patrick McNamara , Barry Moss , Mansoor Najeeullah , Brooke Smith , Sammy Smith , Jeffrey Cornell , Richard de Fabees , Gregg Huffman , Bambi Jordan , Jennifer Kent , Jack Lehnert , Gloria Lynch , Karen Prunczik , Melissa Randel , Julie Hughes , Timothy Scott , Peter Fitzgerald

Broadway's celebratory musical about rejection makes it to the screen in a fizzless adaptation by Richard Attenborough that misses the whole point of the Broadway show -- i.e. the dancing and the danc... read more read more...ers. Instead, the dancers become a limp Greek chorus for the dead love affair between a choreographer, Zach (a pre-Gordon Gekko Michael Douglas) and his old flame, Cassie (Alyson Reed) the star dancer. Zach is holding try-outs for a new Broadway musical and, as armies of dancers are brought on stage to audition for Zach, he sits in the darkened recesses of the theater, puffing on a cigarette, as he winnows out hopeful dancers who want to become part of the chorus line for Zach's new show. Finally, Zach has reduced the dancers to 16 men and women, and he asks each of them to step to the footlights and tell him about their lives and their dreams. But backstage, while the dancers are confessing their pasts to Zach, Zach's past walks through the stage door. Cassie, Zach's ex-lover, whom Zach met, courted and broke up with in the theatrical environs, has returned. Once a big star, Cassie has returned to the theater -- not to see Zach but to audition for Zach's musical. She needs the work. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

Flixster Users

63% liked it

9,895 ratings

Critics

40% liked it

15 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 58 min.

Directed by: Richard Attenborough

Release Date: December 10, 1985

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: April 15, 2003

Get It:

Stats: 526 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

A Chorus Line
Upload a Photo | View All A Chorus Line Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (526)

  • hypathio7
    September 27, 2010
    hypathio7
    I recently saw a 30 minute excerpt of the play at a community theater conference. This got my wife and I interested in watching the DVD. Unfortunately, some songs were added in the movie that were not in the stage musical and some songs were excluded from the movie that were in... read more the stage musical. This all came together to mean that the audience doesn't get a chance to know all of the core group of auditioning dancers as well here as in the stage version and that the emotional impact seemed diminished. I ended up thinking that the 30 minute excerpt with some of the highlights of the show was a better piece of entertainment than this two hour movie.

    That being said, I did like Michael Douglas's performance. The drama happening between the director, the choreographer, and the returning star is something I missed in the excerpt I saw. I missed the song from the stage production though where the director asks the performers what they would do if they couldn't dance. The way the camera captures the dance numbers, the often used mirrors, the backstage areas, and the dark shadows of the house where the director sits made the movie visually interesting especially since I love theater. I only really fell in love with three of the musical numbers here in the movie, so that's not a very large percentage. Overall a disappointment.
  • merillupin
    January 9, 2009
    merillupin
    Good fun, lovable characters, fantastic dance. Cop out of a story, but hey it's Broadway. Worth the watch.

    P. S. The DVD box looks like shit.
  • SunilJawahir
    May 4, 2009
    SunilJawahir
    Wow. This needs to be remade badly. Such high potential that doesn't deliver on film.
  • falcons84
    December 6, 2006
    falcons84
    Really, really, REALLY cheesy. I also wasn't a fan of how they switched some of the songs to fit in their bad '80s versions with disgusting synthesizers. The dancing is great though, and Michael Douglas fits right in despite not having a song to sing. I have to point out though, ... read moredoesn't the Larry character look like Tim Curry?? A Chorus Line has its moments, but it's really ruined by the 80s. Pity.
  • jam233
    November 16, 2009
    jam233
    I feel like I am the only person that really liked this movie. What's odd about that is I am usually someone who doesn't like musicals. I thought the dancing, choreography and acting was quite good. Fine casting, always entertaining.
  • macabrescribe
    October 1, 2009
    macabrescribe
    A Chorus Line is a fun show with some good dancing and decent songs, but it doesn't have much substance. There are deep moments, but, in the end, it's a pretty frivolous show. It's not the best musical, but it's definitely not the worst.
  • umygirl3
    July 25, 2009
    umygirl3
    I've seen this live and have the movie poster on my bedroom wall. Awesome, awesome - dancing, songs. Great movie.
  • scrambledegg7
    December 10, 2008
    scrambledegg7
    This is a flashy musical, with all the glitz and glamour of dancing in a Broadway show evident on the screen. The opening sequence is electric, as each dancer pushes and outshines their way to the top, every one of them hamming it up to look better than the others. Once it gets p... read moreast that opening sequence, though, we run into an unusual problem... Bad sound. None of the songs sound like they're being sung by these characters, but rather like they are being played from an off-stage record, which is extremely disappointing. The concept of the show is brilliant and the dance sequences stellar, but the singers and song performances and especially sound quality leave something to be desired.

    As a completely minor complaint, how could they put Terrence Mann in a musical and not let him sing? Grumble grumble. I had the same complaint about Idina Menzel in Enchanted.
  • Trequel
    May 14, 2008
    Trequel
    Unlike Sweeney Todd, Hair, and West Side Story, A Chorus Line doesn't translate that well from stage to screen. In fact, it bored me. I will give credit where credit is due, though. There were a few catchy songs and a good premise. The other half of the catchy songs, however, wer... read moree unmemorable and far too long. The choreography was also well done, but not enough to drag the parts (that weren't as well carried out) out of the "pit o' bad filmwork." Essentially, It is the stage in which this musical should stay.
  • darrylstrohl
    July 25, 2007
    darrylstrohl
    Horribly dated costumes & choreography (ugh the 80's) and the script revisions were a little WTF. But good performances

View All A Chorus Line Reviews

Critic Reviews

S. Jhoanna Robledo
December 7, 2010
S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media

Sexy Broadway classic gets disappointing 1980s remake. Full Review

Sarah Chauncey
June 8, 2004
Sarah Chauncey, Reel.com

They should've just left it on Broadway

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
April 15, 2003
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice

A Chorus Line vividly conveys the anxiety and hopefulness of dancers trying out for a Broadway musical Full Review

Bill Chambers
April 3, 2003
Bill Chambers, Film Freak Central

You'll be crying "uncle" long before those gams are flashed. Full Review

James Sanford
July 29, 2002
James Sanford, Kalamazoo Gazette

"astonishingly, it throws out just about everything that made the show a classic"

Scott Weinberg
July 26, 2002
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com

They did the best they could ... which (unfortunately) isn't all that great.

Audrey Rock-Richardson
July 26, 2002
Audrey Rock-Richardson, Tooele Transcript-Bulletin (Utah)

Something about this high-kickin,' ways-of-the-world broadway musical just doesn't translate well to the screen. And unless you're a Broadway actor or a wannabe Broadway actor, don't expect to enjoy i...

Andrew O'Hehir
April 17, 2009
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com

Click to read the article Full Review

Mike Giuliano
December 4, 2008
Mike Giuliano, Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

Vincent Canby
August 30, 2004
Vincent Canby, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Cabaret
    Cabaret (56%)
  • The Phantom of the Opera
    The Phantom of the Opera (53%)
  • The Red Shoes
    The Red Shoes (100%)
  • Evita
    Evita (60%)

More Movies like A Chorus Line

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

A Chorus Line : Watch Free on TV

A Chorus Line Trivia

  • Which of these musicals was NOT made after 2000?  Answer »
  • Also known as an actor, this man directed such movie classics as Shadowlands, Chaplin, A Chorus Line, and Gandhi.  Answer »
  • Which actor appeared as the "director" in the movie, "A Chorus Line"?  Answer »
  • Michael Douglas is in the movie 'A Chorus Line'.  Answer »
More A Chorus Line Trivia

Movie Quizzes

Create a Quiz |

All Quizzes

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add A Chorus Line to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?