Dancing At The Blue Iguana poster & wallpaper
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Charlotte Ayanna, Daryl Hannah, Sheila Kelley, Sandra Oh, Jennifer Tilly ... see more see more... , Elias Koteas , Vladimir Mashkov , Robert Wisdom , W. Earl Brown , Kristin Bauer , Jesse Bradford , Stephen Hornyak , Buckley Norris , Isabelle Pasco , Vincenzo Ricotta , Jack Conley , John K. Thomas , David Amos , Lobo Sebastian , Christina Cabot , Maurice Compte , Rod Rowland , Kevin Hunt , Peggy Jo Jacobs , Ted Rooney , Joel Hurt Jones , Pete Gardner , Igbal Theba , Harper Roisman , Jason Kravitz , Bill Chott , Chris Hogan , Carolyne Aycaguer , R.C. Bates , Marta Cunningham , Ruthanna Hopper , Michael Loprete , Ellyn Maybe , Tenya Neilson , Shannon Ransom , Thomas Sherlorke

The personal lives of five exotic dancers go under the microscope in this drama, the first American feature from director Michael Radford. Eddie (Robert Wisdom) is the manager of a strip club in subur... read more read more...ban California known as the Blue Iguana, where he keeps an eye on the women who make their living dancing for his customers. Stormy (Sheila Kelley) is an attractive, thick-skinned woman who is getting old enough to realize her days as a dancer may be numbered. Jo (Jennifer Tilly) likes to think of herself as the Blue Iguana's star attraction, though her career may hit a detour now that she's learned she's pregnant. Angel (Daryl Hannah) is a sweet, but immature woman, who tries to deal with her fear of being unloved by adopting a child. Jasmine (Sandra Oh), an aspiring poet, tries not to get settled into a career as a stripper, while being encouraged in her writing by coffeehouse owner Dennis (Chris Hogan), who features spoken word performers. And Jesse (Charlotte Ayanna), the youngest of the performers, expresses her desperate need for approval in her desire to please the customers. Dancing at the Blue Iguana received its world premiere at the 2000 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Flixster Users

43% liked it

2,617 ratings

Critics

23% liked it

22 critics

R, 2 hr. 3 min.

Directed by: Michael Radford

Release Date: September 1, 2000

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DVD Release Date: December 25, 2001

Stats: 135 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (135)

  • LoughnerWasLucid
    October 4, 2009
    LoughnerWasLucid
    great boobs... dont watch for story
  • cosmo313
    September 16, 2006
    cosmo313
    This film gives a very poignant, truthful, insightful, and artistic look into the world of exotic dancing. Great performances by a talented ensemble cast. Definitely worth a look or two.
  • thirdway821
    November 15, 2011
    thirdway821
    It is mainly about five women who dance and make their living at a strip club called The Blue Iguana. The women seem to be looking for some kind of redemption of the sorts but I didn't find any or couldn't understand what was going on. Some of the women are shown as hysterical w... read moreith no sense of self worth whatsoever and need to calm their nerves by indulging in alcohol and smoking ciggarettes.

    There is one girl who seems sort of straight played by Sandra Oh who loves going to poetry sessions and becomes attracted to a guy there. Daryl Hannah is the worst in this picture because her character is pretty depressing and lost. Im not really sure what made her take on a role like this but embarrassing nonetheless. Meg Tilly's performance is also a very sad let down. Michael Radford's film is a disappointment and maybe his picture would have worked if he just sat down and really worked on a polished screenplay instead of trying to do a Robert Altman improvasational ensemble piece. Maybe Paul Thomas Anderson could have made this a little more enjoyable.

    NOTE: Although I put down Darryl Hannah's perfomance her documentary "Strip Notes" is more gritty and fascinating then Radford's movie.
  • athenaserena
    August 21, 2008
    athenaserena
    Sandra Oh was fantastic. Jennifer Tilly was crazy as usual. Confusing at times but erotic dancing was good.
  • MovieGuruDude72
    July 18, 2007
    MovieGuruDude72
    A cheaper version of Striptease and only worth watching if you want to see a few celebrities, including Daryl Hanna, in the buff. Which isn't saying very much about the movie if that's its high point.
  • emilie8605
    July 9, 2007
    emilie8605
    I was shocked to see Sandra Oh from Grey's on this stripper saga. Man, oh man. I have never heard of this in my life, until I was flipping through channels on HBO. Numerous strippers that work at the Blue Iguana that somehow, each have their own problems that need to be dealt ... read morewith. However, as the time rolls on, each stripper's story, excluding Jennifer Tilly's, was boring and depressing. Surprisingly, she brings the movie flavor and spunk. A factor that was strongly needed to keep my attention. I'm sure this could hold the average male's attention, seeing as they aren't shy strippers.

View All Dancing At The Blue Iguana Reviews

Critic Reviews

James Berardinelli
October 21, 2001
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

This, I suppose, is what happens when a director allows his actors to put together a movie -- it's sort of like letting the inmates run the asylum. Full Review

Michael Atkinson
October 20, 2001
Michael Atkinson, Mr. Showbiz

A predictable exercise in fake tawdriness and half-nude psychodrama. Full Review

Stephen Holden
October 19, 2001
Stephen Holden, New York Times

More than anything, Dancing at the Blue Iguana is an acting showcase that allows its stars to strut their emotional range. Full Review

Lou Lumenick
October 19, 2001
Lou Lumenick, New York Post

Mostly this is a whole lot of chain-smoking and griping about men. You'd be better off renting Demi Moore's Striptease.

Kevin Thomas
October 19, 2001
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times

Even if Dancing at the Blue Iguana can't rise to the level of the performances of Hannah, Oh and others, it is nonetheless engaging, not without humor and an aura of authenticity. Full Review

Michael Dequina
January 4, 2002
Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com

Always a more interesting acting exercise than compelling drama. Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
January 2, 2002
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

There's a lot of tepid exotic dancing as the girls' writhe and slither around the pole. Full Review

Christopher Null
December 29, 2001
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com

After a full hour of Iguana I was watching the DVD counter tick by in slow motion. Full Review

Bruce Feld
December 9, 2001
Bruce Feld, Film Journal International

Too often the uneven script is either hopelessly strained or tediously lackadaisical. Full Review

Shlomo Schwartzberg
October 28, 2001
Shlomo Schwartzberg, Boxoffice Magazine

The film's a mess, albeit a fascinating one. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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