Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School 2005

Peter Debruge, Miami Herald: Charming? Hardly. With its woefully forlorn leading man, phony learning-to-live-again love story and not nearly enough dancing, this is one class you can afford to skip. Read more

Sid Smith, Chicago Tribune: Too cute, too transparent, too precious and ultimately too much. Read more

Rex Reed, New York Observer: The point of the film is that anything is possible when you open your heart to new experiences. Simplistic, for sure. Simple-minded, maybe. But the feel-good pleasures in a movie with this much positive thinking are undeniable. Read more

Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times: While it's at times too melodramatic and formulaic to be entirely successful, it still holds some appeal; its very amateurishness is what makes it charming. Read more

Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper: Good performances, good actors. Kind of a terrible story. Read more

Tasha Robinson, AV Club: As absorbingly weird and dark and sad as the film becomes, it still labors against jumpy construction, an irritating variety of visual styles and film stocks, and a crowded story. Read more

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: It's been simultaneously overwritten and underdirected by Randall Miller, who has turned his sweet 16-year-old short film into a syrupy, long-faced drama. Read more

Bruce Westbrook, Houston Chronicle: Beyond Wahlberg's deft moves, School's dancing is leaden, not charming, and the only challenge is enduring the film's lumbering progress until it finally clicks at the end. Read more

Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: The film moves like a newbie following a diagram of arrows and shoes and counting out loud. Read more

Tom Long, Detroit News: Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School may stumble at times, but at least it gets out on the dance floor and has a good time. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: About all that unifies the movie is its inclination to turn little people's dreams into limply 'affectionate' camp. Read more

Robert Abele, L.A. Weekly: It's all a treacly, shoddily assembled, underwritten mess. Read more

John Anderson, Newsday: Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dance & Charm School is like a first date who shows up at the door with flowers, candy, a blood test and a U-Haul. It's trying much too hard. Read more

Lisa Rose, Newark Star-Ledger: For a movie centered on a class where students learn poise and grace, Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing & Charm School is woefully clumsy. Read more

Jami Bernard, New York Daily News: If you think the title is endless, wait till you see Goodman's death scene. Read more

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: Miller has all but smothered the charm right out of his Charm School. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: Think about this. You liked a schoolmate when you were 8, and for 40 years have focused on this reunion. Are you crazy? Read more

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: The picture trivializes the characters, hinting at depths it can't depict, aiming at a profundity of feeling it can't begin to reach. Read more

Dennis Harvey, Variety: Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing & Charm School juggles three separate time periods -- and is completely formulaic in each one. Read more

Rob Nelson, Village Voice: This flat-footed male weepie musters an insurance ad's worth of cliches about the importance of busting a move in middle age -- and it strains so hard to do so that it's almost perversely compelling. Read more

Sarah Kaufman, Washington Post: Marilyn Hotchkiss demonstrates that the same old construct can be made thrillingly fresh with the right components. Read more