Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks

Gena Rowlands plays a 75-year-old widow (pretending to be 68) who lives in a retirement high-rise in Florida. She signs up for in-home dance lessons and meets a brash, foul-mouthed young man (Cheyenne Jackson) who is so obnoxious, she sends him packing. When she goes to the dance studio to complain, she meets him again and decides to give him another chance.

What develops is an on-and-off friendship between the lonely woman and the equally lonely young man. We see them in various costumes for the six dance lessons she has signed up for. The downstairs neighbor (Rita Moreno) complains about the noise. Eventually they settle into a warm and caring friendship as they open up about their lives and disappointments. They don't win a dance contest, which is probably what the viewer expects.

The story is about loneliness and friendship and taking just one more chance. Co-stars include Julian Sands, Jacki Weaver, Anthony Zerbe, and Kathleen Rose Perkins.

Despite the extremely static and phony backdrops (only a few exterior shots were done on location) this studio-bound play (Polly Bergen and Mark Hamill starred on Broadway) finally hits its target in the last third of the film. Long before the closing scenes played against the phony Florida sunset, we've already guessed the ultimate secrets of both main characters. But it doesn't matter.

Gena Rowlands, a 2-time Oscar nominee who made her film debut in 1958, gets one (probably) last starring role and sinks her teeth into it. But the character is a little too shallow. Jackson tries, but his phony charm is too phony. Worth a look.