Dance movies usually keep my interest and Let It Be Me did just that. However, the two main couples had very little chemistry and as I watched it I would have been like with a better cast. Jamie Goodwin was wooden and mechanical. Aside from looking great from the hairline down, he was barely adequate. Jennifer Beals is a very good actress and tried hard to create something with dance instructor Jamie Goodwin, her former high school love. She and her fiancé played by Campbell Scott were a more credible couple. Yancy Butler was very smooth, but she looked bruised and unhappy during her non-dancing scenes. The third couple played by Leslie Caron and Patrick Stewart were lovely, charming and pleasantly predictable. They grounded the movie with their mature romance and skillful dancing. Their wedding at the end of the film was the most satisfying scene. The other dance sequences were good, but not great.
19 Reviews
A cute romantic film
Sylviastel10 July 2002
Let it be Me is nothing more than a cute romantic film about couples who falls in love during dance lessons. I remember James Goodwin from his Another World days. It's nice to see Leslie Caron again as Patrick Stewart's love interest. The dancing could have been better though without being corny at times. Otherwise, it is well worth a watch to see couples fall in love. It's not Dirty Dancing but it's from the writer who created that phenomenon. Let It Be Me is about couples who get together during dance classes. The cast is first rate with Leslie Caron, Patrick Stewart, Jennifer Beals and Jamie Goodwin. It's not what you expect but it's okay and fare.
Vapid romance with OK dancing
robert_kirschten11 June 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Sweet but empty dance movie about three couples, two of whom change partners then return to their original love interests. The problem is that the characters in the love quadrangle are boring and superficial. They seem less than passionate about their dreams--love or otherwise--and when they break up and return, their motives are strikingly flimsy and unconvincing. What did they see in each other in the first place that they can so easily drift? Regardless of the backstory about their lost love, pregnancy, smiling in bed at each other, nothing in their motivation defines distinctive, memorable, or engaging characters. Dialog is trite, lacks freshness and wit. Actors are fine: Jennifer Beals is appealing, Yancy Butler sexy and smoking. The third, older couple, Patrick Stewart and Leslie Caron, whose lives end happily, have no discernible story to portray. The writing in the film fails them utterly. Dancing is fun but not great; contrast mediocre sequences here with the dynamite dancing in Flashdance. Script = C-.
Charming but "difficult" romantic comedy
gimhoff5 June 2004
Why is there such a sharp division of opinion on this charming movie? I suspect because it is a "difficult" romantic comedy. In almost all romantic comedies, it's clear from the credits which couples will end up with each other. The male and female leads are destined to be paired, as are the secondary male and female stars, and the pleasure lies in seeing the couples correctly sorted out after a lot of confusion. In "Let It Be Me," the only absolutely perfect pairing is that of third leads Patrick Stewart and Leslie Caron. It's a very close question whether the engaged couple, Campbell Scott and Jennifer Beals, and the dance studio partners, James Goodwin and Yancey Butler, are really destined for each other or whether they should change partners and dance. "Some people just belong together," Beals says, but which people is a harder question to answer here than in most comedies, though it is satisfactorily answered by the ending.
Good for quiet Sunday afternoons.
Lady_Logain31 August 2002
There's not much to this movie, but it's sweet and has a fairly good ending. It was worth watching just to see Patrick Stewart and Leslie Caron dancing. Yancy Butler, from Witchblade on TNT, is a pretty good dancer herself.
Let it be me
williamburts2 March 2011
Enjoyable movie,i thought they made Jennifer Beals look to old though, and she didn't show much passion through out the movie.Yancy Butler on the other hand was just awesome,I wish she made more films showing off her sensual side as she did in this one. Patrick Stewart made the film in my opinion. He puts great energy into any character that he plays.The film was somewhat predictable you could see the ending coming. The dancing you could tell looked rehearsed, but since these are professional dancers or teachers you expected more speed and confidence from their moves.The ending also seemed rushed. I would have liked to have seen more passion,sexual tension, between the couples.Some jealousies between the couples would have given the movie more depth also. I am a Yancy Butler fan and that is why i was looking for this movie to come out and it finally did on cable. I hope they make it into a DVD
Dull
blurrysarah19 November 1999
Disappointment
angeladavis4915 March 2024
Ive tried to watch this movie a few times because it lists Perry king as being in it. Perry is nowhere in this movie why do I find his picture and name listed for this movie so many times. His personal movie credits doesn't have it. Is there maybe an actor who resembles him so that someone thought was him and lists him without making sure? This is really weird why say he's in this movie and he's not in it. If he's in it, it must be the fastest quick little cameo that no one sees. I'd really like an answer cause I'd like to see any of Perry kings movies and tv shows as I can find and this is annoying.
A Favorite
DEREKFLINT15 February 2005
Love this little film, that reminds me somewhat of the original Japanese gem, SHALL WE DANCE? (not the overblown Gere/Jlo remake...) Luckily I found it and taped it when it was showing on a STARZ Promo Weekend, because as far as I know, it's not available on DVD. I'll watch just about anything with Yancy Butler (anyone remember the short-lived TV series MANN AND MACHINE ???) in it, and she positively shines in this. She does a dance routine to a disco song that is verrrryyyyyy HOT!! Loved all the other characters in it, especially the ones played by Patrick Stewart and Leslie Caron (where's she been all these years?). This is one of those films that I take out from time to time and always come away smiling after watching it. Recommended highly!!!
QFC - Let it Be Me
peapulation4 September 2006
No, no, no, no, no, no, NO! This is not a film, this is an excuse to show people dancing. This is just not good. Even the dancing is slow and not half as entertaining as the mediocre 'Dirty Dancing', let alone any other good dance movie.
Is it a love story? Is it a musical? Is it a drama? Is it a comedy? It's not that this movie is a bit of all, it's that this movie fails at everything it attempts to be. The film turns out to be even more meaningless as the film progresses.
Acting is terrible from all sides, the screenplay is definitely trying to tell us something about relationship but fails miserably.
WATCH FOR THE MOMENT - When Patrick Stewart enters the scene and you think the film might get better as he brightens up the dull atmosphere. For a second.
Is it a love story? Is it a musical? Is it a drama? Is it a comedy? It's not that this movie is a bit of all, it's that this movie fails at everything it attempts to be. The film turns out to be even more meaningless as the film progresses.
Acting is terrible from all sides, the screenplay is definitely trying to tell us something about relationship but fails miserably.
WATCH FOR THE MOMENT - When Patrick Stewart enters the scene and you think the film might get better as he brightens up the dull atmosphere. For a second.
For Yancy Butler fans
ZunuFilm16 October 2002
None of the other reviews mentions that Yancy Butler is incredibly lovely in this film and will surprise you with her dancing abilities. She looks utterly seductive sporting her mid-90's era thigh-high stockings. This film is a "must see" for her fans.
However, others might want to skip it and work on re-alphabetizing their CD collection.
However, others might want to skip it and work on re-alphabetizing their CD collection.
All the right ingredients, too little chemistry in any way
I_Ailurophile10 January 2023
My first impulse upon stumbling onto this was to wonder how I hadn't until now. It quite seems to me as though a movie starring Patrick Stewart AND Yancy Butler, both favorites of mine, should have crossed my radar sooner - let alone Jennifer Beals and Campbell Scott, and to say nothing of the fact that it comes to us from Eleanor Bergstein, who wrote essential 80s classic 'Dirty dancing.' Once we start watching, the choreography is lovely, and I like the original music and the assembled soundtrack; the hair and makeup artists mostly did fantastic work, and the costume designer. All the ingredients are here for a swell romantic drama, even if the thrust of the narrative is familiar. At the same time, it doesn't take long to start to feel as though something is a little off, and one begins to understand why 'Let it be me' hasn't been more visible. It's not that this is concretely bad, yet there are just enough peculiarities to weigh it down that it strains to achieve the heights that would really let it shine.
To be clear, the dancing really is terrific, and it's an especial joy to see these stars cut loose - in my opinion, Butler specifically, since she has tended to be in thrillers, action flicks, or horror titles more than features kin to this one. I think it's well made, with some fine ideas in the screenplay; we get some light comedy to complement more than enough drama to meaningfully propel the narrative. Matters become more murky from there, however, in too many ways. Each star in and themselves are a joy; it's not for nothing that I've singled out the players as having grabbed my attention, and we all know well what they're capable of. Here, unfortunately, by whatever set of circumstances, they just don't have any chemistry. They share scenes, but no heat; the passion is purely for pretend, and isn't felt by the audience, and I wonder if the cast felt it, either. As much as I always enjoy seeing Stewart anywhere I can, the B-plot here in which he figures is not integrated smoothly into the picture, and it comes across like an addition that was stitched on at the last minute to either emptily pad out the length, or lend further star power to the production. And speaking of Stewart, the decision to affix false hair to his brilliant noggin seems downright bizarre - a decision that's as off-putting as the near-identical hair styling for the two primary male actors (Scott and James Goodwin), as well as a supporting actor, all three of whom already look quite alike as it is.
Too many scenes, too much dialogue, and a lot of the plot development feels rushed, and kind of hollow. In addition to that dubious B-plot, there are other story ideas that are broached too curtly or incompletely. In the broadest of strokes the writing is just fine in every regard, and satisfying; I'm happy to say it even breaks free to some small degree of what seems like perfect predictability. Yet it never feels entirely balanced. For all this, 'Let it be me' never achieves any substantial spark, neither one that is identifiable relative to this film alone, nor in comparison to Bergstein's major claim to fame. For all this, the levity and the more serious moments alike rarely feel heartfelt and impactful as much as merely awkward. Ninety minutes somehow feel too long.
Please understand, I do actually like this! I'm glad that I watched, and I had a good time. It's pleasant, and ultimately warmhearted; I appreciate the work that everyone put into it, and to reiterate, the cast are a delight by one means or another. Only - nothing comes together the way that it should. If ever there was a title that felt like Swiss cheese, at once technically whole yet also less than, I'm not sure there could be a better example. I'd love to say that I like this more than I do - I want with all my heart to speak more positively of it - but still the end result struggles to rise above "average." There is, after all, a reason I've not really found out about this except by happenstance. It's not a bad way to spend ninety minutes, and if you're a diehard fan of someone involved it might still earn a recommendation more than not. All the same, it's so uneven, and perhaps undercooked despite generally capable craftsmanship, that it's hard to particularly suggest it otherwise. Don't go out of your way, and save it for a lazy day, and maybe 'Let it be me' will fit the bill just so. Do also temper your expectations, however.
To be clear, the dancing really is terrific, and it's an especial joy to see these stars cut loose - in my opinion, Butler specifically, since she has tended to be in thrillers, action flicks, or horror titles more than features kin to this one. I think it's well made, with some fine ideas in the screenplay; we get some light comedy to complement more than enough drama to meaningfully propel the narrative. Matters become more murky from there, however, in too many ways. Each star in and themselves are a joy; it's not for nothing that I've singled out the players as having grabbed my attention, and we all know well what they're capable of. Here, unfortunately, by whatever set of circumstances, they just don't have any chemistry. They share scenes, but no heat; the passion is purely for pretend, and isn't felt by the audience, and I wonder if the cast felt it, either. As much as I always enjoy seeing Stewart anywhere I can, the B-plot here in which he figures is not integrated smoothly into the picture, and it comes across like an addition that was stitched on at the last minute to either emptily pad out the length, or lend further star power to the production. And speaking of Stewart, the decision to affix false hair to his brilliant noggin seems downright bizarre - a decision that's as off-putting as the near-identical hair styling for the two primary male actors (Scott and James Goodwin), as well as a supporting actor, all three of whom already look quite alike as it is.
Too many scenes, too much dialogue, and a lot of the plot development feels rushed, and kind of hollow. In addition to that dubious B-plot, there are other story ideas that are broached too curtly or incompletely. In the broadest of strokes the writing is just fine in every regard, and satisfying; I'm happy to say it even breaks free to some small degree of what seems like perfect predictability. Yet it never feels entirely balanced. For all this, 'Let it be me' never achieves any substantial spark, neither one that is identifiable relative to this film alone, nor in comparison to Bergstein's major claim to fame. For all this, the levity and the more serious moments alike rarely feel heartfelt and impactful as much as merely awkward. Ninety minutes somehow feel too long.
Please understand, I do actually like this! I'm glad that I watched, and I had a good time. It's pleasant, and ultimately warmhearted; I appreciate the work that everyone put into it, and to reiterate, the cast are a delight by one means or another. Only - nothing comes together the way that it should. If ever there was a title that felt like Swiss cheese, at once technically whole yet also less than, I'm not sure there could be a better example. I'd love to say that I like this more than I do - I want with all my heart to speak more positively of it - but still the end result struggles to rise above "average." There is, after all, a reason I've not really found out about this except by happenstance. It's not a bad way to spend ninety minutes, and if you're a diehard fan of someone involved it might still earn a recommendation more than not. All the same, it's so uneven, and perhaps undercooked despite generally capable craftsmanship, that it's hard to particularly suggest it otherwise. Don't go out of your way, and save it for a lazy day, and maybe 'Let it be me' will fit the bill just so. Do also temper your expectations, however.
A rare gem of a movie.
AHTinVA5 May 2003
I felt that this movie had a lot of heart and must have been a labor of love for Eleanor Bergstein. The primary actors (Campbell Scott, Jennifer Beals, Yancy Butler, James Goodwin III, Patrick Stewart, and Leslie Caron) were very well selected and played their parts with excellence. It was a very uplifting movie that I wish was available on tape or DVD. A rare gem.
A sweet film
waldorfsalad9 March 2000
If you like dancing, you'll like this film in general but you might find it a little boring in places. Patrick Stewart is charming and he has a really good chemistry with Leslie Caron. It's really nice to see Jennifer Beals again, she's a fine actress and one of the great beauties of Hollywood, though she doesn't flaunt it like so many others. I saw on the credits that Elliott Gould (a great dancer) was in this film, but for the life of me, I could not find him in this movie.
An astonishing small movie that somehow slipped below the radar!
bluegerm11 January 2003
I just finished this movie and my only comment is "OH! WOW!". Jennifer Beals is ok as the fiancee, but Yancy Butler as the female dance instructor is pure sexual dynamite! Having watched her in WITCHBLADE, I was not prepared for the pure unadulterated sensuality and raw sexual excitement she launches onto the screen.
I gotta see THIS movie again....if only for Yancy Butler as Corrinne!
I gotta see THIS movie again....if only for Yancy Butler as Corrinne!
If you loved "Dirty Dancing" you'll enjoy "Let It Be Me."
Eve417 January 2000
If you loved "Dirty Dancing" you'll enjoy this movie; both were written by Eleanor Bergstein.
Heartwarming story about three couples at a dance studio. Perfectly cast. Jamie Goodwin and Yancy Butler make a stunning dance team. Patrick Stewart with an American accent (!) and the ever graceful Leslie Caron. Jennifer Beals, in a surprisingly conservative role, and the dashing Campbell Scott, as the confused groom-to-be.
The bar scenes between Gabriel and Jordan, are hilarious.
The score is lively, the dance sequences beautiful. It's an uplifting movie! Made me want to go out and take lessons, myself.
Heartwarming story about three couples at a dance studio. Perfectly cast. Jamie Goodwin and Yancy Butler make a stunning dance team. Patrick Stewart with an American accent (!) and the ever graceful Leslie Caron. Jennifer Beals, in a surprisingly conservative role, and the dashing Campbell Scott, as the confused groom-to-be.
The bar scenes between Gabriel and Jordan, are hilarious.
The score is lively, the dance sequences beautiful. It's an uplifting movie! Made me want to go out and take lessons, myself.
Awful
a280027614 January 2002
This has got to be one of the worst movies I've ever seen. It just came on German television (never made it to the cinemas), and was one of those movies that you watch totally flabergasted, wondering what the makers were thinking when they first realised how bad the movie they were working on is and why they didn't stop there and then. One also has to wonder why the movie has no plot. Brief outline:
Boring guy passes a dance place, decides to learn to dance. Learns to dance there, becomes really good, meets charismatic dance teacher and fat guy. Gets on everybody's nerves because he's dancing all the time. Takes his fiance to the dance place where she meets her ex-dance partner from high school, who just happens to be the boyfriend/husband of the boring guy's dance instructor. In between all of this, Patrick Steward, who is also a dance instructor, falls in live with an older student and they get married at the end. As do the boring guy an his fiance but only after several "steamy" scences b/t the boring guy and his dance teacher and his fiance and the husband of the dance instructor. What really disappointed me was that there was no big state-wide dance competion that the boring guy and his wife win in the end. Can't have everything, I guess.
Only groteque fascination allowed me to watch all of this movie. Oh: the German titel is: "Flirty Dancing"!
Boring guy passes a dance place, decides to learn to dance. Learns to dance there, becomes really good, meets charismatic dance teacher and fat guy. Gets on everybody's nerves because he's dancing all the time. Takes his fiance to the dance place where she meets her ex-dance partner from high school, who just happens to be the boyfriend/husband of the boring guy's dance instructor. In between all of this, Patrick Steward, who is also a dance instructor, falls in live with an older student and they get married at the end. As do the boring guy an his fiance but only after several "steamy" scences b/t the boring guy and his dance teacher and his fiance and the husband of the dance instructor. What really disappointed me was that there was no big state-wide dance competion that the boring guy and his wife win in the end. Can't have everything, I guess.
Only groteque fascination allowed me to watch all of this movie. Oh: the German titel is: "Flirty Dancing"!
Not a Very Good Film
i_love_it25 December 2003
This film could have been so much better. It had a few nice points, but it was quite amazingly boring! It wasn't that the acting was bad, it was just that the script was pretty poor, and the plot was pointless.
Also, I just didn't believe that Gabe's fiancee had anything going on with her old high school sweetheart. And Gabe's fiancee was very annoying.
Perhaps dancing fans will enjoy the dancing scenes, but in my own opinion, this film is a bit if a waste of time.
Also, I just didn't believe that Gabe's fiancee had anything going on with her old high school sweetheart. And Gabe's fiancee was very annoying.
Perhaps dancing fans will enjoy the dancing scenes, but in my own opinion, this film is a bit if a waste of time.
Not much of a movie but not bad either.
SkaVenger2 November 1999
It's impressing the lack of ambition of this movie, the kind of film that practically almost nobody watches.
Jennifer Beals is as beautiful as always.
But the movie as a whole is only recommended for professional dancers or fans of dancing.
Jennifer Beals is as beautiful as always.
But the movie as a whole is only recommended for professional dancers or fans of dancing.
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