Dancing in September
{{Short description|2000 film by Reggie Rock Bythewood}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox television
| image = Dancing in September FilmPoster.jpeg
| caption =
| writer = Reggie Rock Bythewood
| director = Reggie Rock Bythewood
| starring = {{Plainlist|
}}
| composer = Camara Kambon
| country = United States
| language = English
| producer = {{Plainlist|
- Reuben Cannon
- Don Kurt
- Reggie Rock Bythewood
}}
| cinematography = Bill Dill
| editor = {{Plainlist|
- Kevin Krasny
- Joel Plotch
}}
| runtime = 106 minutes
| company = {{Plainlist|
- HBO Films
- Weecan Films
- StarRise Entertainment
}}
| network = HBO
| released = {{Start date|2001|02|03}}{{cite news|last=Braxton|first=Greg|date=February 3, 2001|title=Taking It Step by Uneasy Step|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-feb-03-ca-20438-story.html|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=May 12, 2023}}
}}
Dancing in September is an American romantic comedy-drama television film written and directed by Reggie Rock Bythewood. It stars Nicole Ari Parker and Isaiah Washington, alongside Vicellous Reon Shannon, Malinda Williams, Jay Underwood, Michael Cavanaugh, Mel Jackson, and Jenifer Lewis. It follows a struggling African-American television writer who gets her sitcom picked up by the neophyte WPX network through an executive producer hired specifically to develop shows aimed at the black market.
The film premiered at the Hollywood Black Film Festival on February 24, 2000, and also screened at the Sundance Film Festival on February 3, 2001. It aired on HBO on February 3, 2001, and earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for the song "Welcome Back (All My Soulmates)". It was also nominated for two NAACP Image Awards and five Black Reel Awards, with Bythewood winning Outstanding Director and Outstanding Screenplay, TV Movie or Mini-Series.
Plot
Dancing In September tells the story of two hopeful and ambitious African-Americans attempting to make their mark in the television industry. One is a scriptwriter named Tomasina “Tommy” Crawford (Parker), who has grown weary of contributing to stereotypical characters and programming for African-Americans and dreams of creating a balanced, positive program for herself and the African-American public. The other is a newly appointed television producer named George Washington (Washington), who hopes to ascend to the highest levels of the television industry and carve out a special place for himself to help redefine African-American programming. When Tommy submits a script for a positive family sitcom titled "Just Us," she is indirectly brought into George's path. The rest of the film follows the struggles that both she and George face in their specific environments, mainly painting a positive portrayal of African-Americans in the media, in addition to staying true to their own culture and identity as African-Americans.
Cast
{{castlist|
- Nicole Ari Parker as Tomasina "Tommy" Crawford
- Isaiah Washington as George Washington
- Vicellous Reon Shannon as James
- Malinda Williams as Rhonda
- Jay Underwood as Michael Daniels
- Michael Cavanaugh as Harbor
- Mel Jackson as Malik
- Jenifer Lewis as Judge Warner
- Marcia Cross as Lydia Gleason
- Estelle Harris as Sally
- Juanita Jennings as Ms. Taylor
- Royale Watkins as A.K.
- Chi McBride as Security Guard
- Markus Flanagan as Alvin Nelson
- Dan Martin as Tommy's Father
- Constance Marie as Teresa Lopez
- James Avery as Mr. Warner
- LeVar Burton as Himself
- Anna Maria Horsford as Sitcom Mom
- Peter Onorati as Mel
}}
Reception
=Critical response=
Lael Loewenstein of Variety called Dancing in September "a handsomely mounted tale of love and compromise set against the backdrop of network TV" and concluded her review by writing, "Bythewood's ambition is worthy of his talent, and this is an impressive freshman effort. Pic could stand a little trimming, but pacing in general is sharp and up-tempo, much like Bythewood's writing."{{cite news|last=Loewenstein|first=Lael|date=February 27, 2000|title=Dancing in September|url=https://variety.com/2000/film/reviews/dancing-in-september-1200460455/amp/|work=Variety|access-date=May 12, 2023}} Todd McCarthy of Variety described the film as "the decorous and conventional version of Bamboozled" and opined that "Bythewood's approach is downright polite by comparison, as he analyzes the commercial pressures on TV creators to be entertaining at all costs while weaving through it a perfectly agreeable but unexceptional love story."{{cite news|last=McCarthy|first=Todd|date=February 1, 2001|title=Dancing in September|url=https://variety.com/2001/film/markets-festivals/dancing-in-september-2-1200466990/amp/|work=Variety|access-date=May 12, 2023}} Julie Salamon of The New York Times stated, "Mr. Blythewood has a smooth directing style and plenty of show-biz smarts. Maybe too much; he salts this production with lots of insider bits of business […]. Despite this shrewdness, Mr. Blythewood doesn't resist sliding into the genre's twin pitfalls of sentimentality and melodrama. Still, Dancing in September presents a fresh look at familiar territory."{{cite news|last=Salamon|first=Julie|date=February 2, 2001|title=TV WEEKEND; Separate Quarters on Good Ship Lollipop|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/02/movies/tv-weekend-separate-quarters-on-good-ship-lollipop.html|work=The New York Times|access-date=May 12, 2023}}
=Accolades=
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|0219636}}
- {{Rotten Tomatoes|m/dancing_in_september}}
Category:2000 television films
Category:2000 independent films
Category:2000 romantic comedy-drama films
Category:2000s English-language films
Category:African-American romantic comedy-drama films
Category:American comedy-drama television films
Category:American independent films
Category:Films about screenwriters
Category:Films about television people
Category:Films about race and ethnicity
Category:Films about Hollywood, Los Angeles
Category:Films set in Los Angeles
Category:Films shot in Los Angeles
Category:Romance television films
Category:Works about screenwriting