Staying Alive
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| Staying Alive | |
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 Staying Alive Movie Poster |
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| Directed by | Sylvester Stallone |
| Produced by | Sylvester Stallone Robert Stigwood |
| Written by | Sylvester Stallone Norman Wexler |
| Starring | John Travolta Cynthia Rhodes |
| Music by | Barry Gibb Maurice Gibb Robin Gibb |
| Cinematography | Nick McLean |
| Editing by | Mark Warner Don Zimmerman |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
| Release date(s) | July 11, 1983 |
| Running time | 93 min. |
| Language | English |
| Preceded by | Saturday Night Fever |
| IMDb profile | |
Staying Alive is a 1983 film sequel to Saturday Night Fever, starring John Travolta as the same character, Cynthia Rhodes, Finola Hughes, Steve Inwood, Julie Bovasso, and dancers Viktor Manoel, Kate Ann Wright, Kevyn Morrow and Nanette Tarpey.
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[edit] Critical Reaction
Despite being one of the highest-grossing films of 1983, critics and fans blasted the movie, saying it lacked the heart and interesting characters of Saturday Night Fever, basically ignoring the elements of what made that movie a hit. Not only did Staying Alive hardly compare to its acclaimed predecessor, but it was also considered to be a terrible movie in general. A dance sequence in the final act of the movie flummoxed audiences instead of captivating them. In 2006, Entertainment Weekly dubbed Staying Alive the "Worst Sequel Ever." Many believe that this movie was the cause of the downward spiral of John Travolta's career that took place in the 1980s-early 1990s.
[edit] Plot summary
Tony Manero is six years older, and now is auditioning for Broadway. The movie has him having left Brooklyn and now living in Manhattan. He has little money and is staying in a flophouse while he tries to break into a major Broadway show as a dancer. The world of show business, however, is highly competitive, and the established performers resent this newcomer whom they see as an intruder trying to push them out of their positions. His mother (while having high hopes for her son) also disapproves of the racy nature of the dancing in the show, which she finds shocking. To top it off, the show is called "Satan's Alley." In the end, Manero's mother accepts his newfound career, while Manero learns the hard way that he has to keep his ego and his personal conflicts off the stage in order to make it in Broadway.
[edit] Trivia
- The title comes from the song by the Bee Gees.
- The movie was directed by Sylvester Stallone with songs performed by Frank Stallone, Sylvester's brother.
- This was Finola Hughes' film debut.
- There is a location reference to Saturday Night Fever when Tony, played by John Travolta, walks past the 2001 Odyssey club (the club had an advertisement for an all-male revue - suggesting that the former disco is now a gay-themed establisment.), on his way to visit his mother. Sadly, 2001 Odyssey later became the Spectrum in 1987 until its closure in 2005.
- Sylvester Stallone has a cameo in the film when Tony, played by John Travolta, walks into him by mistake on a busy Manhattan street.
- Julie Bovasso (who played Tony's mother) was the only other cast member besides Travolta to reprise her role from Saturday Night Fever.
[edit] Awards and nominations
- Nominated: Worst Actor (John Travolta)
- Nominated: Worst New Star (Finola Hughes)
