Step Up (film)

Step Up is a 2006 American romantic dance film directed by Anne Fletcher starring Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan. Set in Baltimore, Maryland, the film follows the tale of the disadvantaged Tyler Gage (Tatum) and the privileged modern dancer Nora Clark (Dewan), who find themselves paired up in a showcase that determines both of their futures. Realizing that they only have one chance, they finally work together. It is the first installment in the Step Up franchise, which includes four sequels, a spin-off film and a television series.

Plot
Brothers Mac and Skinny Carter and their best friend Tyler Gage attend a party where they have a fight with their nemesis, PJ. Following the party, the trio break into the Maryland School of Arts and trash the school's theatre, damaging many of the props. When a security guard appears, Tyler helps the two escape, accepting full blame for the vandalism himself. He is sentenced to 200 hours of community service, which is to be served at the school. While working, he peers in on a dance class and meets Nora Clark, a student preparing for her "senior showcase", an audition performance which could determine whether or not she is offered a job by any one of the professional dance companies who are attending the performance. When Mac and Skinny pay Tyler a visit on the school's lot, Nora watches curiously from a window as Tyler dances with his friends, mockingly incorporating a mashup of break-dance and the ballet moves he has recently observed. When Nora's dance partner, Andrew, sprains an ankle, Nora finds herself unexpectedly without a partner for her routine. Auditioning some sophomore students to replace him, she decides that none meet her expectations. Tyler offers to help, but Nora refuses. However, after Tyler demonstrates that he can handle the routine, Nora reconsiders and convinces Director Gordon to allow Tyler to rehearse with her. During their initial practice session, Tyler is antagonistic towards Nora as well as her boyfriend, Brett, both of whom respond with haughty attitudes. As they continue to rehearse, Tyler and Nora grow closer, each teaching the other about their respective styles of dance. Tyler also befriends a musician at the school named Miles Darby, who has a crush on Nora's friend, Lucy Avila.

Nora's bond with Tyler grows, and one day she takes him to a special spot on the waterfront near a company for which her late father used to work, revealing that this is where she first envisioned her routine. She confesses to Tyler that she had always imagined it as an ensemble dance, rather than a duet. Tyler becomes inspired to help her dream come true and begins recruiting younger dancers from the school to perform in her number. Brett signs a recording deal with a company, but in doing so, betrays his friend, Miles, to get the opportunity. Disgusted by his betrayal, Nora breaks up with Brett. Meanwhile, Tyler continues to attempt a balance between his new goals, his new friends, and nurturing a troubled relationship with his old ones.

Tyler asks Director Gordon if she will let him attend the school, and she advises that he must prove to her that he deserves a chance. Upon hearing this from Tyler, Nora suggests that the showcase could also be used as his entrance audition. After dancing together at a club where Miles and Lucy perform, Tyler and Nora finally move forward with a romantic relationship. Rehearsals continue as normal, until Andrew returns seemingly healed from his injury. Tyler feels that he is no longer needed in the routine, and angrily accuses Nora of treating him the same way that Brett treated Miles. He leaves the group and returns to janitorial work, his initial community service at the school. However, in the course of the training Nora has been incorporating many of Tyler's suggestions for the routine, and as a result now finds that the new choreography is now much too difficult for the original partner to perform. During one of their practice sessions, Andrew falls over and, realizing he can not cope with the dance, resigns himself from the routine, and Nora is, once again, left without a partner. Crushed, she considers abandoning her dance career and going to college after all, but Nora receives an emotional confession and strong encouragement from her mother, who once opposed her future in dance. Nora transforms the choreography into a solo piece.

Later during a party night at Omar's house, Skinny comes by despite being told to stay at home, but ends up getting kicked out by Mac and Tyler because they promised Mac's mother he'd stay home. Frustrated, Skinny sulkily walks back home in a huff, but spots PJ arriving at a store with his friend. Skinny steals PJ's unattended car and rebelliously drives back to Omar's place wanting to hang out with the girls. Mac and Tyler try to get Skinny to abandon the car when PJ and his friends arrive and fatally shoot Skinny. After the funeral, both Mac and Tyler realize that they need to make better decisions in their lives. Tyler surprises Nora by showing up, last minute, at the evening of the showcase. He tries to persuade Nora to let him perform with her, and to forgive him for his behavior. She initially declines, but suddenly changes her mind as Tyler wishes her good luck and walks away. When the curtain opens, Tyler, Nora, and the ensemble of students perform their original choreography against Miles' latest musical score. After the performance, Director Gordon is beaming and the crowd is blown away.

Backstage, a proud Director Gordon introduce Nora to a fellow director from a professional dance company, hoping to sign Nora. Meanwhile, Mac congratulates Tyler for his best performance. Thereafter, Director Gordon introduces Tyler also, as a "transfer". Nora is elated and embraces Tyler. She repeats her advice to him from their first rehearsal together that he'll need to get some tights, and the two share a kiss, hoping to dance together again even more.

Cast

 * Channing Tatum as Tyler Gage, a skilled but troubled hip hop dancer
 * Jenna Dewan as Nora Clark, an MSA ballet dancer who falls for Tyler and dreams of becoming a professional dancer
 * Mario as Miles Darby, a skilled DJ and Nora and Lucy's best friend. He secretly has a crush on Lucy
 * Drew Sidora as Lucy Avila, Nora and Miles's best friend who is a singer and dancer
 * Damaine Radcliff as Macquinn "Mac" Carter, Tyler's best friend and Skinny's older brother. Mac is often embarrassed by Skinny. Deep down Mac cares about his little brother. Mac is devastated and heartbroken when Skinny is brutally killed
 * De'Shawn Washington as Skinny Carter, Mac's younger brother. He is killed by P.J after stealing P.J's car.
 * Alyson Stoner as Camille Gage, Tyler's sister and also a talented hip hop dancer
 * Rachel Griffiths as Director Gordan, the no nonsense director of Maryland School of Arts
 * Josh Henderson as Brett Dolan, Nora's conceited ex-boyfriend who wants to be a singer
 * Tim Lacatena as Andrew, Nora's original dance partner who becomes injured
 * Heavy D as Omar, a shady car dealer who loves eating and money
 * Babbal Kumar as dark dancer
 * Deirdre Lovejoy as Katherine Clark, Nora's overprotective widowed mother who doesn't approve of her daughter's dream to be a dancer. Her dream is for Nora to go to college instead of being a professional dancer. Katherine only wants what's best for Nora. Katherine eventually supports Nora's dancing dreams. Katherine's husband died a few years ago prior to the movie
 * Jamie Scott as Colin, Lucy's famous singer boyfriend who later cheats on her.
 * Adriana Gutierrez as main extra in auditorium, wearing sweater and jeans

Actors Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan met while filming Step Up and began dating shortly after it was completed; they married in 2009. In 2013, they had their first daughter, Everly Elizabeth Maiselle Tatum. In 2018 they announced they were separating.

Box office
Step Up earned a total of $21 million in its opening weekend, ranking second in the North American box office. It earned $65.3 million in the United States and Canada by its last day in theaters on October 19, 2006. The film's budget was $12 million.

Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 20% based on reviews from 105 critics. The website's consensus states that "this trite teen romance has too little plot and not enough dancing". On Metacritic the film has a weighted average score of 48/100 based on reviews from 23 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews"; its highest score was 75 (from both Entertainment Weekly and The Boston Globe), and its lowest was a 25 from the San Francisco Chronicle. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a grade A-.

Home media
The film was released on DVD on December 19, 2006.

Soundtrack
The soundtrack features music from Mario, Drew Sidora, Ciara, Chamillionaire, Kelis, Chris Brown, Within Temptation's Sharon Den Adel, Blaire Reinhard and Yung Joc. J-pop singer Koda Kumi's 35th single But/Aishō was used as a theme song for the Japanese edition of the movie.

The lead singles from the soundtrack are Sean Paul & Keyshia Cole's "(When You Gonna) Give It Up To Me", Chris Brown's "Say Goodbye", and Ciara single, "Get Up" featuring Chamillionaire. It was released August 8. Other tracks include Kelis' "80s Joint", Anthony Hamilton's "Dear Life", YoungBloodZ's "Imma Shine" and Petey Pablo's "Show Me The Money". The title track was performed by future X Factor Australia winner Samantha Jade and produced by Wyclef Jean.