Common Sense Media Review
By Charles Cassady Jr.
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Sexy American dream tale with lots of spandex and 1980s pop.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Flashdance
What's the Story?
In FLASHDANCE, Jennifer Beals plays Alex, an 18-year-old woman whose dream is to go to ballet school even though she has no formal training. To pursue her goals, Alex holds down two jobs: By day, she's a welder in a steel mill, and by night, she performs artistic self-choreographed dances at Mawby's Bar. After catching Alex's act, Nick (Michael Nouri), her handsome, wealthy, well-connected boss, pursues a relationship with her. Musical scenes focus on Alex's training and artistic skill, while nonmusical interludes concern their growing romance, Alex's friend group, and Alex overcoming her fears to audition for ballet school.
Is It Any Good?
Despite its R rating and sexy reputation, this uplifting film centers on thoughtful young women following their dreams while navigating complicated relationships and socioeconomic barriers. Through Flashdance's glitzy dance sequences and a vision of Pittsburgh as a smoke-filled land of opportunities, a charming but formulaic American dream story emerges, albeit with lots of 1980s spandex and pop rock. Note that MTV was only a few years old when this movie came out; this was one of the first movies to successfully (and profitably) combine music video visuals and an unforgettable title track (the iconic "Flashdance ... What a Feeling") with a romantic drama plot.
Most of the action takes place at Mawby's, a blue-collar bar that confusingly hosts avant-garde dance routines akin to those escapist Golden Age of Hollywood musicals where performers did impossible stage routines on ice, underwater, etc. Alex and her friends' elaborately choreographed dances bring only polite applause from the working stiffs at the bar but serve as training ground for their artistic skills and self-confidence. The camera does linger on dancers' bottoms and legs, and some dance routines include striptease. But if parents are bothered by these elements, contrast is provided later in the film between these risqué but woman-led dances and the performances at Zanzibar, a strip club where women are explicitly nude and much less empowered.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what it means to follow your dreams in Flashdance. What barriers does Alex face getting into ballet school?
Why is it unusual to see women like Alex doing work like welding in places like steel mills?
How do Alex and her friends show courage by trying to pursue their dreams? How do they persevere through obstacles?
Movie Details
- In theaters : March 28, 1983
- On DVD or streaming : September 18, 2007
- Cast : Jennifer Beals , Michael Nouri , Lilia Skala
- Director : Adrian Lyne
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Paramount Pictures
- Genre : Romance
- Topics : Arts
- Character Strengths : Courage , Perseverance
- Run time : 95 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : nudity, sex and profanity
- Award : NAACP Image Award - NAACP Image Award Winner
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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