NikkoFranco There is magic of the disco in the 70s, as a transition kid ( too young for the disco ) who's too excited to see my elder siblings dress up and go to the disco in their teased hair and Vanderbilt jeans, this film is heaven-sent to kids like me who love to dance. It was rated R in those days so I relied on the retelling of my sister ( who edited the explicit part ) to me until I was old enough to see it for myself. By that time the hype is over but the memory of me cutting this out of the newspaper as a 'gotta watch movie 'I know I made the right choice. I can not imagine any actor doing the dancing as John Travolta did. He is the swag jumping out of the dictionary, strutting, enchanting the viewer. It also has a realistic depiction of how the poverty, religious beliefs and hardship of the working class family was in those days. Also the recklessness of youth, the lack of communication between friends, blind ambition are universal topics of then and now. It has a shoulder-shrug ending which up to now many people didn't get so my one point deduction is for that.

Wuchak RELEASED IN 1977 and directed by John Badham, "Saturday Night Fever" is a drama/musical detailing events in Brooklyn where a group of Italian-American youths led by Tony Manero (John Travolta) work dead-end jobs, rumble with Hispanics and meet babes at the local discothèque where Tony is a champion dancer. Donna Pescow plays his needy wannabe girlfriend while Karen Lynn Gorney plays his dance partner for a big contest. This was a huge hit in its day and the catalyst for disco fever throughout the world. To this day you'll see people mimic Travolta's iconic dance stance with one arm pointing upward and the corresponding leg out. John was in the prime of his life at 22 during shooting (a great inspiration for guys to get in shape) and already popular due to TV's Welcome Back Kotter. "Saturday Night Fever" shot him to stardom, making him a household name. The movie's hit status was deserved because of its emphasis on the ordinary, but interesting protagonists and their entertaining drama, not to mention the dynamic dance sequences and popular soundtrack featuring the Bee Gees. There are several quality scenes, including one with the magnificent Brooklyn Bridge as a backdrop. Watch for 19 year-old Fran Drescher making her acting debut in a glorified cameo. THE MOVIE RUNS 1 hour 58 minutes and was shot in Brooklyn, New York City. WRITERS: Nik Cohn (story) and Norman Wexler (screenplay). GRADE: A-/B+

Dave This drama film is about a 19-year-old working-class Italian-American who lives with his family in Brooklyn. He's unhappy at home and has a dead-end job. He lives for the weekend, when - due to his good looks and dancing ability - he's very popular at the disco that he goes to with his friends. There's a PG version of this great film, which is very different and inferior to the original.

jackphillips-27678 If I was honest I should admit this is one of my all time favorite films. But understand I also realize this movie is hopelessly dated and some elements of the plot may not work as well in hind site. Having said that I still believe if you take into consideration the impact and influence this film had and still has, the fact that it is linked to an era in film that is largely considered fantastic, and lastly that it contains perhaps the most impressive acting debut for a lead in history and you have a stone cold classic.The music is also very much of its time, and in its time it was hugely successful. If one wanted to be transported back to 1978 this is its soundtrack. But the way the film uses music is in my opinion unique in that its not a musical in the traditional sense- nobody breaks into song mid-scene. However the music is organic to the story of how this young man comes of age and begins to realize the imprisonment of his friends,of his family, and of his environment.Another thing about this movie that I have long admired is how the story is told. This is one gritty urban tale and it captured NYC circa 1977 perfectly. Forget the disco, this is the era of Son of Sam and blackouts, and as a lover of NYC I gotta say I love seeing the trash and the graffiti everywhere. The script by Wexler is authentic and bites. But most of all the simple motif of escaping an environment is a passage that is incredibly profound and not explored often enough. Who cannot relate in some way to that.Bottom line this is a classic very much rooted in its place in time. Saturday Night Fever deserves its place as one of the best films of the 1970s. And that was one hell of an era to be one of the best films in.