With the release of its remake, it is clear that Fame cannot live forever. While director Kevin Tancharoen attempted to make this version of Fame as iconic as the last, it simply could not live up to the original. In the 1980 classic, there was great character development, allowing the viewers to feel the pressures of attending a performing arts high school while dealing with a variety of personal problems.
Both films follow six lead characters with various strengths in both the arts and their personal lives. They also use the same format, breaking up the storyline into four sections, each representing a year of high school. In both movies, the teachers stress the importance of academics coming before arts and working twice as hard to do both everyday, despite fame and success being their life ambitions.
For those of you who have seen the original, do not waste ten dollars to see the recently released film. While containing the same storyline as the original, the new Fame lacks substance and the special ‘it’ factor that made its predecessor a hit.
A distinctive quality in the original film was the imperfection that all of the characters had in their lives. None of them were perfectly happy, and that is what made the characters so relatable. The 1980 Fame showed a world that did not have sunny skies and every dream come true, but that is what made it so special.
In a sea of teen musicals like High School Musical and Hairspray, the new Fame blends right in. 29 years later, Fame has a new, squeaky-clean PG rating to replace its original R rating, which is clearly evident.
The remake of Fame starts out with promise, grabbing the audience by introducing each main character through their auditions to PA. The new Fame included show-stopping dance numbers, but it did not have the song “Fame,” actually in the film, which was the most memorable scene in the original.
Besides this major flaw, the film had the potential to be a great movie. The characters, however, did not connect, leaving the audience feeling empty. Unlike the 1980 film, the modern Fame fails to link the characters’ lives together, leading one to believe they did not even know each other.
There was one actress who showed vocal strength in her performance throughout the film. Naturi Naughton played Denise, a classical pianist struggling to become accepted by her parents for her newfound love of singing. Her solo performance in the film shows off the power of her voice and her potential for true stardom.
The finale in the 1980 classic showcased the entire cast’s talent focusing mainly on the dancing aspect of performing arts proving to be a big hit. However the 21st century film highlighted key characters while omitting the artistry of the rest of the cast.
Additional reporting by Helena Belay.
