Tap: Let Your Legs Do The Tapping

Movie: Tap

Director: Nick Castle

Rating: ****

‘Tap’ is a film with a simple story, highly energetic star cast and most importantly a larger than life message that you need to embrace gracefully. If you happen to watch this film and come to the conclusion that this is just another film about some guy who’s in a state of predicament whether to tap dance or not then you may have missed the whole point of the film.

Directed by Nick Castle, a not so popular director, Nick still managed to produce gems such as ‘The Boy Who Could Fly’ and the all time family entertainer ‘Dennis the Menace’. Nick also co-wrote ‘August Rush’, Steven Spielberg’s ‘Hook’ and ‘Escape from New York’ by John Carpenter, starring Kurt Russell.

The film stars Gregory Hines, Suzzanne Douglas and Sammy Davis Jr along with bunch of other stars with oodles of talent that makes this film one of the best films of the 80s.

Gregory Hines aka Max Washington is the son of legendary tap dancer Sonny Washington, who’s just out of prison and struggling to choose between his professions that of a burglar or tap dancer. On the outside, all that he’s got is his ex girlfriend Amy.

Amy is a tap instructor at Sonny’s and lives with her son Louis and father Little Mo. Besides being a tap instructor, Amy is also gearing up for a gig at the Broadway musical with the help of the director Bob. With just weeks away from the show, Amy hopes to make it big with the musical so that she could give her son Louis, a better life.

Little Mo and his old friends spend most of their time playing cards but back in the days they used to be one of the best tap dancers. Age has crippled them physically nevertheless deep down in their hearts, they’re still tapping. Little Mo wishes he doesn’t mind dying with his tap shoes on.

Francis, Max’s ex boss and Nicky, his ex partner are excited to have Max back in their gang. They are all set and game to pull off one last heist worth over $75,000. However, Max is not scared but lost deep in thoughts whether to do it or not.

In essence, the film is about a tap dancer named Max, released recently from prison, who’s now got to decide whether to go back to being a tap dancer or remain a crook and make money, lots of it. On one side, he’s got a bunch of people who love him unconditionally while on the other a lucrative job with risks attached. Which one will Max choose and why forms the rest of the story.

Tap is a film so close to most of our lives. You can’t deny what you see in the film because it’s happened to if not all of us but many. How many of us may have to chosen a job that pays our bills over a hobby/passion which at the end of the day would’ve kept us happy? In the tradeoff between money and ‘follow you heart’, undoubtedly umpteen number of us will choose the former.  Nick Castle plays with the emotions of human psyche intelligently to prove the impact of one decision will have upon our lives.

The characters in the film are nothing but the embodiment of good and evil side in all of us. The good side in the film includes Amy, Little Mo and others who crave to see Max back on stage with his tap shoes on while the bad side includes Francis and Nicky who keep pushing Max to do the same mistake he did once.

Gregory Hines, a dancer, choreographer and singer by profession made his movie debut in Mel Brooks’ History of the World, Part 1. Tapping was not new to Hines as he was a tap dancer since the age of three and continued to tap dance along with his brother Maurice for many years. His charismatic moves in the film were a treat to watch. Other cast including Suzzanne Douglas, Savion Glover, Sammy Davis Jr. and others certainly did their respective roles with utmost perfection.

The original score of the film was composed by James Newton Howard and choreographed by Henry LeTang. Not to forget in this film is original performances in a challenge sequence by veteran dancers Arthur Duncan, Bunny Briggs, Howard Sims, Steve Condos, Harold Nicholas, and Jimmy Slyde.

If you’re looking for a dose of inspiration and been wondering what keeps one happy at the end of the day then ‘Tap’ is a film you ought to watch. The film teaches you a very simple sutra to be successful and happy in life – follow your heart come what may. Do it out of love and money will automatically flow.