Dancer, Texas Pop. 81 (1998)

Director:

Tim McCanlies

Writer (WGA):

Tim McCanlies (written by)

Release Date:

1 May 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Family

Tagline:

in the middle of nowhere they had everything

Plot:

Four friends from the small Texas town of Dancer are graduating from high school and are planning to move to L.A...

Plot Keywords:

Coming Of Age | Small Town | Texas | Best Friend | Rancher's Son

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Breckin Meyer	...	Keller Coleman
Peter Facinelli	...	Terrell Lee Lusk
Eddie Mills	...	John Hemphill
Ethan Embry	...	Squirrel
Ashley Johnson	...	Josie Hemphill
Patricia Wettig	...	Mrs. Lusk
Michael O'Neill	...	Mr. Lusk
Eddie Jones	...	Earl
Wayne Tippit	...	Keller's Grandfather
Alexandra Holden	...	Vivian
Keith Szarabajka	...	Squirrel's Father
Shawn Weatherly	...	Sue Ann
Michael Crabtree	...	Mr. Hemphill
Lashawn McIvor	...	Mrs. Hemphill
Joe Stevens	...	Leon

MPAA:

Rated PG for language.

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | France:U | Portugal:M/12 (video premiere) | UK:PG | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Alpine, Texas, USA

Company:

Caribou Pictures

Trivia:

Peter Facinelli's wife gave birth to their first child during the filming of this movie. His co-stars Breckin Meyer and Ethan Embry drove him to the airport when he found out she was in labor. The plane was delayed and he coached her through the birth over the phone.

Quotes:

Squirrel: You know what I just realized?
John Hemphill: What?
Squirrel: [About Jean, Loretta and Vivian] Now there's 3 of them and only 2 of us.
John Hemphill: Yeah, how about that?
Squirrel: Things in Dancer will definitely be looking up.
John Hemphill: Definitely.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Playing by Heart (1998)

Soundtrack:

Where I Come From

Hey, I didn't give anyone permission to write a movie about me.

This movie was a like a trip back home for me. I grew up in West Texas, and I always knew in that process that I would one day leave it. By no plan or design, somehow it happened, in many stages. Ultimately, where did I find myself? In California, of course.

Now looking back with the help of this movie, I see the simple good of the life I lived back then, when life was slow, plodding even, but placid and enjoyable.

Dancer, Texas Pop. 81 provides a window back in time to the life we used to be able to live. I especially enjoyed the halting conversation between the two ranchers, a conversation of one and two word sentences. These two were so tuned into one-another that they needed very few words to express their ideas, thoughts, and concerns. People should be more like that today.