Amazon.com video review:
This early effort by director Alan Parker is lively but jagged
as it follows four students through their years in the New York City
High School for the Performing Arts. Rather predictably, the kids fall
into four clearly defined stereotypes: brazen, gay and hypersensitive,
prickly, shy. It makes up for a disjointed presentation with a lot of
heart and a great soundtrack (for which it won two Academy
Awards). The hopes and disappointments, failures and successes of
these teens are fodder for emotional scenes and exuberant dancing in
the streets. It also turned out to be the first of many imitators and
spawned a popular television series. (It was the breakout film for the
short-lived feature film career of Irene Cara, who sang the title
song.) --Rochelle O'Gorman
