Staying Alive
Encyclopedia
Staying Alive is the 1983
film sequel to Saturday Night Fever
, starring John Travolta
as dancer Tony Manero, with Cynthia Rhodes
, Finola Hughes
, Joyce Hyser
, Steve Inwood, Julie Bovasso
, and dancers Viktor Manoel
, Kate Ann Wright, Kevyn Morrow
and Nanette Tarpey. It was directed and co-written by Sylvester Stallone
.
The title comes from the Bee Gees
song, Stayin' Alive
, which was used as the theme song to Saturday Night Fever and is also played during the final scene of Staying Alive. This is the only film to date which Sylvester Stallone has written that he does not star in (although he does have an uncredited cameo).
king Anthony "Tony" Manero, has left Brooklyn
and is now living in Manhattan
, staying in a flophouse
while he works as a dance instructor and as a waiter
at a dance club, looking for his big break in the modern dance productions on Broadway.
His breakaway from his Brooklyn life, family and friends (Joey, Double J.,Gus, and the late diminutive Bobby C) seems to have matured Tony and refined his personality, specifically represented by his diminished Brooklyn accent and his avoidance of alcohol
and swear words. But certain attitudes haven't changed, as with his most recent girlfriend, the forgiving Jackie (Cynthia Rhodes
). He holds a double standard
whereby he feels at liberty to see other women, but becomes vexed if he finds Jackie with other men.
While watching a show in which Jackie is a dancer in the chorus, Tony focuses instead on the lead, a wealthy English dancer, Laura (Finola Hughes
). He seduces and spends the night with her, but it becomes clear that Laura only intended to be involved with him for one night.
Tony feels used by her. She coldly dubs their relationship a mere one-night stand
and justifies this by saying, "Everybody uses everybody." She even implies that Tony used her in order to get a dance role in her latest show.
Jackie is unhappy by his breaking several promises to meet with her. Jackie is also the vocalist of a local band
and, unable to trust Tony, instead presumably begins a relationship with the band's rhythm guitarist (Frank Stallone
), further upsetting Tony after his conflict with Laura.
Jackie, Tony, and Laura all try out for the Broadway production, "Satan's Alley". The others land small parts while Laura is once again cast as the lead female dancer. Jackie, sick of being considered second best in Tony's eyes, finally leaves him. Tony realizes how cruel he has been to her.
Tony walks all the way from Manhattan to his old neighborhood in Brooklyn in the middle of the night (in one scene he walks past his former hangout, The Odyssey 2001, where he spent his Saturday nights back in 1977, noticing the discoteque is now a gay nightclub). He visits his mother (Julie Bovasso
), who he apologizes to for his selfish ways when he was young. She says the selfishness got him out of a dead-end life in Brooklyn.
Feeling better after this, Tony heads back to Manhattan to make things right with Jackie. He and the snobby Laura remain distant and hostile as the production progresses.
Seeing an opportunity to replace the lead male dancer, Tony asks Jackie to help practice a number. Laura is disgusted by the fact that Tony lands the lead, meaning she must now dance with Tony during the production. Despite her animosity, the two display a chemistry on stage. But on opening night, Tony brashly goes against the script and kisses Laura. She is repulsed and scratches his face.
Tony completes the rest of the performance without further problems, creating excitement with the audience and cast. After the show, he apologizes to Jackie and the two get back together.
Tony exits by the stage door to "strut" in celebration, reminiscent of the opening scene of Saturday Night Fever as he walks alone through Times Square
, beaming with newfound self-confidence
.
, earning almost $65 million in the US. While the figure is significantly less than the $94 million earned from its 1977 predecessor Saturday Night Fever, Staying Alive ranks among the top ten most successful films of 1983.
Despite its economic success, critics blasted the movie, saying it lacked the heart and interesting characters of Saturday Night Fever. In 2006, Entertainment Weekly
dubbed Staying Alive the "Worst Sequel Ever." Many critics complained that the sequel did not contain the grittiness or shock possessed by Saturday Night Fever. At Rotten Tomatoes
, all the reviews (of which most are written retrospectively nearly 20 years after the film's release) are negative, where the movie has a 0% rating, based on 20 reviews.
1983 in film
-Events:*February 11 - The Rolling Stones concert film Let's Spend the Night Together opens in New York*May 25 - Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, the final film in the original Star Wars trilogy, is released. Like the previous films, it goes on to become the top grossing picture of...
film sequel to Saturday Night Fever
Saturday Night Fever
Saturday Night Fever is a 1977 drama film directed by John Badham and starring: John Travolta as Tony Manero, an immature young man whose weekends are spent visiting a local Brooklyn discothèque; Karen Lynn Gorney as his dance partner and eventual friend; and Donna Pescow as Tony's former dance...
, starring John Travolta
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
as dancer Tony Manero, with Cynthia Rhodes
Cynthia Rhodes
Cynthia Rhodes is an American actress, singer and dancer most noted for her roles in Dirty Dancing, Flashdance and Staying Alive.- Career :...
, Finola Hughes
Finola Hughes
Finola Hughes is an English actress, television host, author and former dancer, best known for role as Anna Devane on the General Hospital, All My Children and General Hospital: Night Shift , and her role as Anna Devane's identical twin sister, Doctor Alexandra Devane Marick, on All My Children...
, Joyce Hyser
Joyce Hyser
Joyce Hyser is an American actress.-Career:Hyser appeared in various films in the early 1980s, the last of which — Just One of the Guys — achieved some cult status. She then mainly guest-starred in TV shows, including a recurring role in L.A. Law as Jimmy Smits's girlfriend...
, Steve Inwood, Julie Bovasso
Julie Bovasso
Julie Bovasso was an American actress of stage, screen and television. She was born in Brooklyn, New York to an Italian-American family.-Career:Bovasso appeared in many films, including Saturday Night Fever and...
, and dancers Viktor Manoel
Viktor Manoel
Viktor Manoel is a Mexican-American dancer, choreographer, writer, and actor. Viktor Manoel was born and raised in Mexico. His charismatic, androgynous look and unique style of dancing captured the imaginations of choreographers Édouard Lock of Canadian dance group La La La Human Steps and Toni...
, Kate Ann Wright, Kevyn Morrow
Kevyn Morrow
Kevyn Morrow is an American actor, originally from Nebraska. His career has taken him from the American stage, to London, to film and television.-Broadway and Off-Broadway:...
and Nanette Tarpey. It was directed and co-written by Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone
Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed...
.
The title comes from the Bee Gees
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a...
song, Stayin' Alive
Stayin' Alive
"Stayin' Alive" is a song by the pop group Bee Gees from the Saturday Night Fever motion picture soundtrack. The song was written by the Bee Gees and produced by the Bee Gees, Albhy Galuten and Karl Richardson. It was released on 13 December 1977, as the second single from the Saturday Night Fever...
, which was used as the theme song to Saturday Night Fever and is also played during the final scene of Staying Alive. This is the only film to date which Sylvester Stallone has written that he does not star in (although he does have an uncredited cameo).
Plot summary
Six years after the events of Saturday Night Fever, former discoDisco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
king Anthony "Tony" Manero, has left Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
and is now living in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, staying in a flophouse
Flophouse
A flophouse , doss-house or dosshouse is a place that offers very cheap lodging, generally by providing only minimal services.-Characteristics:...
while he works as a dance instructor and as a waiter
Waiter
Waiting staff, wait staff, or waitstaff are those who work at a restaurant or a bar attending customers — supplying them with food and drink as requested. Traditionally, a male waiting tables is called a "waiter" and a female a "waitress" with the gender-neutral version being a "server"...
at a dance club, looking for his big break in the modern dance productions on Broadway.
His breakaway from his Brooklyn life, family and friends (Joey, Double J.,Gus, and the late diminutive Bobby C) seems to have matured Tony and refined his personality, specifically represented by his diminished Brooklyn accent and his avoidance of alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
and swear words. But certain attitudes haven't changed, as with his most recent girlfriend, the forgiving Jackie (Cynthia Rhodes
Cynthia Rhodes
Cynthia Rhodes is an American actress, singer and dancer most noted for her roles in Dirty Dancing, Flashdance and Staying Alive.- Career :...
). He holds a double standard
Double standard
A double standard is the unjust application of different sets of principles for similar situations. The concept implies that a single set of principles encompassing all situations is the desirable ideal. The term has been used in print since at least 1895...
whereby he feels at liberty to see other women, but becomes vexed if he finds Jackie with other men.
While watching a show in which Jackie is a dancer in the chorus, Tony focuses instead on the lead, a wealthy English dancer, Laura (Finola Hughes
Finola Hughes
Finola Hughes is an English actress, television host, author and former dancer, best known for role as Anna Devane on the General Hospital, All My Children and General Hospital: Night Shift , and her role as Anna Devane's identical twin sister, Doctor Alexandra Devane Marick, on All My Children...
). He seduces and spends the night with her, but it becomes clear that Laura only intended to be involved with him for one night.
Tony feels used by her. She coldly dubs their relationship a mere one-night stand
One-night stand
Originally, a one-night stand was a single theatre performance, usually by a guest performer on tour, as opposed to an ongoing engagement. Today, however, the term is more commonly defined as a single sexual encounter, in which neither participant has any intention or expectation of a relationship...
and justifies this by saying, "Everybody uses everybody." She even implies that Tony used her in order to get a dance role in her latest show.
Jackie is unhappy by his breaking several promises to meet with her. Jackie is also the vocalist of a local band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
and, unable to trust Tony, instead presumably begins a relationship with the band's rhythm guitarist (Frank Stallone
Frank Stallone
Frank P. Stallone, Jr. is an American actor, singer/guitarist and Golden Globe and Grammy Award-nominated songwriter. He has appeared in many Hollywood films and television. He is the younger brother of Sylvester Stallone.-Early life:...
), further upsetting Tony after his conflict with Laura.
Jackie, Tony, and Laura all try out for the Broadway production, "Satan's Alley". The others land small parts while Laura is once again cast as the lead female dancer. Jackie, sick of being considered second best in Tony's eyes, finally leaves him. Tony realizes how cruel he has been to her.
Tony walks all the way from Manhattan to his old neighborhood in Brooklyn in the middle of the night (in one scene he walks past his former hangout, The Odyssey 2001, where he spent his Saturday nights back in 1977, noticing the discoteque is now a gay nightclub). He visits his mother (Julie Bovasso
Julie Bovasso
Julie Bovasso was an American actress of stage, screen and television. She was born in Brooklyn, New York to an Italian-American family.-Career:Bovasso appeared in many films, including Saturday Night Fever and...
), who he apologizes to for his selfish ways when he was young. She says the selfishness got him out of a dead-end life in Brooklyn.
Feeling better after this, Tony heads back to Manhattan to make things right with Jackie. He and the snobby Laura remain distant and hostile as the production progresses.
Seeing an opportunity to replace the lead male dancer, Tony asks Jackie to help practice a number. Laura is disgusted by the fact that Tony lands the lead, meaning she must now dance with Tony during the production. Despite her animosity, the two display a chemistry on stage. But on opening night, Tony brashly goes against the script and kisses Laura. She is repulsed and scratches his face.
Tony completes the rest of the performance without further problems, creating excitement with the audience and cast. After the show, he apologizes to Jackie and the two get back together.
Tony exits by the stage door to "strut" in celebration, reminiscent of the opening scene of Saturday Night Fever as he walks alone through Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
, beaming with newfound self-confidence
Self-confidence
The socio-psychological concept of self-confidence relates to self-assuredness in one's personal judgment, ability, power, etc., sometimes manifested excessively.Being confident in yourself is infectious if you present yourself well, others will want to follow in your foot steps towards...
.
Cast
- John TravoltaJohn TravoltaJohn Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
as Tony Manero - Cynthia RhodesCynthia RhodesCynthia Rhodes is an American actress, singer and dancer most noted for her roles in Dirty Dancing, Flashdance and Staying Alive.- Career :...
as Jackie - Finola HughesFinola HughesFinola Hughes is an English actress, television host, author and former dancer, best known for role as Anna Devane on the General Hospital, All My Children and General Hospital: Night Shift , and her role as Anna Devane's identical twin sister, Doctor Alexandra Devane Marick, on All My Children...
as Laura - Steve Inwood as Jesse
- Julie BovassoJulie BovassoJulie Bovasso was an American actress of stage, screen and television. She was born in Brooklyn, New York to an Italian-American family.-Career:Bovasso appeared in many films, including Saturday Night Fever and...
as Mrs. Manero - Charles Ward as Butler
- Steve Bickford as Sound Technician
- Patrick Brady as Derelict
- Norma DonaldsonNorma DonaldsonNorma Donaldson was an American actress and singer.Donaldson launched her career as a nightclub singer and then toured with Harry Belafonte and Lena Horne...
as Fatima - Jesse Doran as Mark
- Joyce HyserJoyce HyserJoyce Hyser is an American actress.-Career:Hyser appeared in various films in the early 1980s, the last of which — Just One of the Guys — achieved some cult status. She then mainly guest-starred in TV shows, including a recurring role in L.A. Law as Jimmy Smits's girlfriend...
as Linda - Frank StalloneFrank StalloneFrank P. Stallone, Jr. is an American actor, singer/guitarist and Golden Globe and Grammy Award-nominated songwriter. He has appeared in many Hollywood films and television. He is the younger brother of Sylvester Stallone.-Early life:...
as Carl - Deborah Jenssen as Margaret
- Robert Martini as Fred
- Sarah M. Miles as Joy (as Sarah Miles)
- Tony Munafo as Doorman
- Sylvester StalloneSylvester StalloneMichael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed...
as Man in Street (uncredited)
Original Idea
Several cast members from Saturday Night Fever were asked to reprise their roles. However, at the last second, Sylvester Stallone (who directed the film) rejected the idea, choosing to focus on the Tony Manero character instead.Reception
The film was a success at the box officeBox office
A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through an unblocked hole through a wall or window, or at a wicket....
, earning almost $65 million in the US. While the figure is significantly less than the $94 million earned from its 1977 predecessor Saturday Night Fever, Staying Alive ranks among the top ten most successful films of 1983.
Despite its economic success, critics blasted the movie, saying it lacked the heart and interesting characters of Saturday Night Fever. In 2006, Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
dubbed Staying Alive the "Worst Sequel Ever." Many critics complained that the sequel did not contain the grittiness or shock possessed by Saturday Night Fever. At Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, all the reviews (of which most are written retrospectively nearly 20 years after the film's release) are negative, where the movie has a 0% rating, based on 20 reviews.
Awards and nominations
- Golden Globe AwardGolden Globe AwardThe Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
s
- Nominated: Original SongGolden Globe Award for Best Original SongGolden Globe Award for Best Original Song was awarded for the first time in 1962 and has been awarded annually since 1965 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.-1960s:...
("Far from Over")
- Golden Raspberry AwardsGolden Raspberry AwardsA Golden Raspberry Award, or Razzie for short, is an award presented in recognition of the worst in movies. Founded by American copywriter and publicist John J.B. Wilson in 1981, the annual Razzie Awards ceremony in Los Angeles precedes the corresponding Academy Awards ceremony by one day...
- Nominated: Worst ActorRazzie Award for Worst ActorThe Razzie Award for Worst Actor is an award presented at the annual Golden Raspberry Awards to the worst actor of the previous year. The following is a list of nominees and recipients of that award, along with the film for which they were nominated....
(John TravoltaJohn TravoltaJohn Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
) - Nominated: Worst New StarRazzie Award for Worst New StarThe Razzie Award for Worst New Star is an award presented at the annual Golden Raspberry Awards to the worst new actor or actress of the previous year from 1982 to 1989 and again from 1991 to 1999. The category has since been discontinued.-1982–1989:...
(Finola HughesFinola HughesFinola Hughes is an English actress, television host, author and former dancer, best known for role as Anna Devane on the General Hospital, All My Children and General Hospital: Night Shift , and her role as Anna Devane's identical twin sister, Doctor Alexandra Devane Marick, on All My Children...
) - Nominated: Worst Supporting ActressRazzie Award for Worst Supporting ActressThe Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actress is an award presented at the annual Golden Raspberry Awards to the worst supporting actress of the previous year...
(Finola Hughes)
- Grammy AwardGrammy AwardA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s
- Nominated: Best Album of Original Score Written for A Motion Picture or a Television SpecialGrammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual MediaThe Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media has been awarded since 1960. Until 2001 the award was presented to the composer of the music alone. From 2001 to 2006, the producer and engineers shared in this award...