The Turning Point (1977)

Next one in the list of the best ballet movies is The Turning Point. The Turning Point is a 1977 American drama film directed by Herbert Ross and written by Arthur Laurents about the world of dance in New York City. Shirley MacLaine and Anne Bancroft star in the picture, as do Leslie Browne, Mikhail Baryshnikov, and Tom Skerritt. The film received eleven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. The story is based on the real-life Brown family and the friendship of ballerinas Isabel Mirrow Brown (whose daughter, Leslie Browne, stars in the film) and Nora Kaye.

Ross not only directs the performers brilliantly, but he also brings the world of ballet to life on the screen in a way that has never been done before. He used to be a choreographer for the American Ballet Theatre, so some of this comes naturally to him. This outstanding dancing troupe plays an important role in the film. The Turning Point is thus doubly rich: it is both a well-acted and fascinating picture of rekindled friendship and a dazzling and illuminating insight into the world of dance. It received 11 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture.

Director: Herbert Ross

Casts: Shirley MacLaine, Anne Bancroft, Leslie Browne

IMDb: 6,8