Top Ten Song and Dance Numbers

Random Song and Dance numbers in film are literally THE GREATEST THING EVER. If you're not up to watching a full-scale musical, (and I certainly won't be for a while after watching the travesty that was - fancy French accents at the ready - Les Miserables) you can briefly see your favourite characters puttin on the ritz for a few moments, before returning to reality. Sometimes these musical numbers might mean something (the dance contest in Pulp Fiction or the New York, New York scene in Shame for example) but, most of the time, they have absolutely no purpose. Which is the main reason why I love them. Below, my fellow writer and I have selected some of the very best bemusing and amusing song and dance numbers to put a smile on your faces. But beware - they may cause you to dust off your tap shoes or grab a microphone.

Do The Right Thing

Ah, Spike Lee. Some may label him as a misogynist, sexist, colourist, general idiot, (I myself have labelled him many of these things after I was foolish enough to do a project about the portrayal of women in his film. Hint: not so great.) but the man knows how to make a good film. And some bad ones. But let's stick to the good ones. Do The Right Thing is almost universally lauded as Lee's best film, and I like to think this is because of its REALLY FRICKIN GOOD OPENING CREDITS. Oh man, I can't describe how much I love them. I only saw this film for the first time last year, but already this youtube video has become my salvation in times of sadness. Because, if anything can cheer you up when you're glum, it's Rosie Perez shakin her thang to "Fight The Power". A brilliant opening to a brilliant film. 

- Grace Barber-Plentie

Slumdog Millionaire

Danny Boyle puts us through so much emotional trauma in Slumdog Millionaire that a credit song and dance sequence really seems like the only way to end his Oscar winning masterpiece. I swear, the only reason this film was touted as “the feel good film of the year” is due to this end credit sequence which basically radiates joy. Boyle puts Dev Patel and Freida Pinto, along with hundreds of extras, in an Indian train station and gets them to dance to A R Rahman’s Jai Ho. He then brings in the adorable 5 year old versions of their characters and my heart immediately melts.

-Beth Johnston

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Let's face the the facts here - this is probably the most joyful moment in cinematic history. You may argue, but what's not to love? Parades, balloons, a frickin Beatles song and everyone having a blast? The now-infamous scene catches the essence of John Hughes films, the feeling of rebellion and escapism from your mundane life, not just with normal activities but with stealing your friend's dad's car and ending up in the middle of a parade just for the sheer hell of it. The film is charming enough without this scene, but with it, you just can't help but grin from ear to ear. Honestly, watch the video and try not to smile at least once. 

-GBP

The Fisher King

The Fisher King is definitely one the strangest films I’ve seen and explaining the plot of it to someone usually results in confused looks. But there is no denying the beautiful simplicity of Terry’s Gilliam’s flashmob waltz in Grand Central Station. So, Robin Williams plays a homeless man obsessed with finding the Holy Grail and Jeff Bridges is a guy who inadvertently ruined his life years earlier. Robin Williams’ character then becomes smitten with Amanda Plummer whom he follows through Grand Central, completely in awe of her. It’s a mesmerising scene that is arguably one of the greatest scenes in modern cinema and it’s frustrating that hardly anyone has actually heard of it. So go forth, and prepare to be impressed.

-BJ

A Life Less Ordinary 

A Life Less Ordinary certainly isn't Danny Boyle's most famous film. Nor is it even his best. But there's something about it that really makes me love it. It tries to combine about a gazillion genres into one film, which makes it a little messy, but for the most part, it's cute and funny. Plus Ewan McGregor's in it, back when he was Ewan McGregor, cute shy actor guy, rather than Ewan McGregor MOTORCYCLE/MOULIN ROUGE GUY. This song and dance number, incidentally to one of my favourite songs, kinda sums up the film. It's unpolished, a bit messy, but oozing cuteness. Makes me wish I could do a fantasy song and dance number in an American bar.

-GBP

The Breakfast Club

Following Brian, Claire, Allison, Andy and Bender’s reveal of why they’re in detention (taping classmates’ arsecheeks/skipping school to go shopping/attempted suicide via flare gun etc.), John Hughes lets his characters blow off little steam by dancing to Karla DeVito’s “We Are Not Alone”. There are so many reasons why The Breakfast Club is the perfect teen film and this dance scene really is one of them. Apparently, it was originally meant to just be Molly Ringwald dancing alone but she was too embarrassed and so Hughes made all five of them do it. What’s so great about this scene is that it’s 100% how I dance alone to music, especially whenever this appears on my iPod.

-BJ

The Big Lebowski

Does this really count as a Song and Dance number? I'm unsure. Do I care? Nope. This scene, like the whole of Big Lebowski is the kind of bizarre madness on the large scale that tends to exist only in the world of the Coen Brothers. Bizarre drug-fuelled bowling themed dance number? Heck, why not. It may completely hurt the eyes, but the scene is one that will forever stay in the brain. It's hard to know what's the best part of the scene - from what should have been an Oscar-winning performance from Jeff Bridges, grinning with pure glee, to his stairway dance moves and silver and gold shoes. (Can I have these shoes? Pretty please?) It may not make sense, but that's part of the fun.

-GBP

Pretty in Pink

What would a John Hughes movie be without a song and dance number, am I right? Oh Duckie, Andy may never love you but just know that because of this scene, I always will. This is yet another scene that I will always recreate whenever “Try a Little Tenderness” comes on. It also perfectly encapsulates all of Duckie’s angsty, unrequited, teenage love for Andy as he dances around the record store she works at, thrashing into the shelves before thrusting on the staircase. What an adorable Otis Redding impersonating, beautifully-dressed ray of sunshine he is.

-BJ

Almost Famous

Ask anyone - Almost Famous is up there in my top ten, and I like to think it always will be. Despite the unrealistic expectations of music journalism it gives an audience, (I feel that the disappointment I felt when I realised what an un-Almost Famous life I was going to have if I pursued music journalism as a career was what made me set my sights on film journalism instead) it's a film made by someone who loves music, about people who love music. That's why the scene that takes place on the bus after guitarist and slight douchebag Russell has slinked off to a teenage party and taken acid is so joyful, because these people are united through the music. If they're singing, and dancing, and listening to Elton John, they feel like they can beat anything. Such is their conviction, that we feel it too.

-GBP

A Knight’s Tale

Ok, so A Knight’s Tale might actually be the strangest film I ever seen. Let’s get real here, how was this film ever even made? I’m not saying that in a bad way because whoever pitched this film is my hero, but it makes zero sense – just like its amazing dance sequence. So yeah, Heath Ledger disguises himself as a rich knight in order to make some cash and at a fancy feast he has to perform the dance of his country which is in fact, not real. So, Heath is forced to make it up on the spot and for some incredible reason this dance includes a mash up of old timey medieval beats and David Bowie’s “Golden Years” because, obviously. Ah, remember 2001? Those were simpler times.

-BJ