The Company
The Company is a film about the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago. It was released on December 26, 2003 in the United States and around the world in the first half of 2004. The movie was directed by Robert Altman and stars Neve Campbell, who also co-wrote and co-produced the film. The movie also stars Malcolm McDowell as the ballet company’s artistic director, a character based on Gerald Arpino.
Plot
The Company is composed of stories gathered from the actual dancers, choreographers, and office staff of the Joffrey Ballet. Most of the roles are played by real-life company members. While there are small subplots involving a love story between Campbell’s character and a character played by James Franco, most of the movie focuses on the company as a whole, without any real star or linear plot. The many real-life stories woven together show the dedication and hard work that dancers must put in to their art, even though they are seldom rewarded with fame, fortune, or even a statue, painting, or album on which to look back.
Trivia
It has been reported that The Company was an idea of Campbell’s for a long time – she began her career as a ballet dancer, having been a student at Canada’s National Ballet School. Altman was reportedly reluctant to take on the directing of the movie initially, but later relented. After filming was concluded, Campbell herself was offered a position to dance in the company. She turned it down, stating that at her age, a dancing career would be extremely short and considering all the bodily damage she has accumulated from dance so far, she wanted to continue her pursuit into acting.
Reception
Elvis Mitchell called the film “enjoyably lithe and droll” and attributed a “great deal of the film’s appeal” to McDowell’s performance, while noting the film “doesn’t stick with you as a whole.” Eighty-three of the 120 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes rated the film as “fresh.” Roger Ebert gave the film a 3 and-a-half stars out of four, and Slant Magazine called the movie the best movie of 2003. Box Office Mojo reported a worldwide box office of $6.4 million, less than half of its estimated $15 million budget.