Fame

Play trailer

2:36

Fame

R

Released May 16, 1980

2h 14m

Musical

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

81%

Tomatometer

37 Reviews

69%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Young men and women audition for coveted spots at the New York High School of Performing Arts. Those who make the cut discover that it takes a lot of hard work to become a star and sometimes difficult decisions have to be made. The youngsters grapple with heavy issues such as homosexuality, abortion, attempted suicide and illiteracy. On top of their unique struggles, the students must deal with the mundane pressures of adolescence like homework, heartbreak and rejection.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Critics Consensus

Just because Fame is a well-acted musical doesn't mean it flinches against its surprisingly heavy topics.

Read Critics Reviews

Yardena Arar

Associated Press

Numerous performance scenes are expertly woven into Christopher Gore's screenplay following the audition-to-graduation fortunes of a handful of students, and the result is a joyful celebration of youth, hope and talent.

Jul 17, 2019

Full Review

Bruce McCabe

Boston Globe

Fame isn't only the best musical of the summer, it's one of the best films of any genre -- a fresh and funky, sassy and brassy, gutty and gritty, slick and smart piece of work.

Apr 28, 2018

Full Review

Anna Smith

Empire Magazine

The song and dance scenes are hard to beat in terms of sheer energy and atmosphere, but the dramatic storylines leave several loose ends.

Rated: 3/5

Sep 8, 2010

Full Review

Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

A lively, momentous demonstration of craft.

Rated: 7/10

Jul 20, 2024

Full Review

James Berardinelli

ReelViews

Cliched dramatic stories aside, the movie has a gritty charm and overall likeability that makes it worth revisiting for an understanding of how both the genre and society’s perceptions have evolved...

Rated: 3/4

May 31, 2024

Full Review

Zita Short

InSession Film

This is an unbalanced mess at a lot of points and that stops you from fully enjoying its occasional moments of greatness.

Rated: C-

Feb 7, 2023

Full Review

Read all reviews

Caleb D

A very realist and disarmingly relatable movie, in spite of a few cringe moments.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

10/21/24

Full Review

Shari F

As 100% card carrying stuck in the 80s gen Xer it should be no surprise that I adore this film! I was just 10 when it came out but I remember desperately wanting to see it in the theater. I was an indulged only child who saw a lot of movies I should not have, alas this was not one had to wait till I was about 13 to finally get my hands upon it on VHS. Let's start with the unbe-freakin-lievable soundtrack which is the main reason I wanted to see it in the theater so much. The title song was just one monster hit that had me dancing in my bedroom. Irene Cara sings the H E double hockey sticks out of the aforementioned theme song. She also bings complexity and relatability to her character Coco. She Is a aspiring young dancer/actor who makes numerous sacrifices to get into an make it through 4 years at a extremely competitive New York Performing Arts High School. The movie follows Coco and several other students through their audition at the school all the way through graduation. The students were all played by virtual unknowns at the time including Cara ( who went on a few years later to record What A Feeling a huge hit from another 80s classic FlashDance) All of them shine but the other absolute scene stealer is Gene Anthony Ray as Leroy an incredible dancer who through sheer talent and dumb luck breezes his way through auditions an into the school. Ray is one of the most amazing dancers I have ever seen on any stage or screen just his dance scenes all are worth watching this movie. The writing, the choreography, and seamless blend of drama and musical make this a can't miss watch. Especially for 80s and teen

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/26/24

Full Review

Ionela C

Absolutely beautiful. Well done

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/20/24

Full Review

Allen H

Should be watched again after a few years

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/09/23

Full Review

Lanfranco C

Watching it again after many years it looks like "aged"

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

06/08/23

Full Review

Chris C

"Fame" is moronic on every level. It contains an assortment unlikeable characters dealing with "real problems" of their own making. Nonetheless, they have time to break into tiresome song-and-dance numbers whenever the mood strikes them. Life is tough. However, as the characters in Fame illustrate, life is tougher when you're stupid. That was 133 minutes of my life that I never got back. Take a pass on Fame.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Alan Parker

Director

Irene Cara

Coco Hernandez

Eddie Barth

Angelo

Lee Curreri

Bruno Martelli

Laura Dean

Lisa Monroe

Paul McCrane

Montgomery MacNeil

The Rose

73%

81%

The Rose

Watchlist

Zoot Suit

55%

74%

Zoot Suit

Watchlist

Pennies From Heaven

83%

64%

Pennies From Heaven

Watchlist

Songwriter

88%

45%

Songwriter

Watchlist

Aria

57%

47%

Aria

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Fame: Trailer 1

2:36

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Young men and women audition for coveted spots at the New York High School of Performing Arts. Those who make the cut discover that it takes a lot of hard work to become a star and sometimes difficult decisions have to be made. The youngsters grapple with heavy issues such as homosexuality, abortion, attempted suicide and illiteracy. On top of their unique struggles, the students must deal with the mundane pressures of adolescence like homework, heartbreak and rejection.

Director: Alan Parker
Producer: David De Silva, Alan Marshall
Screenwriter: Christopher Gore
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Rating: R
Genre: Musical
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 16, 1980, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2008
Runtime: 2h 14m
Sound Mix: Surround

Most Popular at Home Now