White Nights

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White Nights

PG-13

Released Nov 22, 1985

2h 15m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

46%

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13 Reviews

74%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

When his plane makes an emergency landing in Siberia, ballet dancer Nikolai Rodchenko (Mikhail Baryshnikov) is recognized as a defector and brought into custody. Returned to Leningrad and reunited with his former love, aging prima ballerina Galina Ivanova (Helen Mirren), Nikolai meets American dancer Raymond Greenwood (Gregory Hines), who defected to the Soviet Union during the Vietnam War but has secretly grown disenchanted. Together, they plot an escape to the American consulate and freedom.

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Nell Minow

Movie Mom

Rated: 3/5

Nov 1, 2004

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

White Nights is made by people who seem much more comfortable with dance than with the requirements of the Hollywood thriller. It comes to life in the dance sequences, and then drifts away again.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jan 1, 2000

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Barbara Shulgasser

Common Sense Media

'80s dance drama has some violence, profanity.

Rated: 3/5

Jul 12, 2016

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Jake Euker

F5 (Wichita, KS)

Rated: 1/5

Feb 18, 2007

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Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

Rated: 3/5

Oct 22, 2006

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Chuck O'Leary

Fantastica Daily

Rated: 2/5

Oct 5, 2005

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Moody C

This is an unmistakable product of 80s from classic pop songs of that era to Cold War backdrop but what it really is is a showcase for two iconic dancers to show off their talent because while dancing is quite amazing, story is a bit unbelievable and thin. You feel producers were thinking how can we develop a story around their dancing? Script quite clunky, too with lines like “You lost” or “Don’t expect a welcome mat, deserter”. It brings back old memories because I only saw ending with my dad at theater since we snuck in to wait for Rocky IV to start. Theme still relevant today since US and Russia relationship remains same today if not worse.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/19/25

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Melissa M

This movie has Non-Stop action. It also has romance, drama, a hint of comedy, and ballet. Gregory Hines not only proves he is an amazing actor he also proves he's a very talented dancer. Mikhail Baryshnikov is beyond amazing in this film. The storyline is fresh and unique. This movie will definitely have you on your toes.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/19/25

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Heidi

Star-studded Cold-War era drama/thriller. It'd become dated through the decades, but is now eeriely prescient with the arrest of a Russian-American Ballerina charged with treason.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/22/24

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Steve D

The tone is all over the place and the cuts to song and dance are just odd.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

08/27/23

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Debra S

I have always loved this movie - more for the dancing of the two leads than the plot, but I've watched it several times and still remain entranced by it.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/02/23

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Audience Member

I feel the negative reviews of this movie over the years are completely missing the point of the whole movie and are most likely White Men that are narrow minded. The movie has an important message especially now. Gregory Hines speech in the beginning of the movie of why he defected was quite moving and most white Americans would not understand any of what he was taking about. I know many Russians that defected from Russia and they all agree that the movie interpreted there greatest fear. It is a classic and a must see.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

Full Review

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Taylor Hackford

Director

Mikhail Baryshnikov

Nikolai "Kolya" Rodchenko

Gregory Hines

Raymond Greenwood

Isabella Rossellini

Darya Greenwood

Jerzy Skolimowski

Colonel Chaiko

Helen Mirren

Galina Ivanova

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Synopsis

When his plane makes an emergency landing in Siberia, ballet dancer Nikolai Rodchenko (Mikhail Baryshnikov) is recognized as a defector and brought into custody. Returned to Leningrad and reunited with his former love, aging prima ballerina Galina Ivanova (Helen Mirren), Nikolai meets American dancer Raymond Greenwood (Gregory Hines), who defected to the Soviet Union during the Vietnam War but has secretly grown disenchanted. Together, they plot an escape to the American consulate and freedom.

Director: Taylor Hackford
Producer: William S. Gilmore, Taylor Hackford
Screenwriter: James Goldman, Eric Hughes
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Production Co: Columbia Pictures Corporation, New Visions Pictures, Delphi IV Productions
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 22, 1985, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 18, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA): $41.5M
Runtime: 2h 15m
Sound Mix: Stereo, Surround

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