News Archive
January 16, 2004 10:01 AM - ATFD review recognizes Larisa
(Thank you to long time message board member Exitium for letting us know about this review)
A review from Reuters / Hollywood Reporter published yesterday recognizes Larisa's work in the film "A Time for Dancing".
Here are some key excerpts about Larisa.
... the performances here are uniformly excellent, particularly that of Larisa Oleynik ("3rd Rock From the Sun," "10 Things I Hate About You") as a gifted young dance student struck down in her prime by cancer ...
Oleynik is, again, superb and altogether believable as Jules, a lithe and graceful dancer who has dreams of being accepted at the famed Julliard School ...
Both also are fortunate to have a lead actress with as much spirit and soul as Oleynik, who was first introduced to TV audiences on Nickelodeon's 1990s series "The Secret World of Alex Mack." She clearly deserves a shot at frying bigger cinematic fish, as it were.
Here's the schedule for seeing ATFD starting next week:
Showtime Jan 19 8:00 PM
Showtime Family Zone Jan 28 7:00 PM
Showtime Family Zone Jan 28 3:10 AM
Here's the entire review:
TV Review: a Time for Dancing
Thu January 15, 2004 08:21 PM ET
By Ray Richmond
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - While "A Time for Dancing" doesn't necessarily represent Showtime's proudest moment -- given that it's a fairly standard disease-of-the-week tear-jerker -- nor is it an embarrassment, either.
It's an acquisition that was originally released theatrically outside the United States in 2000, which may explain why some of the stars look especially young. Be that as it may, the performances here are uniformly excellent, particularly that of Larisa Oleynik ("3rd Rock From the Sun," "10 Things I Hate About You") as a gifted young dance student struck down in her prime by cancer. Yes, it's a story (based on a book by Davida Wills Hurwin) about the Big C, so you're advised to approach with some caution.
Oleynik is, again, superb and altogether believable as Jules, a lithe and graceful dancer who has dreams of being accepted at the famed Julliard School. She's actually pretty single-minded in her pursuit of perfection, at the expense of her relationships with boyfriend Eli (Scott Vickaryous) and best pal Sam (Shiri Appleby). Sam, the glum child of a single mom, idolizes Jules and only got into dancing to emulate her friend, who also has the family life of which she's always dreamed.
Then it's discovered that Jules' nagging hip pain isn't something minor but Stage 4 cancer, to the horror of not only Sam but her parents (well-played by Peter Coyote and Patricia Kalember) and stoic dance instructor (Lynn Whitfield) as well. Suddenly, the fight isn't for glory on the dance floor but for life. For a while, Jules is the most cosmetically appealing cancer patient. But the physical ravages of the disease finally grow as evident onscreen as the emotional ones while the condition worsens.
It's tough to imagine "A Time for Dancing" -- which might be more accurately titled "A Time for Dying," quite frankly -- as a big-screen release. It just sort of has "broadcast network 1980s disease pic" written all over it. However, both director Peter Gilbert and scripter Kara Lindstrom smartly underplay things so as to prevent them from traveling over the top. It's a good call given the devastating nature of the material. Both also are fortunate to have a lead actress with as much spirit and soul as Oleynik, who was first introduced to TV audiences on Nickelodeon's 1990s series "The Secret World of Alex Mack." She clearly deserves a shot at frying bigger cinematic fish, as it were.
Standing out in a jarring cameo is the dependably exceptional Amy Madigan as Sam's cynical, hard-edged mom. And Whitfield shines as the even-tempered instructor. All in all, the film isn't half-bad, if altogether predictable, serving as more of an acting showcase than a truly compelling tale. Nifty choreography by Marguerite Derricks adds a nice touch.
Cast: Jules: Larisa Oleynik; Eli: Scott Vickaryous; Sam: Shiri Appleby; Wynn: Peter Coyote; Jackie: Amy Madigan; Sadra: Patricia Kalember; Linda: Lynn Whitfield; Jackson: Anton Yelchin; Paul: Shane West.
Executive producers: Lou Gonda, Harvey Gettleson; Producers: Kelly Gonda, Jeffrey Kramer; Co-producers: Kitty Olisky, Kate Axelrod; Director: Peter Gilbert; Writer: Kara Lindstrom; Based on the book by: Davida Wills Hurwin; Director of photography: Alex Nepomniaschy; Production designer: Carol Winstead Wood; Costume designer: Wendy Chuck; Choreographer: Marguerite Derricks; Editor: Lori Coleman; Music: Laurence Rosenthal; Sound mixer: Darin Knight; Casting: Liz Lang Fedrick.
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