Movie: 54 (a.k.a. Studio 54)
Release Date: August 1998
It has taken me ten years to see this movie. This is what often happens to me with regard to popular movies. It seems that the more hype a film receives, the longer I will put off seeing it.
54, or Studio 54, is a fast-paced movie about a young man trying to claw his way out of New Jersey and into the spotlight of New York City. The beginning is reminiscent of Saturday Night Fever. No, Ryan Phillippe does not strut down the street to Bee Gee’s tunes, but the stage is set for a young kid who wants to better himself and rise above his surroundings, and is not quite sure how. Saturday Night Fever is set in Brooklyn, New York, but actually, there are quite a few movies about young Jersey residents who want nothing more than to get out of Jersey, and into Manhattan. Jersey Girl (the 1992 version), with Jami Gertz and Dylan McDermott, and Little Black Book, starring Brittany Murphy, are just a couple that spring to mind. I wonder if the sentiments experienced by the characters in these movies are felt by actual Jersey residents, and if so, why? Maybe it is the stark contrast and the close proximity between the two areas. New Jersey is not glamorous; Manhattan is very glamorous (or at least certain aspects of it are). And Manhattan is so close geographically, yet, with regard to culture, is very far away.
In 54, Ryan Phillippe’s character “Shane,” does make it to New York City. He even lands a job at the city’s most prestigious nightclub, Studio 54. There, he sees and experiences things a Jerseyite could only dream of; celebrities, sex, high-end narcotics, and an endless stream of alcohol flow over Shane, washing away his suburban innocence. Of course, Shane gets swept up in the glamour of the disco life, and even believes he has become something of a celebrity. He contracts a venereal disease, but that is almost a right of passage at 54. Soon, Shane begins to realize that the life he is leading is not actually ideal, and that maybe he has taken a wrong turn somewhere. He becomes estranged from his family. He has a big fight with one of his closest friends who also works at 54, almost succumbs to his boss’s urges in order to get a promotion, and finally sees a friend die right on the dance floor, only to watch her carted away like a broken bottle so that everyone could continue to party without interruption.
The chaos climaxes in a big IRS bust, which temporarily closes Studio 54 down and sends its owner to prison. At the end though, everything works out, and everybody is happy. Shane gets a more respectable job at a restaurant in Manhattan. He makes amends with his family. His best friend and his wife are happy together again. He even manages to remain in contact with an ex-fling, who has fulfilled her dream of going to Hollywood and becoming a real actress. The movie culminates in a big party at the new Studio 54, hosted by the club’s former owner who has now, after his prison jaunt, become a consultant.
I must say that I was disappointed by the movie’s ending. Such a positive and sweet ending to what was actually a tale of debauchery and human excess. Well, at least things worked out for the best.
Jade is a freelance writer and photographer. You can view more of her work Scripter’s Quest for Knowledge.
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