A Chorus Line

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A Chorus Line

PG-13

1985

1h 53m

Musical

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

48%

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44 Reviews

61%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Hundreds of hopefuls congregate at a cattle call for Broadway dancers. A sour director, Zach (Michael Douglas), and his brusque assistant (Terrence Mann) whittle down the ranks until they're left with 16 dancers. All tell their life stories -- some tragic, some comic -- and explain their love of dance. Tension mounts when Cassie (Alyson Reed) -- once both a big star and the director's lover but now desperate for a part -- auditions. But Zach must choose only the best for his show.

Critics Consensus

On stage, A Chorus Line pulled back the curtain to reveal the hopes and fears of showbiz strivers, but that energy and urgency is lost in the transition to the big screen.

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Joe Pollack

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

May 25, 2023

I think the film version suffers badly by comparison, but more important, I think that even if there had been no stage production, the film would not have worked very well.

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Perry Stewart

Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com

May 25, 2023

3/4

Is it good? Yes. But is it, in the words of the finale, a "singular sensation?" Well, no, it isn't.

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Sheila Benson

Los Angeles Times

Mar 7, 2019

If you were one of that legion who saw A Chorus Line more than once in the theater, the film is enough to make you doubt your judgment. If you've never seen the stage piece, you may come out wondering what in the name of goodness all the fuss was about.

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Bob Ross

Tampa Tribune

May 25, 2023

2.5/4

While conceding that the film medium cannot convey the same intensity as Michael Bennett's ingenious play, one still finds plenty of musical and emotional kicks in Richard Attenborough's conscientious screen adaptation.

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Robert W. Butler

Kansas City Star

May 25, 2023

3/4

It lacks the stunning theatricality of the stage production, but it is reasonably diverting and every now and then lit up by flashes of genuine excitement.

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Richard Freedman

Newhouse News Service

May 25, 2023

On film, it has its own -- often glittering -- pleasures to offer, suggesting a less original All That Jazz merged with a less frenetic Fame.

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Eye C

@ECinc Jun 3, 2026

I wasn’t expecting a full casting session and that’s it, but it sure is interesting and the songs very good also… So 🎵🎶🎵"I hope I get it"🎵🎶🎵

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Jul 4, 2025

Success in 1 hour and 53 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $14,200,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Autumn M

@RT26919073 Dec 10, 2023

A Chorus Line is the story of a group of Broadway-hopefuls all competing for the coveted spots in a chorus line. The audience learns about each person's backstory and what has inspired them to dance. It felt a bit like a bottle episode. The songs were okay, but I really do not understand how they could have built an entire musical around an audition. I just was not impressed. Not recommended.

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Robert C

@Cratchit Nov 21, 2023

Lost the edge of the Broadway show. Far too artsy-fartsy.

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Joel H

@786Joel Nov 3, 2023

At the beginning of A Chorus Line, the director says, "since I need great dancers, I can't expect you all to be great actors." That seems to hold true with this film adaptation of the Broadway musical. The cast is full of talented dancers, but the acting was hit and miss. I didn't connect with any the characters, either. They all seemed like miserable people leading miserable lives. And we're supposed to be happy for those who were cast in the show, but I just felt bad for them. Also, what was Michael Douglas doing in this movie? I guess one, singularly sensational song doesn't make a musical great.

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Feb 9, 2022

I had to immediately go to the original cast album to get the sound of this gutless wimp of a production. None of them can *really* sing.

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Richard Attenborough

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Synopsis

Hundreds of hopefuls congregate at a cattle call for Broadway dancers. A sour director, Zach (Michael Douglas), and his brusque assistant (Terrence Mann) whittle down the ranks until they're left with 16 dancers. All tell their life stories -- some tragic, some comic -- and explain their love of dance. Tension mounts when Cassie (Alyson Reed) -- once both a big star and the director's lover but now desperate for a part -- auditions. But Zach must choose only the best for his show.

Director: Richard Attenborough
Producer: Ernest H. Martin, Cy Feuer
Screenwriter: Arnold Schulman
Distributor: Columbia Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co: PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Musical
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 10, 1985, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 8, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $14.2M
Runtime: 1h 53m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

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