History Film / Flashdance

* BasedOnATrueStory: The film is based on the biography of Maureen Marder. She was paid $2300 for the right to make a movie about her life story, and then [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flashdance#Legal_action_by_Maureen_Marder filed a lawsuit]] when Jennifer Lopez mimicked the film frame for frame and it was discovered that she did not secure licensing rights from Paramount Studios to use the story in her music video. As Marder signed only non-exclusive rights with Paramount, it seemed that Lopez had infringed on Marder's rights to her own life-story as well as infringing on Paramount's rights to the story in the film. The lawsuit was with Lopez, Sony, and Paramount to establish copyrights in the film. The wealthy studios and star won the case against a small, poor plaintiff of course, despite stellar representation by Marder's LA law firm.

* AmbiguousSituation: Whether Alex did or didn't get into the prestigious school she auditioned for is [[spoiler:not actually shown.]]

* NaughtyByNight

* SocietyMarchesOn: Richie's SoUnfunnyItsFunny humor definitely qualifies.

A 1983 Creator/{{Paramount}} film directed by Adrian Lyne, scripted by Tom Hedley and Joe Eszterhas (from a story by Hedley), and produced by Don Simpson and Creator/JerryBruckheimer.

* DawsonCasting: Averted. 18 year old Alex is played by 19 year old Jennifer Beals.

* RealityEnsues: [[spoiler:When Jeanie fails her ice skating audition]], Nick says she'll do better next time. Alex's response?
-->'''Alex:''' There isn't going to ''be'' any next time.

* AgeGapRomance: Nick is quite older than Alex. She's only recently become a legal adult, he's old enough to be an established industrialist and already gone through a divorce. Pointed out by critics who say that the age difference is WAY too big among both the charaters and the actors to be believable.

* CrosscastRole: In a weird variation, a portion of Alex's climactic audition dance was actually performed by a teenage boy! The reason? Said teenager (name of Richard Colón, alias Crazy Legs) had invented a move the producers decided to include in the performance, and they believed he was the only one who could possibly pull that one off.

* CrossCastRole: In a weird variation, a portion of Alex's climactic audition dance was actually performed by a teenage boy! The reason? Said teenager (name of Richard Colón, alias Crazy Legs) had invented a move the producers decided to include in the performance, and they believed he was the only one who could possibly pull that one off.

* FriendsRentControl: As the ''Magazine/{{MAD}}'' Magazine's satire ''Flashdunce'': how can Alex live by herself in an expensive loft (even if it's a converted warehouse)? The answer? Pittsburgh (where the film is set) holds the record for one of the lowest costs of living in the United States, a title the city's held for several decades. [[JustifiedTrope Most apartments and lofts that would cost thousands of dollars a month in larger cities are usually leased at a fraction of that cost]].

* InterclassRomance: Working class Alex and wealthy Nick.

* FriendsRentControl: As the ''Magazine/{{MAD}}'' Magazine's satire ''Flashdunce'': how can Alex live by herself in an expensive loft (even if it's a converted warehouse)? Pittsburgh (where the film is set) holds the record for one of the lowest costs of living in the United States, a title the city's held for several decades. [[JustifiedTrope Most apartments and lofts that would cost thousands of dollars a month in larger cities are usually leased at a fraction of that cost]].

* FriendsRentControl: As the ''Magazine/{{MAD}}'' Magazine's satire ''Flashdunce'': how can Alex live by herself in an expensive loft (even if it's a converted warehouse)?
** JustifiedTrope: Pittsburgh (where the film is set) holds the record for one of the lowest costs of living in the United States, a title the city's held for several decades. Most apartments and lofts that would cost thousands of dollars a month in larger cities are usually leased at a fraction of that cost.

* HardWorkFallacy: Underprivileged girl is ''finally'' given a chance to prove herself at a prestigious conservatory... and gets in. To do so, she hones her dancing skills and auditions.

* ImprobableAge: Many reviewers found it highly implausible that an 18-year old girl would be allowed to work full-time as a welder.
** {{MAD}}'''s parody "Flashdunce" certainly did.

* SteelMill: Alex works as a welder in the local mill. The mill itself isn't portrayed as horrible, more to show her as a messy blue collar worker to contrast with her glamorous dance act.

A 1983 Creator/{{Paramount}} film directed by Adrian Lyne, scripted by Tom Hedley and Joe Eszterhas (from a story by Hedley), and produced by Creator/JerryBruckheimer.

** Reportedly, Jennifer Beals was cast by then Paramount president and COO Michael Eisner who showed pictures of the three finalists for the part -- Beals, Leslie Wing, and Creator/DemiMoore -- to a group of construction workers and asking them "Which of these women do you most want to fuck?"

The film was a '''monster''' success (only Creator/RogerEbert dared to slam it) and a StarMakingRole for Beals. This is partly attributed to the then-newfangled {{MTV}}, which played excerpts from the film's dance numbers on a continuous loop. In effect, ''Flashdance'' became the standard for music videos produced in conjunction with big-budget movies.