The Turning Point (1977)

Two young ballet dancers took different paths. One (Shirley MacLaine) chose motherhood and marriage and the other (Anne Bancroft) became an internationally acclaimed ballerina. Years later, they meet again and reflect on their life choices and what might have been. Directed by Herbert Ross, this acclaimed film received a total of 11 Oscar nominations. But at its core, it's pure soap opera, first rate soap opera but soap opera nonetheless. Which is not to take away from its enjoyment and entertainment value and the excellent performances of Bancroft and MacLaine. Not to mention the superb dancing from the likes of Mikhail Baryshnikov, Suzanne Farrell, Antoinette Sibley among others. Arthur Laurents' screenplay is on the obvious side and never really rises above TV movie quality but the film is elevated by the acting and dancing that transforms it into something more than the sum of its parts. With Tom Skerritt (very good as MacLaine's husband), Martha Scott, Marshall Thompson, James Mitchell, Anthony Zerbe and a delightful performance by Alexandra Danilova, a famed ballerina from the Ballet Russe in the 1930s.