Fame is a 2009 American teen musical drama film directed by Kevin Tancharoen from a screenplay by Allison Burnett.

Debbie Allen, who portrays the school principal Angela Simms, is the only person to appear in the original film, the subsequent television series (in the film and the series she played the role of dance teacher Lydia Grant), and the remake.

During the opening scenes in auditions and orientation, it is told that in 1936, New York City Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia founded the High School of Music & Art in order to provide a facility where the most gifted and talented public school students of New York City could pursue their talents in art or music, while also completing a full academic program of instruction.

was created to provide training in performance skills to students who wished to prepare for professional careers in dance, music or drama.

In the lunchroom, everyone practices their major and they all get up and dance ('This Is My Life'), while Denise and Malik escape the madness and they talk to each other, Denise saying that her uptight and conservative parents thinks that the school is "people sitting around, practicing cello all day", and that they would die if they saw this.

Just before freshman year ends, it shows Malik at his apartment, his mother finding his report card, making it clear that he goes to Performing Arts.

As the new school year begins, it shows the dancers all practicing in a circle, but once it is Kevin's turn, he is out-shone and is forced to go back in his original spot.

In theater class, Malik talks about his dead sister, Ayanna, causing Mr. Dowd to ask questions that he refuses to answer.

She agrees to go with him to dinner at his father's restaurant, where she convinces him to play a song and sing on the piano.

Neil says that he is meeting with a producer for a short, independent film he wrote and hopes to direct himself.

Ms. Rowan, the voice teacher, takes some of the students to a karaoke bar where she ends up singing as well.

She tells Marco, and he asks if Andy tried anything, saying that he knew this would happen and that if fame was really that important to her then he hopes she gets the job.

Kevin has a meeting with Ms. Kraft, the dance teacher, because he asked her to write him a letter of recommendation.

This conversation with Ms. Kraft causes him to attempt suicide by stepping in front of a subway car.

Kevin tells Joy that he is moving back to Iowa (following the advice Ms. Kraft gave to him), and that he is going to be "the best god damn dance teacher there ever was".

Why begin with a R-rated look at plausible kids with real problems and tame it into a PG-rated after-school special?

[5] The site's consensus states: "Fame is ultimately undone by its choppy editing, its incomplete characterizations, and its apparent desire to appeal to the High School Musical generation.

"[5] Based on 26 critical reviews sampled by Metacritic, it gave an average score of 39% for the film.

"[8] Fame opened at third place behind Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and the newly released Surrogates with approximately $10,011,682.