Musical Chairs (film)

Musical Chairs is a 2011 American romantic drama dance film directed by Susan Seidelman and starring Leah Pipes, E. J. Bonilla, Auti Angel, Laverne Cox, and Priscilla Lopez.

Armando tries to boost Mia's confidence; he persuades her and other disabled people in the local rehabilitation center, including Nikki, a punky Latina, and Kenny, a wounded Iraq War veteran, to enter a wheelchair ballroom dancing competition where they are paired with able-bodied partners.

Before the competition, Isabel, who has been maneuvering to get Armando hooked up with fellow Puerto Rican Rosa, does her best to undermine (even to the point of "casting spells") the relationship between him and Mia.

On the night of the competition, Mia panics when she sees Daniel in the audience watching her, and instead of dancing, she rushes to her dressing room and begins to pack her things.

[1] Thereafter, it screened as part of the Westport Cinema Initiative[2] and at Access Chicago on July 19, 2012, as well as the Miami International Film Festival.

[11] In the Chicago Tribune, Michael Phillips said, "Most of 'Musical Chairs' settles for being simple, familiar and ineffective, though I suspect it'll warm a few hearts.

"[13] In a positive review, Rene Rodriguez of the Miami Herald wrote, "As the two leads, the largely unknown Bonilla and Pipes strike up the kind of easy, natural chemistry that makes you forget you're watching pure formula.

"[14] Writing for The Village Voice, Eric Hynes remarked Seidelman shows she "still knows how to capture the chaotic magic of New York".

[15] The script received criticisms, with The New York Times' Jeanette Catsoulis bemoaning that it does not delve deeply enough into the world of wheelchair ballroom dancing.