Movies
Weekend Box Office
Film Awards & Top 10s By Year
All-Time High Scores
All-Time Low Scores
Best / Worst of the Decade
Wide Releases
Now In Theaters
49
2012
41
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel
84
Avatar![]()
69
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
53
Blind Side
53
Book of Eli, The
55
Christmas Carol, A
57
Daybreakers
43
Dear John
27
Did You Hear About the Morgans?
55
Edge of Darkness
45
Extraordinary Measures
83
Fantastic Mr. Fox![]()
42
From Paris with Love
65
Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, The
74
Invictus
57
It's Complicated
34
Law Abiding Citizen
33
Leap Year
33
Legion
42
Lovely Bones, The
54
Men Who Stare At Goats, The
34
Ninja Assassin
19
Old Dogs
xx
Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief
39
Planet 51
79
Precious: Based on the Novel by Sapphire
73
Princess & the Frog, The
64
Road, The
57
Sherlock Holmes
27
Spy Next Door, The
36
Tooth Fairy
44
Twilight Saga: New Moon, The
83
Up in the Air![]()
xx
Valentine's Day
25
When in Rome
71
Where the Wild Things Are
xx
WolfMan, The
63
Youth in Revolt
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
Limited Releases
Now In Theaters
46
44 Inch Chest
83
Ajami![]()
73
Amreeka
xx
Barefoot to Timbuktu
19
Bitch Slap
24
Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day, The
76
Broken Embraces
64
Cloud 9
65
Coco Before Chanel
84
Cove, The![]()
84
Crazy Heart![]()
21
Crazy on the Outside
48
Creation
xx
Daddy Long Legs
81
Damned United, The![]()
68
Departures
62
District 13: Ultimatum
85
Education, An![]()
71
Eyes Wide Open
24
Falling Awake
81
Fish Tank![]()
56
For My Father
xx
From Mexico with Love
43
Frozen
68
Girl on the Train, The
52
Killing Kasztner
74
Last Station, The
43
Little Traitor, The
51
Loss of a Teardrop Diamond, The
73
Me and Orson Welles
76
Messenger, The
57
Missing Person, The
67
Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers, The
xx
My Name is Khan
49
Nine
63
North Face
xx
October Country
67
Off and Running
52
Paranoids, The
49
Pop Star on Ice
49
Private Lives of Pippa Lee, The
xx
Promised Lands (Re-release)
69
Red Riding Trilogy, The
29
Saint John of Las Vegas
69
September Issue, The
36
Serious Moonlight
63
Shinjuku Incident, The
77
Single Man, A
xx
Still Bill
76
Terribly Happy
74
That Evening Sun
19
To Save a Life
68
Town Called Panic, A
59
Until the Light Takes Us
xx
Videocracy
65
Waiting for Armageddon
82
White Ribbon![]()
43
Women in Trouble
xx
Word is Out
64
Young Victoria, The
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
Every Little Step
EMAILPRINTSony Pictures Classics

Generally favorable reviews
Based on 24 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 9 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >
Movie Info
Genre(s): Documentary
Written by:
Directed by:
Adam Del Deo
James D. Stern
Release Date:
Theatrical: April 17, 2009
DVD: October 13, 2009
Running Time: 96 minutes, Color
Origin: USA
Summary
RATING: PG-13 for some strong language including sexual references
Starring Bob Avian, Michael Bennett, Charlotte d'Amboise, Ramon Flowers, Jessica Lee Goldyn, Marvin Hamlisch, Megan Larche, and Donna McKechnie
Every Little Step explores the incredible journey of A Chorus Line from ambitious idea to international phenomenon. It compares and contrasts the original musical with the current revival. It investigates the societies in which they’ve debuted, and why the themes are so timeless and universal. Finally, it goes behind the scenes with exclusive interviews and footage of the revival’s audition process, revealing the dramatic journey of the performers, and unfolding a story of life imitating art. (Sony Pictures Classics)
Also On Metacritic
FILM: It's the Rage Michael Jordan to the Max So Goes the Nation The Year of the Yao
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database Official Studio Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman
A movie as layered and enthralling as its subject.
Read Full Review >Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern
How long has it been since a movie left you literally speechless?
Read Full Review >San Francisco Chronicle David Wiegand
The film is as much about the creation of the original show back in 1975 and the genius of the late Michael Bennett, who masterminded it, as it is about the newer version.
Read Full Review >The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Stephen Cole
An uncommonly tender and observant documentary on the phenomenon that is "A Chorus Line."
Read Full Review >Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips
It's a big ice cream sundae, this one -- not great documentary filmmaking but tasty all the way.
Read Full Review >Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan
It's a can't-miss effort that knows how to please.
Read Full Review >The Hollywood Reporter Kirk Honeycutt
The result is an insightful, exuberant, probing, long-winded and even exhausting look at what it takes for a performer to have a life in the theater.
Read Full Review >The New York Times A.O. Scott
The premise of Every Little Step is no less inspired for seeming so simple and obvious, and it pays tribute to the durability and continued relevance of “A Chorus Line,” which first opened in New York in 1975, before many of the performers in the movie were born.
Read Full Review >Salon.com Andrew O'Hehir
Given that "Chorus Line" is almost the paradigmatic backstage story, I guess Every Little Step is a meta-backstage story, capturing the "American Idol"-scale audition process.
Read Full Review >NPR Bob Mondello
The result? A briskly self-aware, thoroughly stage-struck portrait of a theatrical portrait.
Read Full Review >Rolling Stone Peter Travers
A thrilling combination of documentary and musical dazzler.
Read Full Review >Boston Globe Wesley Morris
In Every Little Step, the performers bleed, sweat, cry theater - without having to tell us.
Read Full Review >Philadelphia Inquirer Carrie Rickey
Do you need to have seen A Chorus Line to understand or enjoy Every Little Step? I think not. This companion piece to one of America's most beloved musicals is about human longings and shortfalls.
Read Full Review >Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert
What we sense in the film is the camaraderie among these hopeful dancers. They've all been through the process before, all been disappointed before, all know better than anyone else what it takes, all believe the best candidates don't always win the jobs.
Read Full Review >Chicago Reader J.R. Jones
Modeling the movie after the show itself grows problematic near the end, when Stern and Del Deo, anticipating that climactic, gold-suited kick line, try to whip us into a frenzy on opening night.
Read Full Review >Village Voice Jesse Oxfeld
For Chorus Line fans, though, the documentary--is a singular sensation.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club) Nathan Rabin
It's a huge improvement over the Attenborough film; given the film’s non-fiction roots, it seems poetically apt that a documentary take is much more satisfying and engaging than the Hollywood treatment.
Read Full Review >Austin Chronicle Kimberley Jones
Filmmakers nicely mix the historical and the tributary, honoring both Bennett's cultural landmark and the dancers who dream of joining its ranks.
Read Full Review >New Orleans Times-Picayune Mike Scott
Doesn't boast enough universal meaning to make it truly sing.
Read Full Review >New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman
Directors Adam Del Deo and James D. Stern focus primarily on the casting process for the 2006 revival, parading so many personalities past us that we don't really get to know anyone. Bypassing the original for the recreation? That ain't it, kid.
Read Full Review >New York Post Kyle Smith
Every Little Step shows only this: It hurts to flunk an audition, and it's nice to get hired. Everything it has to say about Broadway was said better in Bob Fosse's movie "All That Jazz" -- in its opening five minutes.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 7.4 (out of 10) based on 9 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Stephen J gave it a9:
The film is a perfect blend of mixing audio and video clips of the development of the original production (with contemporary interviews with key participants) with a behind-the-scenes look at the casting process for a recent Broadway revival. This segment is doubly-effective because it shows what the musical itself is about: auditioning for a part in a Broadway production, which for many is the dream of a lifetime. And we see how these actors/singers/dancers go through the process of call-backs over many months, and the anguish, and elation, for both them and the producers to find out who will get the parts. If you’re a fan of “A Chorus Line” or maybe even musicals/plays in general, this is a must-see. This is one of my favorite films, new or DVD, of the last several years, including all the regular movies (non-documentaries) I’ve seen.
Jay H gave it a6:
A must for fans of A Chorus Line, but for those who are not really into the show, it does get a bit tiresome. It’s well made and I never lost interest, but I was also never enthralled or really into the documentary.
Bill L gave it a9:
You don't need to be a big fan of musicals, or of A Chorus Line in particular. You will love this film unless you are hugely jealous of people who follow their dreams. This movie makes American Idol and Who Wants to Dance seem like the minor, (very minor) leagues, in terms of talent, heart and desire. I truly loved and respected these performers AND the production team.
Kathy S gave it a10:
Absolutely wonderful, with amazing backstage footage of both the original show and its creators, as well as the cast and directors of the revival. Highly recommended.
Crystal C gave it a5:
I found the insight into professional casting and auditions fascinating, but the movie isn't very well made. It feels dated, and the film making isn't polished.
Frank M gave it a9:
Amazing shots of moments in a, what? eight-month or longer process. Wonderful insight into the audition process but more than that a meta-version of the show itself. Which is about the human experience of having a reason for being -- they just happen to be dancers. Wonderful documentary.
