Way to throw the most socially vulnerable to the wolves. It's something the kids' supervisor/doctor fully acknowledges - he's preparing these kids for life and life is ugly-hard. It's a necessary part of growing up but that doesn't make it any less cringeworthy to watch. Or maybe that is my own school dance experiences informing my reaction (for the record I pulled out of mine about two weeks before it happened, much to my girlfriend's ire).
How to Dance in Ohio is a fairly unstructured affair. It works best when it is focused on the prep for the formal, but it tends to stray a little far into the kids' everyday lives, especially of three girls (Marideth, Caroline and Jessica), a decision that comes with its fair share of padding.
That's only a minor concern though. Director Alexandra Shiva never fails to infotain and her subject comes crammed with many small victories that warrant celebration, even if it is a little uncomfortable to do so. As needs be, the film is judgement free. There are some nice character touches in the scheme of things, as well as some upsetting turns. Everything gets a showing, even if some to the more pressing questions, namely he kids' desire for independence and their complete inablility to cope with it, are treated as slightly too distant. Shiva never really tackles these concerns beyond a few snatched interviews with some of the parents who wear clear worry-lines for their kids' futures.
That said, there are many hurdles to tackle on the way there. The prom being the biggest. The event, thankfully, gives a relatively drama-free conclusion to How to Dance in Ohio and on the emotions front is everything you could hope for and more.
It turns out school dances are exactly what I imagined they would be: unbearable.
Oh, and prom dresses are absolutely fucking ugly.
★★★
How to Dance in Ohio screened at the Melbourne International Film Festival 2015.
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