• Skip to content
  • Skip to navigation
Raising Children Network
  • Pregnancy
  • Newborns
  • Babies
  • Toddlers
  • Preschoolers
  • School age
  • Pre-teens
  • Teens
  • Grown-ups
  • Autism
  • Disability

Story

Lauryn Kirk (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) dreams of becoming a dancer like her mother. Unfortunately, the burden of running the family’s garage business with her brother Joel (John Reardon), after the death of both parents, has prevented her from attending dance school. She finally decides she must follow her dreams and leaves her small Indiana town to audition for entry to the Chicago School of Music and Dance. She fails the audition but decides to stay in Chicago and gets a job at Ruby’s, a local nightclub. She begins as a bookkeeper, but when her dancing talents are discovered, she moves onto the stage as a nightclub dancer.

Lauryn begins a relationship with disc jockey Russ (Riley Smith), who encourages her to try out again for the dance school. She has some problems to sort out with Joel. She feels torn between loyalty to him and the business and fulfilling her own ambitions.

Themes

Loss of parents; erotic dancing

Violence

There is some violence in this movie including a scene of verbal abuse between Lauryn and one of the other dancers. This conflict almost turns into a fight.

Sexual references

None of concern

Alcohol, drugs and other substances

This movie contains some use of substances, including several scenes in which characters drink alcohol in the night club, at home, out of bottles and so on.

Nudity and sexual activity

This movie contains some nudity and sexual activity. For example, characters:

  • wear skimpy clothing
  • dance provocatively and also strip
  • kiss passionately (Lauryn and Russ).

Product placement

None of concern

Coarse language

This movie contains some mild coarse language.

Ideas to discuss with your children

Make it Happen is a dance movie with some great dance sequences, mainly aimed at adolescents. The main message from this movie is that people should follow their dreams.

You might like to discuss the value of loyalty with your children. This movie could also give you the opportunity to discuss the situation of young women employed as nightclub dancers.

Supported By

  • Department of Social Services

Raising Children Network is supported by the Australian Government. Member organisations are the Parenting Research Centre and the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute with The Royal Children’s Hospital Centre for Community Child Health.

Member Organisations

  • Parenting Research Centre
  • The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne
  • Murdoch Children's Research Institute

Follow us on social media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Twitter
Join 60,000 subscribers who receive free parenting news. Sign up now
Aboriginal flag (c) WAM Clothing
Torres Strait Islands flag
At raisingchildren.net.au we acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we live, gather and work. We recognise their continuing connection to land, water and community. We pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging.
  • Privacy statement
  • Terms of use

© 2006-2023 Raising Children Network (Australia) Limited. All rights reserved.

Warning: This website and the information it contains is not intended as a substitute for professional consultation with a qualified practitioner.

This website is certified by Health On the Net Foundation (HON) and complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information.