Audition scenes from movies
May 13, 2013 1:06 PM Subscribe
My daughter is auditioning for a play next weekend and I'd like to show her some audition scenes from films and TV. I don't mean screen tests or actors auditioning for their roles in famous films. Rather, I'm looking for scenes of fictional auditions that are part of a narrative. So, not something like this but something like this scene from Flashdance.
I know there are tons of these. I have a really clear image in my head of what an audition looks like (three people sitting at a table in the third row of a theatre) and I'm sure that comes from years of TV and movie watching, but I'm totally blanking on what they are. I'm specifically looking for something that is from the perspective of the auditioning actor, so my kid can get an idea of what it might look like to face the director, et. al.
Google is just giving me a million links to "Torture scene from Audition," which I'm pretty sure isn't what I'm looking for.
I'd prefer scenes that are suitable for a ten year old and if you have links to the scenes themselves, that'd be great. Probably friendly or successful auditions would be better, too, but I'll take anything at this point.
I know there are tons of these. I have a really clear image in my head of what an audition looks like (three people sitting at a table in the third row of a theatre) and I'm sure that comes from years of TV and movie watching, but I'm totally blanking on what they are. I'm specifically looking for something that is from the perspective of the auditioning actor, so my kid can get an idea of what it might look like to face the director, et. al.
Google is just giving me a million links to "Torture scene from Audition," which I'm pretty sure isn't what I'm looking for.
I'd prefer scenes that are suitable for a ten year old and if you have links to the scenes themselves, that'd be great. Probably friendly or successful auditions would be better, too, but I'll take anything at this point.
Here's Andy Garcia in City Island in his (character's) first audition for anything.
Here's how that audition started.
Screen them, because there's a little language. I love this movie :-)
posted by janey47 at 1:14 PM on May 13, 2013
Here's how that audition started.
Screen them, because there's a little language. I love this movie :-)
posted by janey47 at 1:14 PM on May 13, 2013
Anywhere But Here has Natalie Portman's character auditioning at the urging of her mother - it's maybe a little offbase because she doesn't want to do it and has attitude the whole time, but the character is a teenager in the film, so closer to your daughter's age.
posted by sweetkid at 1:17 PM on May 13, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by sweetkid at 1:17 PM on May 13, 2013 [2 favorites]
Best answer: I love this scene from Waiting for Guffman, although there's a sort of PG-13 moment with Parker Posey in the middle.
And yes, Glee. These two are adorable.
posted by decathecting at 1:18 PM on May 13, 2013 [2 favorites]
And yes, Glee. These two are adorable.
posted by decathecting at 1:18 PM on May 13, 2013 [2 favorites]
Also I'm pretty sure there are audition scenes in the last few episodes of My So-Called Life, but like the Anywhere But Here example I can't find links.
posted by sweetkid at 1:18 PM on May 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by sweetkid at 1:18 PM on May 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
I have no idea how they changed things in the less-than-well-received movie but except for the finale, the auditions are what A Chorus Line is all about.
posted by Rash at 1:19 PM on May 13, 2013
posted by Rash at 1:19 PM on May 13, 2013
Also, from the same era, there's auditions in All That Jazz.
posted by Rash at 1:21 PM on May 13, 2013
posted by Rash at 1:21 PM on May 13, 2013
"Save the Last Dance" with Julia Stiles has at least one, if not two, dance audition scenes. She is a high school student in the movie. There are clips of it on youtube but I am on an Android and it only gives me the mobile link. You are probably better off searching youtube yourself.
posted by Michele in California at 1:23 PM on May 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Michele in California at 1:23 PM on May 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
42nd Street has an audition scene (maybe an extensive audition sequence? it's a long time since I watched it). But Waiting for Guffman is my FAVORITE.
Oh, and Billy Elliot.
posted by mskyle at 1:25 PM on May 13, 2013
Oh, and Billy Elliot.
posted by mskyle at 1:25 PM on May 13, 2013
Tootsie has a hilarious audition scene.
So does Arrested Development (there may be others, but this is the classic one).
posted by mkultra at 1:27 PM on May 13, 2013 [2 favorites]
So does Arrested Development (there may be others, but this is the classic one).
posted by mkultra at 1:27 PM on May 13, 2013 [2 favorites]
This is probably the best audition scene I've sever seen on TV. It's from Mr. Show. It's not really for ten year olds but you might think it's hilarious!
posted by Jairus at 1:29 PM on May 13, 2013 [6 favorites]
posted by Jairus at 1:29 PM on May 13, 2013 [6 favorites]
Casting "Springtime For Hitler" in The Producers. The 1968 original
posted by Gungho at 1:39 PM on May 13, 2013
posted by Gungho at 1:39 PM on May 13, 2013
Best answer: Found a few more searching for "audition scene" under Videos on Google:
Pitch Perfect (longer montage from the same movie)
Bunheads
A Chorus Line
42nd Street
Here's a montage from PBS about opera auditions, and it's apparently a promo from a full documentary on the topic, but it focuses on how much pressure people are under during auditions, so it may not be right for what you want.
Also, you might consider clips from shows like American Idol or X Factor, because even though they're not really auditions, it's the same basic format. And you can pick and choose ones where the performers do really well and get praised and are happy, if you want.
posted by decathecting at 1:39 PM on May 13, 2013
Pitch Perfect (longer montage from the same movie)
Bunheads
A Chorus Line
42nd Street
Here's a montage from PBS about opera auditions, and it's apparently a promo from a full documentary on the topic, but it focuses on how much pressure people are under during auditions, so it may not be right for what you want.
Also, you might consider clips from shows like American Idol or X Factor, because even though they're not really auditions, it's the same basic format. And you can pick and choose ones where the performers do really well and get praised and are happy, if you want.
posted by decathecting at 1:39 PM on May 13, 2013
The Commitments, Jimmy holds auditions for his band.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 1:51 PM on May 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 1:51 PM on May 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
There's these auditions for a TV show inside a TV show but it's for a TV show called The L Word and there's girls kissing and using the F-word, so probably not helpful whatsoever to share with your daughter.
posted by AppleTurnover at 1:51 PM on May 13, 2013
posted by AppleTurnover at 1:51 PM on May 13, 2013
I remember there being a fantastic audition scene in Mullholland Drive. The actress does a run through with a friend first in a really conventional and unexciting way and then, at the actual audition, surprisingly takes a completely different interpretation and is utterly compelling. It's really good.
posted by prune at 2:00 PM on May 13, 2013
posted by prune at 2:00 PM on May 13, 2013
"Voices" with Amy Irving also has a couple of dance audition scenes. Amy plays a deaf ballet dancer. She goes to an audition and doesn't tell them she is deaf and thus blows it. Later, her boyfriend takes her back, explains the situation and gets her a second audition with accommodation for her handicap.
posted by Michele in California at 2:05 PM on May 13, 2013
posted by Michele in California at 2:05 PM on May 13, 2013
Vin Diesel (yes, that Vin Diesel, back when he was still good) has an amazing series of auditions in his short film Multifacial.
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 2:08 PM on May 13, 2013
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 2:08 PM on May 13, 2013
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang has an...interesting audition scene.
posted by gottabefunky at 2:25 PM on May 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by gottabefunky at 2:25 PM on May 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
I can't tell you which episodes, but Entourage, the HBO show, featured Johnny "Drama" Chase the older and less popularly successful of the two Chase brothers. Johnny Drama was played by Kevin Dillon, and he had to audition for roles from time to time (usually resulting in some sort of ego-driven fiasco) while his little brother would get offers on a silver platter.
But, it probably lacks any authenticity, and the show itself is, how can I put this, fantastically inappropriate for a ten-year-old, no matter how mature. (I can't think of any audition scenes that wandered into really adult territory beyond some bad language, but the show certainly did.)
posted by Sunburnt at 2:34 PM on May 13, 2013
But, it probably lacks any authenticity, and the show itself is, how can I put this, fantastically inappropriate for a ten-year-old, no matter how mature. (I can't think of any audition scenes that wandered into really adult territory beyond some bad language, but the show certainly did.)
posted by Sunburnt at 2:34 PM on May 13, 2013
I also second the Pitch Perfect audition. The movie capitalizes on the American Idol (etc.) phenomena without becoming it, and adding a lot more, and the audition montage is a very good bit of cinema.
posted by Sunburnt at 2:38 PM on May 13, 2013
posted by Sunburnt at 2:38 PM on May 13, 2013
Response by poster: Holy Toledo, you guys are awesome! Can't wait to check these out.
posted by looli at 3:40 PM on May 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by looli at 3:40 PM on May 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
"Too old."
"Too young."
Dustin Hoffman in the first act of 'Tootsie'.
posted by ovvl at 4:31 PM on May 13, 2013
"Too young."
Dustin Hoffman in the first act of 'Tootsie'.
posted by ovvl at 4:31 PM on May 13, 2013
Ramona auditions for a part in a peanut butter commercial in the movie Ramona and Beezus.
posted by five_cents at 4:57 PM on May 13, 2013
posted by five_cents at 4:57 PM on May 13, 2013
Beaches
Ugh, I was trying to find that scene! Yea, Beaches is a great one. A kid's audition, too.
posted by sweetkid at 5:27 PM on May 13, 2013
Ugh, I was trying to find that scene! Yea, Beaches is a great one. A kid's audition, too.
posted by sweetkid at 5:27 PM on May 13, 2013
This one is a little meta, but absolutely essential. From Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.
The context is that Robert Downey Jr., while on the run, has only accidentally ended up in the middle of an audition, but he unexpectedly finds the lines he is reading to have relevance to his current situation.
posted by lewedswiver at 6:31 PM on May 13, 2013
The context is that Robert Downey Jr., while on the run, has only accidentally ended up in the middle of an audition, but he unexpectedly finds the lines he is reading to have relevance to his current situation.
posted by lewedswiver at 6:31 PM on May 13, 2013
River Phoenix auditions for Julliard in Running on Empty.
posted by Bokmakierie at 7:23 PM on May 13, 2013
posted by Bokmakierie at 7:23 PM on May 13, 2013
Heh, gottabefunky got there ahead of me, with a better link besides.
posted by lewedswiver at 8:45 PM on May 13, 2013
posted by lewedswiver at 8:45 PM on May 13, 2013
Response by poster: There are a lot of gems in here, but the Bunheads clip is exactly what I was looking for. It's even got an accompanist, which my kid is going to experience, too. Beaches is also great. Thanks again.
And in a weird bit of coincidence, Netflix just offered up Every Little Step--a great documentary about the year of auditions leading up to the revival of A Chorus Line--as a recommendation. It's charming and doesn't even come close to flying up its own meta-narrative butt, which I think could have happened really easily. The whole thing is on YouTube.
posted by looli at 9:22 PM on May 13, 2013
And in a weird bit of coincidence, Netflix just offered up Every Little Step--a great documentary about the year of auditions leading up to the revival of A Chorus Line--as a recommendation. It's charming and doesn't even come close to flying up its own meta-narrative butt, which I think could have happened really easily. The whole thing is on YouTube.
posted by looli at 9:22 PM on May 13, 2013
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And then there's The Producers ("That's our Hitler!").
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:14 PM on May 13, 2013 [1 favorite]