By Talmadge

Summer evenings have grown to fall, but to quote Led Zeppelin, "dancing days are here again." The heat index drops in autumn, providing a welcome boost to the fires of romance. One could argue that there is no better way to show your love to the one you love than on the dance floor. But what if your romantic notions aren't exactly about a special someone? Sounds funny, right?

In the 1997 film Shall We Dance, writer-director Masayuki Suo gave audiences the chance to quietly observe a fully realized human comedy of a married, successful businessman who discovers another level of passion through dance. While the sight of a beautiful dance instructor might have been the catalyst, the man stayed for the more profound connection he was able to make with himself. What made this Dance even more engaging was that each of the supporting characters was subtly transformed as well. On top of that, it's likely dance studio enrollment enjoyed a bit of a surge during the film's initial release as viewers rushed out to try to find out if they could be so moved by fancy footwork.

Director Peter Chelsom (Town & Country, Serendipity) and screenwriter Audrey Wells (Under the Tuscan Sun) have set up a remake of Shall We Dance that plays like a free dance lesson laying out the steps on the floor for students, but never giving the would-be dancers a sneak preview from the instructors or letting them experience the thrill for themselves. Richard Gere stars as John Clark, a Chicago lawyer married to Beverly (Susan Sarandon), who spots Paulina (Jennifer Lopez) in the window of a rundown studio night after night as he takes the subway home. It would be clichéd to mention that John is happily married and successful, but the movie goes out of its way to make sure audiences get the point, so it would be obstinate for a critic to not comment on those efforts.

In addition, the filmmakers hue closely to the steps laid out by presenting audiences with all the usual suspects who in the original seemed like real characters, but here come across as types. The dance instructor is a boozy broad whose best days are memories. A macho ethnic guy (Bobby Cannavale) and a sweet heavy-set African-American guy (Omar Miller) are Clark's fellow students in the class.

The only truly interesting sidestep in this Dance is the relationship between Beverly and the private eye (Richard Jenkins) she hires to spy on John to make sure he's not having an affair once the dance lessons keep him away late nights. The quirky chemistry between Sarandon and Jenkins is far more mature without being obvious and is worthy of a movie all on its own.

Unfortunately, the story chooses to focus on John -- which in this case means Gere, who is making a return of sorts with this role. This remake marks the second time he has played a dancing Chicago lawyer, if you count his role in the musical Chicago. Gere trained extensively for each dance floor turn, and his hard work clearly pays off to a certain degree. He has been a competent hoofer each time, but it is unlikely that he will ever be mistaken for John Travolta, a fellow leading man also known for his graceful moves.

Gere is a curious choice for the lead here and not for his ability to cut a rug. John Clark is searching for his passion, a more internally driven romantic notion. Granted, Gere is a proven romantic lead, but largely playing opposite a pretty female co-star, Julia Roberts being his most beloved screen partner. Shall We Dance wasn't intended to be a true Hollywood romantic comedy. He is supposed to dance alone to the beat of his own heart, and that is what appears to be most difficult for him as a performer.

In Gere's defense, the movie lacks heart. Chelsom and Wells don't quite know what to do with John and Paulina. Lopez downplays her charms to such a degree that her character never seems worth Clark's attention. They follow the template in the original film and keep the relationship platonic, but there was a sense of longing in those characters, a need they on some level felt might have been met by the other, yet Gere and Lopez couldn't create a spark in a fireworks factory with a blowtorch.

Yet, the dance continues and, by the end, it's not about Gere or Sarandon or Lopez or even the characters. Shall We Dance isn't trying to usher in a new wave of dancing days. It is a lackluster series of cutout footprints randomly scattered on the floor. Grade: D