The Turning Point (1977 film)

The Turning Point is a 1977 film written by Arthur Laurents and directed by Herbert Ross. In starring roles were Shirley MacLaine, Anne Bancroft, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Leslie Browne, Tom Skerritt, Martha Scott, Anthony Zerbe, Marshall Thompson and James Mitchell.

Plot

This film tells the story of friends and former competitors in the world of ballet.

DeeDee (Shirley MacLaine) left ballet after becoming pregnant with the child of another ballet dancer, Wayne (Tom Skerritt). The two settled down to raise a family and co-run a ballet studio in the suburbs of Oklahoma City. Emma (Anne Bancroft) stayed in the company and became a prima ballerina. When the company finally comes back to town, the two reunite. The reunion stirs up old memories and affects the present.

DeeDee's daughter, Emilia (Leslie Browne), is invited to join the company at Emma's request. Emilia starts an affair with a big-name Russian ballet defector and ladies' man, Yuri (Mikhail Baryshnikov). Emilia's brother Ethan is offered two ballet scholarships, but is unsure to pursue a career between ballet and baseball. Also, an old male friend of DeeDee's is getting to know her all over again. Meanwhile, it looks as if Emma's day in the sun is coming to an end.

Old friends and DeeDee eventually enter into major conflict, as DeeDee resents it that Emma acts as a foster mother to Emilia even though she had abandoned the idea of family life by pursing a career in ballet, while Emma feels that DeeDee is jealous of the...
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