Strictly Ballroom takes place in the wacky world of competitive ballroom dancing, something Luhrmann knows a lot about since he used to compete in his youth. It is essentially a Cinderella-like story about Fran, a shy and awkward girl in the beginner class at a local dance studio who has a crush on Scott, the son of the studio owners. Scott is a gifted dancer but is tired of the restrictive rules of ballroom dancing, wanting to develop new routines and steps. When he uses some of his innovative steps in a competition, the crowd loves it but the judges are not amused and penalize him. Enraged at losing the competition due to his recklessness, his dance partner Liz quits which leaves Scott partner-less only a couple months before the Pan-Pacific Championship. His mother starts frantically auditioning partners for him, determined that he compete and win. Of course, no one thinks of Fran in relation to the Pan-Pacific until she summons the courage to tell Scott that she likes his new steps and asks him to teach them to her. He does so, mainly because he's furious with his parents and everyone else. To his surprise, Fran rises to the challenge and, through her family, he is introduced to a style of dance which has nothing in common with ballroom competition. Scott decides to compete in the Pan-Pacific with Fran and the dance they've developed just as his mother announces that she's found him the perfect new partner. After much drama, Scott and Fran make it to the dance floor only to have the scandalized heads of the dance federation literally pull the plug on them.
Strictly Ballroom is a whole lot of fun from beginning to end, with its eccentric characters, tacky dance outfits, tongue-in-cheek humour and over-the-top divas. Scott and Fran are a nice young couple whom it is easy to root for against the hidebound and often corrupt dance federation leaders. The supporting cast is delightful as well, providing much of the fun and silly humour to be found in the movie. All in all, Strictly Ballroom is a frothy and feel-good film, and a delightful way to spend an hour and a half.