Roseland (DVD)

A trio of romantic - if bittersweet - tales set in New York’s esteemed Roseland Ballroom unfold in this touching drama. In “The Waltz,” recently widowed May (Teresa Wright) visits the Roseland to honor the memory of her late husband, and unexpectedly meets Stan (Lou Jacobi), who offers her an opportunity for happiness. “The Hustle” finds Russel (Christopher Walken) as a gigolo who keeps company with three women (Geraldine Chaplin, Joan Copeland and Helen Gallagher), but struggles to commit to any of them. Finally, in “The Peabody,” Rosa (Lilia Skala), an older Viennese woman, commits to winning a dance competition despite warnings that it could imperil not only her health, but her tenuous relationship with her dance partner as well. Expertly directed by James Ivory from Ruth Prawer Jhabvala’s moving screenplay, and produced by Ismail Merchant, Roseland brims with stories of not only searching for the glories of the past, but for hope in the future.