The little-known art of wheelchair ballroom dancing is a worthy subject, but this clumsy romantic comedy is like a partner who keeps stepping on — or rolling over — your toes.
Bronx-dwelling hottie Armando (E.J. Bonilla) is the handyman at a local ballroom dancing studio, where he practices his own moves in secret and catches the eye of instructor Mia (Leah Pipes), shortly before she’s struck by a car and crippled.
Undeterred by this tragic, if vague, turn of events — Mia’s diagnosis is never discussed — Armando launches a wheelchair ballroom dance class for her rehab center’s clichéd inhabitants: an obnoxious Iraq veteran, an angry punk and a sassy transsexual. Equally central-casting is Armando’s meddling mom, who wants him to ditch Mia and marry the girl next door.
Director Susan Seidelman (“Desperately Seeking Susan”) generates plenty of good will and a few tears, as well as genuine sparks between the two talented leads. But the story never quite gets into the groove.