Overview
A hopeful dancer navigates the ups and downs of love and life in a bustling city.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- wistful
- exuberant
- classic movie night
- musical marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly admired Shirley MacLaine’s performance and Bob Fosse’s inventive choreography while finding the film overlong and less effective than its stage source.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Bob Fosse stages major musical numbers with conspicuous zooms, movement, and theatrical visual design.
Charity continues to believe in love and human decency after repeated emotional disappointments.
The production enlarges a Broadway-derived story through expansive sets, large-scale musical numbers, and maximalist staging.
Charity works as a taxi dancer while seeking a sincere relationship that could transform her life.
Films like Sweet Charity, and why
Cabaret
stylized dance-driven musical filmmaking, romantic disappointment, and bittersweet show-business energy
Funny Girl
romantic musical comedy with theatrical choreography, colorful spectacle, and emotionally vulnerable performers
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
classic romantic musical centered on an optimistic woman navigating disappointment and social expectations
Movie Details
- Director
- Bob Fosse
- Release Date
- 1969-02-25
- Runtime
- 153 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (97)
Cast
- Shirley MacLaine
- John McMartin
- Chita Rivera
- Paula Kelly
- Ricardo Montalban
- Sammy Davis Jr.
- Stubby Kaye
- Barbara Bouchet
- Suzanne Charny
- Alan Hewitt
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Sweet Charity about?
- An exuberant yet wistful musical follows an irrepressibly hopeful taxi dancer searching for love amid the glitter and disappointments of New York nightlife.
- What is Sweet Charity like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Sweet Charity as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Sweet Charity violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Sweet Charity.
- What did critics think of Sweet Charity?
- Critics broadly admired Shirley MacLaine’s performance and Bob Fosse’s inventive choreography while finding the film overlong and less effective than its stage source.
- Which films are like Sweet Charity?
- Films with a similar feel include Cabaret, Funny Girl, and The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.
- How long is Sweet Charity?
- Sweet Charity runs 153 minutes.
- Where can I watch Sweet Charity?
- In United States, Sweet Charity is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
