I was watching “The Replacements” the other day on television with my wife, it’s a film I enjoy, when the dance scene in the jail began, (the one to the tune I Will Survive. My wife turned to me and asked, “Why does Keanu Reeves need a stunt double for that?”
I watched and she was right, while the guy doubling Reeves kept his ball cap down and a hand in front of his face, it was pretty clearly somebody other than the billed star.
What was the point? The guys in the jail were supposed to be bad dancers for heaven’s sake.
Maybe the scene was cut short. Left on the editing room floor was that shot of ‘Keanu’ doing the splits or a daring double back-flip.
Or maybe it’s just the opposite…they needed somebody to dance horribly to that tune. Because Keanu didn’t want to ‘out’ himself…he’s got his routine to that tune down pat (as we all do…it’s a required number, to be on our team).
Hey, he was in Point Break, both Bill & Ted movies, and The Matrix. Not to mention the good-at-the-time-and-don’t-lie-and-say-you-didn’t-like-it-when-it-first-came-out-Speed. That’s enough to be “in” in my book.
I have a friend that frequently gets sloshy drunk and goes on rants about all those “Canoe” Reeves movies I watch. Absolutely hilarious.