Plot summary

Critical Reaction

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Trivia

• The title comes from the song by the Bee Gees. Six of their songs would be featured in this film. Apparently, director Sylvester Stallone didn't communicate well with the group as he wanted Frank Stallone, his brother, to perform most of the songs for the film. The film was marred partially due to the lack of Bee Gees material and not being as memorable that made the first film very successful.
• Travolta trained with Stallone for almost five months, working six days a week and sometimes 14 or 16 hours a day. He lost 20 pounds for the role.
• The movie was directed by Sylvester Stallone with songs performed by Frank Stallone, Sylvester's brother. He has a part in the film as Carl, Jackie's musician guitar partner at the club.
• There is a location reference to Saturday Night Fever when Tony, played by John Travolta, walks past the 2001 Odyssey club (the club had an advertisement for an all-male revue - suggesting that the former disco is now a gay-themed establishment.), on his way to visit his mother. 2001 Odyssey became the Spectrum in 1987 until its closure in 2005.
• Sylvester Stallone has a cameo in the film when Tony, played by John Travolta, walks into him by mistake on a busy Manhattan street.
• Julie Bovasso (who played Tony's mother) was the only other cast member besides Travolta to reprise her role from Saturday Night Fever.
• Because of the popularity of John Travolta and the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack at the time, Paramount decided to make this sequel less gritty for audiences who didn't get to see the original. The first film was an R [18in the UK] and this was a friendly PG rating.
• It was on the set of this film that Stallone and Travolta met, eventually becoming close friends.
• Coincidentally, Tony Manero had a poster of the 1976 movie Rocky on his bedroom wall in the first film. Sylvester Stallone, who played the character of Rocky, would be directing this sequel.
• In the novel adaptation, there were a few extra parts that were not in the film. One included Tony visiting Laura at her apartment prior to the night of the Broadway show of Satan's Alley. He wanted to make amends and hope they can be friends due to their chemistry during rehearsals for the show. She snaps at him and hints that "You don't have it..." which she says during the performance backstage in the final film only once. There was also an extended scene of Tony handing in his notice at the bar and the manager wishing him luck for his new career on Broadway. He vaguely says to Jackie in the final film that he's giving in his notice but wasn't shown in the final cut.
• During the audition for Satan's Alley, where Jackie wins a role and Tony comments on her legs, there were a couple of outtakes of Tony from the introduction of the film where he dances at another audition. Notice his number on his top.
• In the closing of the film when John Travolta struts down the street to the theme tune, there's a guy impersonating his walk behind him when he crosses the street. The last shot is an outtake, as John comes out of character and smiles at a member of the crew, most probably the director Sylvester Stallone.
• The doorman who asks Tony if he was expected to Laura's party at her apartment is associate producer Tony Munafo, who was involved with this film and also Rocky IV and Rocky V.

Awards and nominations