The movies sponsored by the Linfield Activities Board shown regularly in Ice Auditorium provide a wonderful opportunity for students to take a break from homework and unwind by watching recently released films. Most recently, “Magic Mike” was shown Oct. 6.
The auditorium was packed with students of all ages and gender. Though most had seen the film before, for several it was their first time.
The plot revolves around a 30- year-old male stripper by the name of Mike Lane “Magic Mike” (Channing Tatum), who has hopes of leaving the Xquisite strip club in Tampa, Fla., where he has worked for six years, in order to pursue a business in building furniture.
For his day job, Mike works construction where he meets 19-year-old Adam (Alex Pettyfer), who shortly thereafter gets fired. However, Mike sees hope in him and takes him to the strip club. The club’s DJ, Tobias, is also a drug dealer and provides the dancers with the drug GHB.
One of the dancers overdoses on the synthetic drug and Adam is forced to perform a rookie show. He not only amazes the screaming women in the audience but also the club’s owner, Dallas, (Matthew McConaughey), and earns himself a job as a dancer. Dallas has hopes to move the club to Miami, where a larger profit will be possible.
“You are the husband that they never had, you’re the dream boat guy that never came along, you are the one night stand that they get to have tonight with you on stage,” Dallas says about the male stripper profession.
As the film develops, Mike forms a close friendship with Adam and later his sister, Brooke. Through these relationships, Mike realizes that he is outgrowing the party lifestyle associated with the club.
This is exacerbated when he and Adam go to a show at a sorority house, and Adam gives a girl ecstasy, which starts a brawl. This forces the men to leave the house with no pay and for Adam to leave the bag with $10,000 worth of drugs owned by Tobias.
Shortly thereafter, people break into Mike’s house and look for the money and the drugs, both of which are gone. In order to keep Adam safe, Mike gives them $10,000, his total life savings.
After this, Mike shows up to work, slips out the back and quits, leaving Adam and the rest of the dancers before they go to Miami. He then goes to Brooke’s house where the movie ends with a hint of them being romantically involved.
Most people know little about male stripping. This movie seems to give light to the dark world of the business and how close in proximity it is to illegal drugs and alcohol. When Adam first arrived at the club, he was young and innocent. However, an apparent theme of this film was his rapid decline during the span of three short months.
On the surface, this movie is Channing Tatum and Matthew McConaughey stripping. As it develops, more shadowy themes start to emerge, making it a more substantial film.
Madeline Bergman
Staff writer
