Lee Ann Womack’s “I Hope You Dance” Becomes Inspiration for New Film
Saving Country Music was founded on the idea that a song can change a life and music can change the world. A new film and television special called I Hope You Dance, The Power and Spirit of Song takes that same idea and expounds on it using the example of Lee Ann Womack’s signature song “I Hope You Dance” released in 2000.
“I Hope You Dace” written by Mark Sanders and Tia Sillers was a #1 song in country, won the 2001 CMA and ACM awards for Song of the Year, the Grammy Award for Best Country Song and was nominated for the Grammy’s Song of the Year. But even more than that, it touched people’s lives in very specific ways, which this new film explores.
From parents grieving over the death of their only child, to a homeless shelter in Phoenix, to a woman who suffered a spinal chord injury, I Hope You Dance tells the personal stories of individuals specifically touched by the song. Also appearing on the special are musicians Vince Gill, Graham Nash, the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson, and of course Lee Ann Womack, who made the song one of the most iconic and recognized compositions in the history of country music.
I Hope You Dance premiers on Thanksgiving night (November 26th) at 9 pm ET/PT and 8 pm CT on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel, and will also be sold on DVD with a companion book beginning December 1st. The film is written and directed by John Scheinfeld (‘The U.S. vs John Lennon,’ ‘Who Is Harry Nilsson’), and produced by Spencer Proffer (‘Gods & Monsters,’ ‘It Ain’t Nothin’ But The Blues’). Meteor 17 is also currently developing a weekly television series addressing additional stories of hope, inspiration and faith that are based upon “I Hope You Dance.”
November 21, 2015 @ 9:53 am
This song transcended that pop/country barrier for many people, and I’ve always loved the backing vocals by Sons of the Desert.
November 21, 2015 @ 10:29 am
Hear, hear. 🙂
November 21, 2015 @ 12:43 pm
Lee Ann Womack is one of the very few singers that can make good ‘pop-country’.
November 21, 2015 @ 1:48 pm
Love that song. Ironically, here in the Bay Area, it is played far more often on AC stations than on the country station.
The funny thing is that just yesterday while I was listening to “Country Hits” (Channel 933) on Comcast, I got to thinking that so many of these traditional country songs could be used as movie themes. A song like Tim McGraw’s “Just To See You Smile” would be perfect in a scene depicting a couple moving around the country for work.
It is really only the cultural divide between Hollywood and Nashville that hinders this match from coming to fruition.
November 23, 2015 @ 1:36 pm
Hollywood is at fault for that divide.
November 23, 2015 @ 10:29 pm
I heard it remixed at dance clubs where people lost there minds to it on the dance floor.
November 23, 2015 @ 9:25 am
My wife and I saw Lee Ann Womack at the Birchmere in Alexandria, VA a week ago yesterday. It’s a 500 seat dinner club/listening room type venue. She performed this song and introduced it as one that can and has been used for all types of situations (got married/didn’t get married, graduated from school/didn’t graduate from school, etc.).
It was just a great show. All I knew was the last album. My wife knew all the hits and had heard the new one a couple of times. Lee Ann was in top form and was engaged with the audience for the whole show. Also very appreciative of her band members. Just a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
November 23, 2015 @ 10:40 am
We’re never going to get away from that damn song, are we?
Yeah, I know it touched a lot of people, but it’s still overrated as shit. And still, every time it’s mentioned, I think of a quote from Texas Monthly:
“…if all you know about Lee Ann Womack is the schmaltzy megahit ‘I Hope You Dance,’ then you probably don”™t understand her at all.”
Also, I think it would be interesting to see how many people put off buying that album because of that song.
November 27, 2015 @ 7:02 pm
I always like that song it was her biggest hit of her career #1 five weeks on the country and #1 11 weeks on adult contemporary charts in 2000. She won numerous awards like Grammy’s, ACM, and CMA’s.
September 18, 2023 @ 2:38 pm
I love this song! I’m so excited for the new movie that’s being made about it.