Flashdance is a 1983 American romantic drama dance film directed by Adrian Lyne. It stars Jennifer Beals as a passionate young dancer, Alex Owens, who aspires to become a professional ballerina. The film opened to negative reviews by professional critics, including Roger Ebert, who panned it as "great sound and flashdance, signifying nothing" It was a surprise box-office success, becoming the third-highest-grossing film of 1983.