The Complicated Life of Teen Sitcom Star Turned Film Actress Elizabeth Berkley

Showgirls opened on September 22, 1995, as a heavily marketed NC-17 studio release. The rating made the film unusual from the start, because few movies with that classification had been promoted so widely or expected to reach a mainstream audience.

Instead of becoming the adult breakthrough Berkley hoped for, the film struggled commercially and was widely panned by critics. The response was fast and harsh, turning what had been framed as a bold career move into a public setback. Once the reviews arrived, the focus quickly shifted to her.