Save The Last Dance (2001)
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53% of critics liked it
(97 reviews) -
63% of users liked it
(30,393,524 ratings)
In this romantic drama, two teenagers in love struggle to look past their differences. After the unexpected death of her mother, Sarah Johnson (Julia Stiles) moves to Chicago to live with her father. Knowing no one at her new school and not at home in a gritty, inner-city high school, Sarah has… More In this romantic drama, two teenagers in love struggle to look past their differences. After the unexpected death of her mother, Sarah Johnson (Julia Stiles) moves to Chicago to live with her father. Knowing no one at her new school and not at home in a gritty, inner-city high school, Sarah has trouble adjusting, but she soon becomes friends with Derek (Sean Patrick Thomas), who has talent and street smarts but a checkered past. Sarah was an avid student of ballet before her mother's death sidelined her studies, while Derek has some serious hip-hop moves, and their mutual love of dance leads their friendship into something deeper. However, since Sarah is white and Derek is black, they have more to contend with than the average high school couple; Sarah gets static from Nikki (Bianca Lawson), Derek's former girlfriend, while Derek has to deal with his friend Malakai (Fredro Starr), who is still deep in the thug life Derek is trying to avoid. Save the Last Dance was directed by Thomas Carter, who previously examined the sociopolitical side of dancing in Swing Kids. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Thomas Carter (II)
- Written By
- Duane Adler, Cheryl Edwards
- Genres
- Drama, Romance
PG-13,
- In Theaters
- Jan 12, 2001 Wide
- Studio
- Paramount Pictures
Critic Reviews
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, Time Out
As teen melodrama, well, Carter's film is what it is; but for such a mainstream black-consciousness movie, at least it doesn't shy from addressing some touchy issues about masculinity, parenthood, and black attitudes to whites.
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Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail
A refreshingly friendly view of a romance between people of different pigmentation, an area where more respectable pictures still wimp out.
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Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
Whatever happened to wanting to dance simply because it's fun?
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Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
Stiles and Thomas supply what this movie needs most: a heartbeat.
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Susan Stark, Detroit News
It pays knowing respect not only to high school social politics, but also to racial politics among today's young people.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Julia Stiles
as Sara Johnson
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Sean Patrick Thomas
as Derek
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Kerry Washington
as Chenille
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Fredro Starr
as Malakai
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Terry Kinney
as Roy
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Bianca Lawson
as Nikki
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Vince Green
as Snookie
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Garland Whitt
as Kenny
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Elizabeth Oas
as Diggy
