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Movies / On DVD / Save the Last Dance
Save the Last Dance

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Save the Last Dance (2001)

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Reviews Counted:96

Fresh:51

Rotten:45

Average Rating:5.5/10

Consensus: This teen romance flick feels like a predictable rehashing of other movies.

Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for violence, sexual content, language and brief drug references

Runtime: 1 hr 53 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:Jan 12, 2001 Wide

Box Office: $90,696,166

Synopsis: Sara's life is devoted to dance -- she wants nothing more than to make it into New York's famous Julliard School. But when tragedy strikes and she loses her mom, her hopes are dashed and she buries... Sara's life is devoted to dance -- she wants nothing more than to make it into New York's famous Julliard School. But when tragedy strikes and she loses her mom, her hopes are dashed and she buries her dreams of ever attending the country's best dance school.

Without her Mom to support her, Sara moves to the tough streets of Chicago's South side to live with her Dad -- a down on his luck jazz musician who she barely knows. Her new school's a totally different world from the small town she grew up in, but Sara's quick comebacks and sassy attitude earn her the quick respect and friendship of straight-talking Chenille. But it's Chenille's brother, Derek, the cool and good-looking star of the school, who grabs Sara's attention. He plays it up tough, but he also has the smarts and a plan to go to medical school.

When Chenille takes Sara to Steppes, the neighborhood hang, she gets her first taste of hip-hop -- and Derek's the one to show her the moves. When they discover they share a passion for dance, they discover that there's something deeper going on -- a passion for each other. But they soon find out the hard way that they must not only overcome their own differences, but the resentment and bad blood of their friends and family. As the school year goes on, the couple finds that their affection and devotion to each other could ultimately threaten Derek's hopes for a better life and Sara's rediscovery of her dance.

Yet against all the odds they overcome the obstacles to their dreams, and discover that ultimately the only person you have to be is...yourself. [More]

Starring: Julia Stiles, Sean Patrick Thomas, Terry Kinney, Fredro Starr

Starring: Julia Stiles, Sean Patrick Thomas, Terry Kinney, Fredro Starr, Kerry Washington, Bianca Lawson

Director: Thomas Carter

Director: Thomas Carter
Producer: Robert W. Cort, David Madden
Screenwriter: Duane Adler, Cheryl Edwards
Composer: Mark Isham
Studio: Paramount Pictures

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Sep 26, 2006

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for Save the Last Dance

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1 - 20 (sorted by source)
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This movie recognizes the value of dance and of love. I walked out of the theater feeling very happy.

Full Review Source: Aisle Seat | comment Comment
03/19/01
Mike McGranaghan
Mike McGranaghan
Aisle Seat

... a worthwhile film that’s an unusually honest portrayal of teen life.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
02/13/01
Brian Webster
Brian Webster
Apollo Guide

Squanders nice performances by Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick Thomas by confining them and the supporting cast to cookie-cutter roles and hackneyed inner-city subplots.

Full Review Source: Associated Press | comment Comment
01/12/01
David Germain
David Germain
Associated Press
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It may be the latest teen flick, but Last Dance has a story and life issues and relationships with bite.

Full Review Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution | comment Comment
01/11/01
Bob Longino
Bob Longino
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

To the film's credit, it tries, and while it never really sings, it does deliver the dance.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
03/10/03
Kimberly Jones
Kimberly Jones
Austin Chronicle

It's just a pity for the actors and the audience that the theme of conquering one's background, prejudices, and limitations has to be spelled out in block capitals.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
04/16/01
Michael Thomson
Michael Thomson
BBC

A sometimes predictable, but mostly enjoyable tale.

comment Comment
01/12/01
George Thomas
George Thomas
Beacon Journal

The playing of ballet against hip-hop gets more than a little corny, but the charismatic young performers make the corn work.

comment Comment
01/12/01
Jay Carr
Jay Carr
Boston Globe
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
03/24/02
Boston Phoenix

A tepid movie with a few decent dance sequences and a lot of frustrating sexual tension.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment 1 Comment
01/12/01
Tim Cogshell
Tim Cogshell
Boxoffice Magazine

The setup promises cliches, but the development is intelligent, the characters are more complicated than we expect, and the ending doesn't tie everything up in a predictable way.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
01/12/01
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This is a rare teen romance where the couple seems drawn together less by animal attraction than by a shared sense of openness and possibility.

comment Comment
01/11/01
Mark Caro
Mark Caro
Chicago Tribune
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
04/29/09
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed

As MTV movies go, it's got decent work in it, thanks entirely to Stiles, Thomas, and the fact that there are almost no adults in the picture.

Full Review Source: Cinerina | comment Comment
06/14/01
Karina Montgomery
Karina Montgomery
Cinerina

Thomas Carter's direction is flavorless.

Full Review Source: Citysearch | comment Comment
01/11/01
Dave Kehr
Dave Kehr
Citysearch

Though the movie suffers from cornball plot twists and clunky dialogue here and there, it stays true to itself... an admirable trait.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
02/07/01
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

Overall, Save the Last Dance profits from well-developed principals, a vigorous sound track provided by Mark Isham, and a feel for the grit and warmth alike of an otherwise impoverished neighborhood.

Full Review Source: Compuserve | comment Comment
01/15/01
Harvey S. Karten
Harvey S. Karten
Compuserve

Seems more concerned with pushing demographic style buttons than creating a story with any depth.

Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | comment Comment
01/11/01
Chris Vognar
Chris Vognar
Dallas Morning News
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The intent is a feel-good film, sort of an American version of Billy Elliot and I didn't believe a minute of it.

Full Review Source: Denver Post | comment Comment
01/12/01
Glenn Giffin
Glenn Giffin
Denver Post

There's a nice little dance movie waiting to step out of Save the Last Dance. Unfortunately, the story keeps tripping it up.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
02/07/01
Jeff Vice
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by source)
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Latest News for Save the Last Dance

February 13, 2008: Total Recall: It's a Dance Dance Revolution
Audiences have been historically dismissive of all the critical contempt, pushing dozens of fancy-footed extravaganzas to the upper reaches of the box-office charts. For this... More...

July 11, 2007: Mary Elizabeth Winstead Set to "Make It Happen" In Burlesque Flick
If you watched "Live Free or Die Hard" and thought, "Gee, what I'd really like to see is Mary Elizabeth Winstead with less clothing and more dancing," this... More...

August 09, 2006: Critical Consensus: A Brave New "World," A "Step" Down, And No Screenings for "Pulse" and "Zoom"
This week at the movies, we've got Oliver Stone paying tribute to the heroes of 9/11 ("World Trade Center," starring Nicolas Cage); two youngsters trying to start a... More...

August 10, 2005: "The Omen" Scares Up Two Stars
Not long ago we informed you that John Moore ("Flight of the Phoenix") was hired by Fox to helm their remake of "The Omen," and now comes word (from Variety)... More...

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