Save The Last Dance (Wide Screen)

Advantages: Julia Stiles, decent modern soundtrack
Disadvantages: A bit predictable

...So, having bought Save the Last Dance purely because it features Julia Stiles, I was very impressed with every aspect of this film. Save the Last Dance is a modern teenage love story, set against the backdrop of a neighbourhood which regularly sees gangland fighting and racial tension. With such tense subject matter, this film could have easily overly focused on the racial and gangland elements or alternatively fallen down a path of over slushy romance ...
...long. "The making of Save the Last Dance" - This have all the typical elements of a making of feature, with behind the scenes footage and interviews, but for the duration of its 20 minutes does not really discuss any of the elements of the film in depth. "Save the Last Dance: A Retrospective" - Another documentary, but unlike the previous one, this throws more light onto some of the elements of the film, such as the choices of location, the dancing ... Read review

Advantages: Decent movie with a brilliant soundtrack, some incredible dance scenes!
Disadvantages: Semi-predictable romance and outcome.

This is one of those "feel good" movies about following your dreams which I found very enjoyable, albeit that a lot of the tale was quite predictable. There were a few twists and turns along the way, but I think it is obvious that things will work out in the end. Sara (Julia Stiles) is a budding ballerina, whose dream is to attend Juilliard. At the beginning, she appeared almost selfish ( I felt). Her single mother has worked long and hard to give ...
...opportunity to pursue her dreams, yet Sara (although loving her mother dearly) seems almost brattish when her mother has to work later, on the day that Sara has an audition in New York. Desperately trying to make it to Sara's audition, her mother is in a car accident and dies. Sara had failed the audition anyway, mainly because her anger at her mother's non-appearance interefered with her concentration. After her mother's death, Sara has to go live ... Read review

Advantages: Enjoyable movie, with a good cast and good dance scenes
Disadvantages: Somewhat predictable, overuse of steriotypes

The Story: Sara Johnson is an aspiring young ballet dancer, well on her way to making it big. That is, until her mother gets into a car crash on the way to an audition Sara made her mum promise to attend. Distraught from her mum’s death and devastated from her poor audition, Sara is forced to move to Chicago and live with her father. It’s quite a culture shock to Sara and she had trouble fitting in – a lone white face in a predominantly black school, ...
...you’re allowed into class. A friendly face, Chenille, takes Sara under her wing and introduces her to her brother, Derek. Sara may be an established ballet dancer, but she doesn’t know any hip-hop to fit into the local dance scene. Derek befriends Sara and becomes her dance teacher. Their relationship develops due to their love of dance, but they still have a whole host of obstacles to overcome. Opinion: Julia Stiles does an excellent job playing ... Read review

Advantages: Good music, great dancing, interesting setting.
Disadvantages: Cheesy script, thin plot.

Save The Last Dance is a classic chick flick . We smuggled it past the boys on our trip to Blockbusters by telling them it was a ‘study of racial tension with some good hip hop music’. And we weren’t wrong, exactly. Teenager Sara (played by Julia Stiles) lives with Mom in a small town and loves ballet. Mom gets killed in a car crash and Sara hangs up her slippers and moves to a scary part of Chicago to live with her estranged father, ...
...the soundtrack which features artists including Snoop Doggy Dog, Ice Cube and Pink. Save The Last Dance is perfect for a girl’s night in. Watch it in male company and you might have to suffer those imaginary sick-bucket noises men seem genetically programmed to make during the shmaltzy bits. ... Read review

Advantages: The music, issues relevant to our time, generally well done film with great acting and characters
Disadvantages: The Romeo & Juliet story is all too common

After her devoted Mother is killed in a car crash, rushing to get to her daughter’s dance audition, Sarah (Julia Stiles – 10 Things I Hate About You) moves away, full of guilt and coming to the decision that she cannot continue to practise ballet without her. She finds herself living with her difficult Father (Terry Kinney – Fly Away Home) in a rough neighbourhood and enrolled in an inner-city school where she is practically the only white girl. ...
...few friends, among them, Chenille (Kerry Washington) and her brother Derek (Sean Patrick Thomas – Cruel Intentions). After going to a club one night, he offers to teach Sarah how to dance hip-hop, opening her up to a whole new dance culture. Their united love of dance pushes them together and they gradually become more than just close friends. Derek even persuades Sarah to follow her dream, providing the motivation and support she needs for her to ... Read review