Save the Last Dance Movie Review 2001

"Fame" (or "Flashdance" or "Saturday Night Fever") meets "Romeo and Juliet" (or "West Side Story" or any trashy talk show) in this clearly not-so-original but solid teen drama. White, middle-class Sara (Stiles) adjusts to life and rediscovers her passion for dance in an all-black, inner-city Chicago high school when she must give up her dreams of attending Juilliard and move in with her down-on-his-luck father (Kinney) on the South Side. There, she befriends Chenille (Washington), who helps her get hip, and falls for her smart, ambitious brother Derek (Thomas), who helps her learn hip-hop. Stiles and Thomas turn in good performances despite somewhat stereotypical cast of characters.

Distribution

Paramount Home Video, 5555 Melrose Ave., 5555 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90038, Phone: (323)956-5000, URL: http://www.paramount.com, Remarks: Does not handle retail queries from consumers; contact your local video distributor.

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 112 minutes.
Originally from United States.

Cast and Crew

Genres

High School, Teen Angst, Chicago, Dance Fever, Interracial Affairs

Screenplay

Duane Adler, Cheryl Edwards

Cast

Julia Stiles, Sean Patrick Thomas, Fredro Starr, Kerry Washington, Terry Kinney, Bianca Lawson, Garland Whitt, Vince Green

Cinematography

Robbie Greenberg

Director

Thomas Carter

Music

Mark Isham

Other

David Obermeyer, Michael McQuarn, Peter E. Berger, Diane Hughes, Sandra Hernandez, Paul Eads

Producer

Robert W. Cort, David Madden, MTV Films, Paramount Pictures