Save the Last Dance

 

Save the Last Dance 2001

• Director: Thomas Carter
• Seen by this director – Swing Kids, TV series
• Based on book: no
• Cast: Julia Stiles, Sean Patrick Thomas, Kerry Washington, Fredro Starr, Terry Kinney, Bianca Lawson
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Julia Stiles – Silver Lining Playbook, Mona Lisa’s Smile, O, Hamlet, 10 Things I Hate about You, Wide Awake
• Sean Patrick Thomas – Honeydripper, The Fountain
• Kerry Washington – Django Unchained, The Miracle at St Ana, The Dead Girl, The Last King of Scotland, Ray, The Human Stain, The United States of Leland, Bad Company
• Fredro Starr – Clockers
• Terry Kinney - Devil in a Blue Dress, The Last Mohican
• Bianca Lawson – The Feast of All Saints, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
• Why? Dance
• Seen: 7 September 2022      

       Sara Johnson (Stiles) auditions at Juilliard’s dance school on the same day her mother is killed in a traffic accident. She moves to Chicago to live in a squalid flat with her musician father (Kinney) and is enrolled in a nearly all-black school where she is completely out of her depth. With the help of Chenille (Washington) and her own lippy attitude she starts finding her way. Her dancing skills and Chenille’s brother Derek’s (Thomas) willingness to teach her street dancing don’t hurt.

       It’s a teen film with all the expected clichés and stereotypes and some viewers hate it with a vengeance. Why? It’s flawed, yes, but it’s good. It deals with racism and sexism credibly. It’s fun at times and I like the dancing.

       It’s no Billy Elliot, but almost! 

4* of 5