UnowPriceless hyped garbage

Afouotos Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

ThedevilChoose When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

InformationRap This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

oOoBarracuda Save the Last Dance is a film I can put on anytime, regardless of my mood, and enjoy it. The Thomas Carter film from 2001, is not a light film by any means, dealing with race relations and the death of a young girl's mother and her drive to overcome the associated guilt she feels as responsible for her mother's death. Starring Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick Thomas, Save the Last Dance is one I enjoy because its subject matter never loses its relevance, and the human emotions are presented in a very real way affecting the audiences with every viewing. Sara Johnson (Julia Stiles), has always dreamed of being a ballerina, her mother has always been wholly supportive of her dreams, which is why it was so important to Sara that her mother was present at her audition for Julliard. Her mother, a florist with an incredibly busy schedule and informs Sara that she will be unable to attend her audition. Sara is devastated and begs her mother to adjust her schedule and be there for her big moment. Her mother is unable to turn her down and commits to being there. As Sara begins her audition, she is saddened to not see her mother in the audience and goes on unsuccessfully to complete her audition. A trooper informs Sara after her audition that her mother has been killed in an accident. Sara drops to the floor in despair, and her life is uprooted. Sara now has to move to be with a father she barely knows who has been absent most of her life and resume in a high school in an impoverished urban area of town. Sara has lived a homogeneous existence up to this point in her life and hasn't experienced much diversity so her new school and address are an incredible culture shock for her. After a tough adjustment, Sara is finally befriended by Chenille (Kerry Washington) who takes her under her wing, introducing her to friends at school and taking her to the hot dance club where a majority of students spend their free time. Sara also meets Chenille's brother Derek, a smart young man who must overcome the negative influences of the friends he surrounds himself with so he can better his life and attend Georgetown University. Derek decides to teach Sara the kind of dancing she will need to blend in at the dance club, and the two quickly fall in love. Throughout their union, Derek discovers the passion and talent Sara has for ballet and works with her to encourage her to resume her passion and audition for Julliard again. Sara is reluctant, as she feels she cannot make such a big step without her mother, but the confidence Derek bestows upon her may be the final push she needs to succeed. In a time and place in which interracial relationships are not looked upon highly, Derek and Sara must decide if their love for one another is worth overcoming the many stumbling blocks their relationship faces. Julia Stiles plays the complicated emotionally charged part of Sara quite well. Sean Patrick Thomas just exudes charisma each moment he is on-screen and shares an infectious chemistry with Stiles. Kerry Washington drives the story quite well, proving that she was just as brilliant of an actress we know her to be now 15 years ago. The score and choreography are spellbinding and takes up most of the film, while simultaneously driving a beautiful story. Oftentimes, in a teen dancing movie, the plot is neglected for the dancing, but that problem does not occur in Save the Last Dance, thankfully. While it does not enjoy much critical acclaim, I found the film an enjoyable narrative dealing with tough issues as suppressed guilt and interracial relationships in a meaningful and powerful way.

Python Hyena Save the Last Dance (2001): Dir: Thomas Carter / Cast: Julia Stiles, Sean Patrick Thomas, Kerry Washington, Terry Kinney, Bianca Lawson: Recycled drivel about the differences in cultures and styles. Title regards the ability to not give up on what is important. Too bad the screenwriter didn't do the same. Julia Stiles plays a student who used to be a dancer but after her mother died in a car accident on her way to an audition she has since left that passion. She gets settled in with her father and goes to an urban school where most of the students are black. Director Thomas Carter does a fine job with a screenplay laden with obvious clichés but it is a far cry from his wasted efforts with Metro. Stiles is a wonderful performer but she is basically following a laid out track that will end where we know it. Sean Patrick Thomas is the black male she becomes involved with whom encourages her to continue dancing. Kerry Washington plays her best friend who happens to be Thomas's sister. She is a mother dealing with an irresponsible father to her baby. Terry Kinney as Stiles's father is one note at best. Bianca Lawson plays Thomas's ex-girlfriend whose role predictably has her starting a confrontation with Stiles and just plainly being a pain in the ass. Its theme regarding interracial relationships is weighted under familiarity. Save your money as oppose to the last dance with this drivel. Score: 2 / 10

thertogurto Just another Hollywood propaganda movie where all the whites are helpless boring nerds, and the white woman needs to be rescued by the hip, handsome black man. Fortunately, the only white women to fall for this in real life are usually fat or dumb. This movie probably responsible for so much race-mixing (and, by extension, fatherless homes, wife beating, etc.,) I truly believe that the producers of this film ought to be imprisoned. I will never see a movie with Julia Stiles in it again. Hollywood will not stop pumping these stupid movies out. If they're not directly promoting race-mixing, then they are at least promoting the "blacks are so cool and so hip, and whites are just nerds" image. It's just sick.

vposhell Dancing can be defined as movements done in accordance with an accompanying sound or music. Still, dancing is a limitless universal language. Being able to relate and connect to a movie requires not only a good script but a rational way to put film right into the watchers' hearts. In the movie "Save the Last Dance", literary, theatric, and cinematic techniques combine to enhance the message and understanding of the movie. Set in the city of Chicago the main character, Sara, embarks on a journey in a world completely different from the one she knew, getting back to who she is by overcoming hardship. She gives up dancing after her mother dies in a hurry to make it to Sarah's Julliard audition. The new school Sara attends is gritty and underprivileged emphasizing its inner city features. Another set is Sara's father's house, which she has to move too. It is decrepit and greatly contrasts to her previous sheltered and secure life. The tone is the story is sad and cathartic. The theme indulges in this tone because it is about following dreams and overcoming adversity. One grows to credit and trust Sara, allowing one to agree with Sara's judgments or views of others. The hip-hop club that Sara and her new friends always flee to clearly foreshadows the return to her passion for Ballet. One of the prime symbols is falling during a dance. Each time Sara falls during a dance piece a significant event occurs. As Sara dances her mother dies. As Sara trips, her anger overwhelms her dream. When Sara finally masters her dance the fact that she does not fall is significant to her growth not only as a dancer but as a person. One first meets Sara in dark clothes, which reflects her inner isolation. Also, her simple clothes suggest her "simple" lifestyle and detachment from the hard lives others live. The boys in the gritty inner city school are recognizable in their over-sized coats and baggy pants. The girls wear "bling" and flashy pants. When another troublemaker of the story enters, her makeup and clothing is dark. The acting itself it realistic and not overdone. When students share their stories about their hardships, their expressions and sometimes tears seem genuine. Costumes are kept modern for realistic purposes. Props are used minimally in this story, which reinforces the focus on the lives of the kids, thus not distracting the viewer from the messages. It is the cinematic elements that make the movie unique. Opening with eye-level angles and close ups on Sara's face, one meets Sara as she goes through a transition from security to estrangement. Dark and wintery lighting give the effect of sadness, guilt, and apprehension. The movie opens with dark blues, greys, and whites. As flashbacks of happiness occur, one notices the transition from dark to bright clothes and brighter lighting. To show where a character stands in comparison to his or her environment, medium and long shots are used often. The camera moves in a long shot when the movie watcher meets Derek, the future lover and guide to Sara. This definitely makes him stand out and highlights his interest in intelligence in contrast to his classmates. Long shots are used when one meets most of the other characters, including Malakai, the antagonist of the story. Importantly, music is greatly and effectively used. The music plays when there is sadness. Piano solos and string symphony cue when Sara is reminiscing. The music undoubtedly carries the story. It emphasizes sadness, strength, moving forward, and guilt. One major chord can pull a heartstring and such riffs and pitches effectively enhance the emotion.