Save the Last Dance (2001)

CinemaSource
director:
details
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: Jan 12, 2001
Running Time: 112 mins. (V)
Country Of Origin: United States
synopsis
Sara, a 17-year-old high-school student, sets her sights on being a professional ballerina, but she has to put her plans on hold when her mother is killed in a car accident and she is forced to move to her father's bleak Chicago neighborhood. Intimidated by inner-city life, she turns to the clubs for refuge, where she meets Derek, a young black man who shares her love for dancing. As their mutual respect evolves, they soon discover that peer pressure is a more formidable obstacle to romance than differences in race or class.
cast + crew
Director
screenplay
Story By
screenplay
Producer
Producer
Co-Producer
Associate Producer
reviews
Source
January 9, 2001
Dance 10, Plot 0

Can a suburban white chick who lives for ballet find love with an inner-city black dude who dances to a hip-hop beat? Can Hollywood find the nerve to drag out yet another update of Romeo and Juliet? The answer to both questions is, You better believe it. The alternative would be fresh thinking, and this co-production by Paramount and MTV Films saved its inspiration for the casting.

Julia Stiles (State and Main) would make a Juliet to die for in any age. As Sara from the Illinois… Continued

Source

First of all, whoever came up with the notion that Julia Stiles could ever pass for a ballerina probably lost his executive head -- she practically dwarfs Thomas. That said, a lesser actress wouldn't have carried off this silly, clichéd story nearly as well. She's engagingly awkward and innocent, believable as the small-town girl thrown into an alien environment. Derek is likable, warm and tender as he not only inspires Sara's hip-hop dance moves but also the pursuit of her dreams. He really… Continued