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Save the Last Dance
Paramount Pictures


9.5

based on 24 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 153 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie

FILM:

MPAA RATING: PG-13 for violence, sexual content, language and brief drug references

Starring Julia Stiles, Sean Patrick Thomas, Terry Kinney, and Fredro Starr

Sara (Stiles) and Derek (Thomas) come from two different worlds, two different cultures. Yet for all their differences, they share one fervent passion - dance! (Paramount Pictures)

GENRE(S):	Drama
WRITTEN BY:	Duane Adler (also story) Cheryl Edwards
DIRECTED BY:	Thomas Carter
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: June 19, 2001 Video: June 19, 2001 Theatrical: January 12, 2001
RUNNING TIME:	112 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	USA

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Chicago Tribune Mark Caro

Sure, you've seen some of these moves before, but Save the Last Dance triumphantly passes the audition.

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

Above all, this is a movie where the characters ask the same questions we do: They're as smart about themselves as we are.

Film.com Gemma Files

Breaks virtually no new narrative ground, yet treads the familiar territory it does cover with grace, style, wit and fun.

Washington Post Desson Thomson

This is a spirited, dirty dance between the polished inauthenticity of Hollywood romance-musicals and hip-hop's central tenet: keeping it real. It's an intriguing combination, if nothing else.

Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas

The story comes full circle in a way that might seem overly schematic did it not have the courage to wear its heart on its sleeve without losing its head.

Boston Globe Jay Carr

The most traditional of Hollywood romances, in that it's resolutely about nice people with nice problems.

Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea

While it flirts with "After School Special"-ness, at least has the courage to address racial and cultural cliches with a degree of honesty.

Miami Herald Sara Wildberger

All in all it's a decent, well-put-together romantic drama to hold hands to on the weekend.

Dallas Observer Bill Gallo

This sweet-tempered retelling of "Romeo and Juliet," which substitutes uplift for tragedy, gives off enough energy and light that the audience wants to believe in it even if society's impacted prejudices continue to say otherwise.

LA Weekly Chuck Wilson

It's pretty good, really.

The New York Times A.O. Scott

Bland but poised.

Rolling Stone Peter Travers

Carter can't sidestep the script's cliches, so he wisely cuts to the fancy footwork whenever possible.

New York Daily News Jami Bernard

It's about as routine a movie as they come, but it features plenty of endorphin-releasing hip-hop choreography as Derek teaches Sara to get jiggy with it.

Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern

This teenage interracial romance runs hot and cold, sweet and silly, with many more fits than starts.

Salon.com Charles Taylor

For all its dumb clichés it offers the basic appeal of teen movies: the pleasure of watching kids be kids, acting as they do among themselves instead of how parents and teachers expect them to act.

Washington Post Rita Kempley

Takes its cues from the musical dramas of the '70s, but this otherwise engaging young-adult romance never quite catches Saturday night fever.

Village Voice Jessica Winter

The disjointed plotting and afterschool-special dialogue offer scant opportunity for the charismatic leading duo to work up much chemistry.

USA Today Susan Wloszczyna

Thomas' easygoing warmth helps to melt Stiles' icy veneer, and one of Dance's few pleasures is an extended musical segment where she tries to ape his homeboy posturings.

Variety Robert Koehler

Grounded in bedrock formula and earnestness.

San Francisco Chronicle Wesley Morris

The result is more like an epic "After School Special" -- preachy, runny and oddly warm.

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

An utterly formulaic, teen-oriented romance whose greatest asset is charming leads Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick Thomas.

Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum

This wan, formulaic teen movie from ''Metro'' director Thomas Carter is afraid to pump up the volume on its own interracial, hip hop Romeo and Juliet story, lest it challenge even one sedated viewer or disturb the peace.

Portland Oregonian Kim Morgan

Filled with too many issues -- along with young motherhood, street gangs, city life, sex, peer pressure, grief and, oh yes, dancing, which is nearly lost in so many poorly written subplots.

New York Post Lou Lumenick

Recycles every cliché of the genre to sleep-inducing effect.

The average user rating for this movie is 9.5 (out of 10) based on 153 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Mia T. gave it a10:
This is the coolest movie ever i really like the dancing, it proves that no matter what color you are you can be accepted, i mean she was acceptd before she learned how they are she fit in right away she just had to open up and once she did everyone realized how great of a person she was. What an amazing movie, i really likes the song true colors it was inspiring and i liked the part which is my favorite is where sara and derek do the competition dance that was so cool and i learned that dance.

Brian G gave it a10:
I absolutely loved this movie. It's inspirational in a sense, and is the only 'chick flick' I've watched more than once.

Brittany A. gave it a10:
I thought that the movie was awesome. I thought that the tables stood have been turned around though, and had Sara be black, and Derick be white, because even if we hardily see any interacial dating on film at all in the real world you always see black guys,a nd white girls together. I gave the movie a 10, because it was very good. I liked how no matter what color, or background they were from they weren't ashamed to be in love, and passionate about different types of dance. If there was to be a sequel I hope that the girl is balck an the guy is white. People need to see the tables turned sometimes.

Donna C. gave it a10:
The movie was terrific. I loved that Sara loved Derek, it didn't bother her the color of his skin or what people thought. My favorite scenes are Stepps and the kissing.

julia a. gave it a10:
This movie is the best i see it all the time in my house.

nikita f. gave it a10:
It was a great.

mat v gave it a3:
Unoriginal and poorly directed. not everyone in the suburb acts and talks like a gangster. the tagline for the movie is The Only Person You need to be Is Yourself but Sara is only accepted when she dances and talks like a black person so the tagline is challenged.

Save the Last Dance Paramount Pictures

Save the Last Dance
Paramount Pictures