Save The Last Dance movie review

Rating: 7/10 (31 May 2019)

Save the last Dance is one of many dance movies, released in 2001, directed by Thomas Charter. The movie is about a ballerina who is forced to move to the streets of Chicago with her dad when her mom unexpectedly dies. She as though she doesnt fit because shes the schools only "white girl." Along the way she meets friends who teach her the art of hip hop dance, which eventually helps her accomplish her dream of going to Juilliard to study dance.
First, Sara (Julia Stiles) is introduced on a train on her way to Chicago, while shes riding she has flashbacks about the day she found out that her mother was killed in a car accident. She soon arrives at her dad's apartment in the "hood" of, she doesn't know that well since her mother and father divorced when she was a child. Sara has to sleep in the living room because the second bedroom was under construction. The next day Sara arrives at her new school and has a bit of a culture shock when she realizes that she is the only person at the school who was not of color. Sara starts off to a rocky start when shes get into a debate with her new love interest Derek (Sean Patrick).
Next, Sara gets invited to a club night by her new friend, Chenille (Kerry Washington), also Derek's little sister. When they arrive at the party Sara sees Derek and they both try to start off on another foot. At the party the dance and have fun but are rudely interrupted when Derek gets into a fight while helping his best friend, Malakai (Fredro Starr). This leads to Derek walking Sara home and them ending the night off with a kiss. Sara continues to get used to her new home while Derek gives her lessons on hip hop dancing.
Finally, Sara and Derek start their new relationship while Sara and her father try to rekindle theirs. Derek helps Sara prepare for her audition for Juilliard, and Sara begins to feel at home in Chicago. In the final scene of the movie Sara kills her audition at Juilliard by incorporating her newly learned hip hop moves with her ballae. The movies ends with Sara, Chenelle, Derek and a couple of other friends celebrating at the club where they first started.
This was one of the first major films for Julia Stiles, in fact this is the first film that i've ever seen her play in. All of the acting throughout the film seems very genuine, I think that the whole audience could forget that these actors are acting! Sean Patrick, who plays Derek seems very at home in the films set in Chicago. In fact this is not the only film that he has been in that takes place in Chicago. He plays in each of Ice Cubes Barber Shop which set in Chicago. Kerry Washington who plays Chenille in the film seems just a little bit off. Only because i've never seen her play the role of anyone who isn't sophisticated and proper. So its different to see her play the role of a teen mom from the South side of Chicago.
I think the main message that the film is trying to get across is that sometimes when bad things happen, better things are to come. Sara's mom died, and because of that she had to move to Chicago to live her dad. In the beginning she thought it was worse idea ever, and that her experince was going to be hell. But because of that she met new friends, or as she would say the love of her life. She got to rekindle her relationship with her dad, and she got to make her deceased mother proud by accomplishing her dream of going to Juilliard.