Movie Review- Save the Last Dance

For my first movie review I decided to talk about one of my favorite movies, Save the Last Dance.

This movie is about Sara Johnson (Julia Stiles) a promising dancer in high school who hopes to get admitted to Juilliard School and invites her mom to see her audition. A little after the audition, she receives the terrible news that her mother had an automobile accident. After her mother's death, Sara is wracked by guilt and gives up on ballet. She moves in with her estranged father and transfers to an urban Chicago school. At her new high school, Sara is one of a handful of white students but quickly befriends Chenille, a single teen mother who is having relationship problems. Chenille invites Sara to a dance club called STEPPS, where she has her first experience of dancing to hip hop rhythms. 

At STEPPS, Sara meets Derek, Chenille's brother and a student with dreams of ultimately attending Georgetown Medical School. He decides to help Sara develop her dancing skills by incorporating more hip hop into her style. As they become closer, Derek takes a reluctant Sara to the Joffrey Ballet and, afterwards, Sara confides in him all about her mother and her dreams. Later, they return to the club and amaze others with their dancing. Having already achieved his dream of being accepted at Georgetown University for college, Derek convinces her that she needs to do what she wants, and to follow her dreams of Juilliard. 

At school, Nikki, Derek's ex-girlfriend, picks a fight with Sara. Chenille tells Sara that she didn't approve of the fight but can understand the bitterness since Sara, a white girl, is seen as stealing one of the few half-decent black men in the school. Because of this, Sara breaks up with Derek. Meanwhile, Derek must deal with his friend Malaki, who is heavily into the gang lifestyle that Derek is trying to leave. Derek accepts Malaki's plea for support in a drive by for the same time as Sara's audition.

Sara auditions for Juilliard for the second time, and Derek arrives at a crucial point to offer encouragement and moral support. 

I really love this movie, especially because it deals with music and dance! I also loved it because there was a great message that told everyone to fight for what they want, and to never give up on their dreams. I really enjoyed how hip hop moves were mixed with ballet moves to help Sara during her audition. 

I would recommend this movie to anyone interested in music, dance, and romance.

Here's a link for the Movie Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xzdCd15gqE