Barnes & Noble

Julia Stiles, certainly the most intelligent and soulful of teen-movie ingenues circa 2001, enjoys a particularly meaty leading role in Save the Last Dance, an endearing, occasionally moving drama that touches on the problem of race relations in our society. She plays a young, gifted ballet student whose world is shattered by the sudden death of her divorced mother. Sent to live with her estranged father, an underachieving musician living in a racially mixed Chicago neighborhood, she encounters people and situations far removed from those of her sheltered suburban upbringing. The charismatic young African-American actor Sean Patrick Thomas plays a bright classmate whose promising future is clouded by his association with a street gang. Director Thomas Carter (Metro) devotes much of the running time to Julia's experiences as a minority in a mostly minority high school, where she becomes gradually immersed in hip-hop culture and eventually falls in love with Thomas, much to the chagrin of his friends. The perils and pitfalls of interracial romance are explored with unusual honesty and sensitivity, but Save the Last Dance isn't just about that: It's also about following your dream, however difficult that might be, and realizing your potential through hard work and dedication. Director Thomas provides a feature-length commentary for the DVD, which also includes a making-of featurette, deleted scenes, cast interviews, and a music video for the song "Crazy." Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

In this romantic drama, two teenagers in love struggle to look past their differences. After the unexpected death of her mother, Sarah Johnson (Julia Stiles) moves to Chicago to live with her father. Knowing no one at her new school and not at home in a gritty, inner-city high school, Sarah has trouble adjusting, but she soon becomes friends with Derek (Sean Patrick Thomas), who has talent and street smarts but a checkered past. Sarah was an avid student of ballet before her mother's death sidelined her studies, while Derek has some serious hip-hop moves, and their mutual love of dance leads their friendship into something deeper. However, since Sarah is white and Derek is black, they have more to contend with than the average high school couple; Sarah gets static from Nikki (Bianca Lawson), Derek's former girlfriend, while Derek has to deal with his friend Malakai (Fredro Starr), who is still deep in the thug life Derek is trying to avoid. Save the Last Dance was directed by Thomas Carter, who previously examined the sociopolitical side of dancing in Swing Kids. Mark Deming

Washington Post

It's far from tepid teen fare, thanks largely to the sweet chemistry between up-and-comer Sean Patrick Thomas and leading lady Julia Stiles. Rita Kempley

Chicago Sun-Times

The setup promises cliches, but the development is intelligent, the characters are more complicated than we expect, and the ending doesn't tie everything up in a predictable way. Roger Ebert

Product Details

• UPC: 097361198040
• Source: PARAMOUNT
• Region Code: 1
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby AC-3 Surround Sound
• Language: English
• Editions: Special Edition
• Time: 1:52:00
• Sales Rank: 15,819

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