RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Found a Bug? Squash It! Report Bugs Here
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / Save the Last Dance
Save the Last Dance

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Save the Last Dance (2001)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
53 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:96

Fresh:51

Rotten:45

Average Rating:5.5/10

Consensus: This teen romance flick feels like a predictable rehashing of other movies.

Runtime: 1 hr 53 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: Sara's life is devoted to dance -- she wants nothing more than to make it into New York's famous Julliard School. But when tragedy strikes and she loses her mom, her hopes are dashed and she buries... Sara's life is devoted to dance -- she wants nothing more than to make it into New York's famous Julliard School. But when tragedy strikes and she loses her mom, her hopes are dashed and she buries her dreams of ever attending the country's best dance school.

Without her Mom to support her, Sara moves to the tough streets of Chicago's South side to live with her Dad -- a down on his luck jazz musician who she barely knows. Her new school's a totally different world from the small town she grew up in, but Sara's quick comebacks and sassy attitude earn her the quick respect and friendship of straight-talking Chenille. But it's Chenille's brother, Derek, the cool and good-looking star of the school, who grabs Sara's attention. He plays it up tough, but he also has the smarts and a plan to go to medical school.

When Chenille takes Sara to Steppes, the neighborhood hang, she gets her first taste of hip-hop -- and Derek's the one to show her the moves. When they discover they share a passion for dance, they discover that there's something deeper going on -- a passion for each other. But they soon find out the hard way that they must not only overcome their own differences, but the resentment and bad blood of their friends and family. As the school year goes on, the couple finds that their affection and devotion to each other could ultimately threaten Derek's hopes for a better life and Sara's rediscovery of her dance.

Yet against all the odds they overcome the obstacles to their dreams, and discover that ultimately the only person you have to be is...yourself. [More]

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

Starring: Julia Stiles, Sean Patrick Thomas, Terry Kinney, Fredro Starr, Kerry Washington, Bianca Lawson

Director: Thomas Carter

Director: Thomas Carter
Producer: Robert W. Cort, David Madden
Screenwriter: Duane Adler, Cheryl Edwards
Composer: Mark Isham
Studio: Paramount Pictures

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Save the Last Dance

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
81 - 98 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

Seems more concerned with pushing demographic style buttons than creating a story with any depth.

Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | comment Comment
01/11/01
Chris Vognar
Chris Vognar
Dallas Morning News

Thomas Carter's direction is flavorless.

Full Review Source: Citysearch | comment Comment
01/11/01
Dave Kehr
Dave Kehr
Citysearch

I like Stiles and Thomas together. I did not like the movie in which they found themselves stuck.

Full Review Source: Internet Reviews | comment Comment
01/11/01
Steve Rhodes
Steve Rhodes
Internet Reviews

Packed with so many stereotypes and clichés that it strays into offensive territory.

Full Review Source: Reel.com | comment Comment
01/11/01
Pam Grady
Pam Grady
Reel.com

The work of Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick Thomas elevates Save the Last Dance to a level where it is not only watchable, but moderately entertaining.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
01/11/01
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews

Look elsewhere for reality or good drama. Look here, however, if you're in the mood for a good heaping of fantasy and some fun.

Full Review Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel | comment Comment
01/11/01
Sherri Winston
Sherri Winston
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Gives off enough energy and light that the audience wants to believe in it even if society's impacted prejudices continue to say otherwise.

comment Comment
01/11/01
Bill Gallo
Bill Gallo
New Times

This wan, formulaic teen movie ... 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.

comment Comment
01/11/01
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly

This is a rare teen romance where the couple seems drawn together less by animal attraction than by a shared sense of openness and possibility.

comment Comment
01/11/01
Mark Caro
Mark Caro
Chicago Tribune

It may be the latest teen flick, but Last Dance has a story and life issues and relationships with bite.

Full Review Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution | comment Comment
01/11/01
Bob Longino
Bob Longino
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Like a series of Problem-of-the-Week TV movies crammed into a single two-hour span.

Full Review Source: One Guy's Opinion | comment Comment
01/11/01
Frank Swietek
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion

The plot is ultimately more teen drama gimmick than it is an actors' showcase or a vehicle for altruistic insight.

Full Review Source: SPLICEDWire | comment Comment
01/11/01
Rob Blackwelder
Rob Blackwelder
SPLICEDWire

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

Full Review Source: Village Voice | comment Comment
01/09/01
Jessica Winter
Jessica Winter
Village Voice

The core of the movie is a disarmingly shameless lift from half the dance movies ever made.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
01/08/01
Kirk Honeycutt
Kirk Honeycutt
Hollywood Reporter
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

With its themes of racial harmony and good high school kids realizing their dreams, pic avoids easy exploitation.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
01/08/01
Robert Koehler
Robert Koehler
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A formula fish out of water, dancer flick.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Report Card | comment Comment
01/08/01
Ross Anthony
Ross Anthony
Hollywood Report Card

This movie requires suspension of disbelief that is close to complete abandonment of any sense of reality.

Full Review Source: Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies | comment Comment
01/08/01
Nell Minow
Nell Minow
Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies

Interesting to check into, with well-developed characters (for the most part), some fun hip-hopping, a cute relationship and some tender moments.

Full Review Source: JoBlo's Movie Emporium | comment Comment
01/08/01
JoBlo
JoBlo
JoBlo's Movie Emporium
 
 
81 - 98 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5
all

Latest News for Save the Last Dance

February 13, 2008: Total Recall: It's a Dance Dance Revolution
Audiences have been historically dismissive of all the critical contempt, pushing dozens of fancy-footed extravaganzas to the upper reaches of the box-office charts. For this... More...

July 11, 2007: Mary Elizabeth Winstead Set to "Make It Happen" In Burlesque Flick
If you watched "Live Free or Die Hard" and thought, "Gee, what I'd really like to see is Mary Elizabeth Winstead with less clothing and more dancing," this... More...

August 09, 2006: Critical Consensus: A Brave New "World," A "Step" Down, And No Screenings for "Pulse" and "Zoom"
This week at the movies, we've got Oliver Stone paying tribute to the heroes of 9/11 ("World Trade Center," starring Nicolas Cage); two youngsters trying to start a... More...

August 10, 2005: "The Omen" Scares Up Two Stars
Not long ago we informed you that John Moore ("Flight of the Phoenix") was hired by Fox to helm their remake of "The Omen," and now comes word (from Variety)... More...

See All

More DVDs

Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
36% 36% Angels & Demons
25% 25% Four Christmases
68% 68% Funny People
95% 95% Star Trek
14% 14% The Ugly Truth

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
32% 32% Terminator Salvation
44% 44% Night at the Museum: B…
86% 86% A Christmas Tale
60% 60% Paper Heart

More New Releases…

What’s Hot On RT

Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Twilight Saga: Eclipse

5 facts straight from the cast.

Disney Animation

Disney Animation

We chart the studio's classics.

Avatar

Avatar

An exclusive look at the human hardware.

Eric Bana

Eric Bana

The Star Trek star talks cars with RT.

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Tarantino Could Have Directed Green Lantern Source: MTV
10
  • Will Duvall be Gilliam's Don Quixote? Source: Collider.com
14
  • No Hobbit Until 2012? Source: The Wrap
21
  • Don't Hold Your Breath for Hancock 2 Source: HitFix
40
  • Peter Berg Talks Battleship Source: CHUD
2
  • Summit Ponders Twilight Finale Source: Variety
156
  • First Look at Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Source: USA Today
56
  • Jeremy Renner Talks Hawkeye Possibilities Source: Superhero Hype
14
  • Todd Phillips Talks The Hangover 2 Source: Entertainment Weekly
18
  • Tron Legacy Duo Heading into The Black Hole Source: Hollywood Reporter
9
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Ban Them All! 10 Infamously Controversial Movies
100
  • Friday Harvest: The Road, Avatar, and more!
96
  • 5 Facts About The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
92
  • Total Recall: Natalie Portman's Best Movies
54
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Vampires and Football Break Thanksgiving Records
38
  • Five Favorite Films with Jesse Ventura
34
  • Weekly Ketchup: Zombieland 2 in 3D?
28
  • RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: Terminator Salvation and a Smithsonian Battle
20
  • 10 Horrifically Profitable Films
9
  • Duncan Jones Reteams With Kevin Spacey
5
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
17
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
11
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
21
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
8
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
22
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
9
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
  • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
28
  • Duncan Jones talks Moon, Sam Rockwell, and Mute
14
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Save the Last Dance at Rotten Tomatoes
  • Save the Last Dance at IGN
  • Save the Last Dance at AskMen

Fresh Links

Featured
RT on YouTube
RT on YouTube External Link

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

RT on Twitter
RT on Twitter External Link

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.