Save The Last Dance

First and foremost, "Save the Last Dance" teaches us that its director, Thomas Carter, has a thing for stories of teenagers who use dance to fight the close-mindedness of general society. While his 1993 movie "Swing Kids" told the story of two boys fighting the influence of Nazism through American swing dance, "Save the Last Dance" tells the story of Sara (Julia Stiles) and Derek (Sean Patrick Thomas) breaking from the constraints of racism and classism through ballet and hip-hop.\nSara is a (literally) lily-white ballet dancer who after simultaneously losing her mother to a car accident and losing a chance to go to Juilliard has her safe Midwestern life packed away along with her guilty conscience and moves to inner city Chicago. There she meets a new group of friends, including Derek, a black overachiever, who encourages her to dance again.\nThe dance sequences are the heart of "Save the Last Dance," and they are both well-choreographed and set to a fabulous hip-hop and R&B-filled soundtrack. Stiles and Thomas look great together, and their chemistry shines brightest when they dance together. Stiles seems a bit uncomfortable spouting Sara's newfound "inner city" lingo, but this (kind of) works to her portrayal's advantage. Thomas, who has the whitest teeth ever seen on film, shows he possesses a lot more talent than evidenced by his throwaway performance as the music teacher in "Cruel Intentions."\nThe emotional baggage the script gives these two lovebirds enhances the obvious roadblocks of this relationship. Sarah's and Derek's friends oppose the relationship realistically, the exception being jealous Nikki (Bianca Lawson) who is nothing more than a cliche wearing a smirk and a tube top. \nLike "Swing Kids," Carter ultimately makes a winner out of "Save the Last Dance" by creating a movie with the perfect blend of social consciousness with a beat you can dance to.