Save the Last Dance

"The only person you need to be is yourself."

2001 1h 53m EN

👍

6.6

SOLID

★6.6TMDB · 1,389

DramaFamilyRomanceMusic

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

After the death of her mother, Sara moves to the South Side of Chicago to live with her father and gets transferred to a majority-black school. Her life takes a turn for the better when befriends Chenille and her brother Derek, who helps her with her dancing skills.

“The only person you need to be is yourself.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Julia Stiles
Sara Johnson
Sean Patrick Thomas
Derek Reynolds
Kerry Washington
Chenille Reynolds
Fredro Starr
Malakai
Terry Kinney
Roy Johnson
Bianca Lawson
Nikki
Vince Green
Snookie
Garland Whitt
Kenny

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Thomas Carter
Writers: Cheryl Edwards, Duane Adler, Duane Adler
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Grossed $132M — a 10.1× return. The kind of profit studios chase for a decade.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

25 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Save the Last Dance Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Thomas Carter, shot by Robbie Greenberg. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Mark Isham. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Jeff Canavan shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick Thomas and Kerry Washington carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The only person you need to be is yourself.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Thomas Carter directs. Robbie Greenberg behind the camera. Mark Isham scores. Jeff Canavan cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Grossed $132M — a 10.1× return. The kind of profit studios chase for a decade.
225 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Part of the "Save the Last Dance Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Thomas Carter, shot by Robbie Greenberg. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Mark Isham. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Jeff Canavan shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick Thomas and Kerry Washington carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "The only person you need to be is yourself.".
9IMDB entry: tt0206275 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.