Parents' Guide to

Save the Last Dance

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Formulaic teen romance has cursing, underage drinking.

Movie PG-13 2001 112 minutes
Save the Last Dance Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 2 parent reviews

joshua martinez
joshua martinez Adult
September 5, 2010
age 13+

13 and up.

Save the Last Dance is a good teen-romance movie that deals with some themes such as race issues, relationships, and peer pressure only for your older teens and parents you need to know that Save the Last Dance has some violence such as shootings, and a fight in the club scene there are some sexual references and characters used strong language plus the hip-hop soundtrack rap songs also has strong language Teen characters drink and smoke.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
jkirklewski
jkirklewski Parent of 4 and 5-year-old
April 6, 2009
age 13+
This has been my favorite movie for the past 10 years!

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

SAVE THE LAST DANCE centers on Sara Johnson (Julia Stiles), a ballet dancer who is nervous about her big audition for Julliard. Her mother promises to be there, but she is killed in a car crash on the way to the theater. Sara moves from the suburbs to live with her dad (Terry Kinney) in a tiny apartment in Chicago's inner city. Her new high school has metal detectors, and almost all of the students are black. She's befriended by Chenille (Kerry Washington), whose brother Derek (Sean Patrick Thomas) is a smart kid torn between his old friends, who are increasingly involved in dangerous activities, and his ambitions to go to medical school. Chenille brings Sara to a dance club, and Derek teaches Sara a little about hip-hop. They become friends, and then romantically involved. He finds out about her passion for ballet and urges her to apply to Julliard again. Various complications ensue, and Sara, Chenille, and Derek have to confront their fears and think carefully about loyalty and trust. Ultimately, what Sara learns from Derek in dance and in life helps her to follow her dream.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (7):

Save the Last Dance is a formulaic coming-of-age/teen romance with an MTV spin (MTV co-produced the movie). While the script is below average, even by the low standards of this genre, its performers are attractive and sincere (Kerry Washington is particularly appealing), and most teens are still so new to this category of film that it may not seem clichéd to them.

This movie requires suspension of disbelief that is close to complete abandonment of any sense of reality: Characters who live in the poorest circumstances seem to have all the money they need to buy fake IDs or expensive tickets. Students who get good grades never seem to do any homework or have any books in their backpacks. A teenager with a baby never has a problem with childcare. Still, no one watches this movie to gain great insights about the human condition. It's nowhere near Grease or Flashdance in style, soundtrack, or dance, but it may appeal to teens who see it as one big music video.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about teen romances. Why are there so many stories about teens who have to fight against the odds to be together? What's the appeal?

  • How does this movie compare to other movies that explore the complexities of race relations in America? Do you think the movie accurately represented some of these complexities? Why or why not?

  • What are some of the topics addressed in the movie that remain relevant today, years after its release?

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