STARRING: Julia Stiles, Sean Patrick Thomas, Kerry Washington, Fredro Starr, Terry Kinney

LINE ON THE POSTER: The Only Person You Need To Be Is Yourself.

WHAT HAPPENS: After a failed audition at the world famous Julliard Ballet School coincides with her mother's death in a tragic car accident, small town girl, Sara (Stiles), is forced to leave friends and her old life behind and start a new. Banishing her ballet shoes to the bottom draw forever and moving in with her Dad she starts attending a school, where she realises she is in a minority because she is white. However her small town upbringing and aversion to hip-hop are put aside when she meets, and falls for, smart and caring Derek (Thomas). However their friend's attitudes to their mix-race relationship become an unwanted influence on Derek's descent into gang warfare. Will he be able to stop himself before it's too late? And will Derek be able to persuade Sara to put everything behind her and dance again?

ANY GOOD?: Surprisingly...yes, although not the best teen high school movie to hit the screens, this is in the higher rung of them as it manages to transcend it's setting. The movie could have been set anywhere at anytime and so therefore escapes the usual clichés and stereotypes that usually swamp this genre. The performances are first class from relative newcomers, Stiles and Thomas, and the direction is refreshing in its 'indie' style. Although sometimes bordering on the cheesy and taking bit too much from 'Boyz n' the Hood', 'Save the Last Dance' is definitely worth two hours of your time. Oh... and don't worry despite what the trailer looks like and others have said about it, it's not the new 'Dirty Dancing'.... it's better.

BEST BIT: The scenes in the hip-hop club when Sara is just beginning to learn the moves are pretty funny. Talk about looking stupid in public.

INTERESTING FACT: Star of the film Julia Stiles is not only getting parts in some big movies but she is also attending Columbia University and says she doesn't want her acting to get in the way of her education.

LIKED IT, TRY: Flashdance, Election, Finding Forrester or Baz Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet