LAST DANCE

In the Hollywood tradition of copycat films, comes Sharon Stone’s latest movie, LAST DANCE, a ripoff of Tim Robbin’s much acclaimed DEAD MAN WALKING. LAST DANCE attempts to raise some of the same questions regarding capital punishment, but fails to provide any spiritual foundation. Sharon Stone portrays a convicted killer on death row for a double murder committed under the influence of crack cocaine. Rob Morrow portrays a young lawyer who lands his first big case with the state clemency office of Tennessee. He takes her on as a a hard case. This is her last chance, and he accepts her case as a challenge. Unexpectedly, he begins to fall in love with her and finds himself fighting the case, not for his job, but for the sake his heart. So, as tragedy seems imminent, the two lovers, who do not consummate their love, bide their time until the final hour.

Unlike DEAD MAN WALKING, there is no reference made to Jesus Christ or any spiritual foundation, which gives the film an overall secular philosophy. Exploring the issue of women and the death penalty could have been a powerful statement, but the movie doesn’t touch on that subject. LAST DANCE has no real punch to it. It only raises questions and leaves those questions unresolved. Containing foul language and some violence, it is inferior to DEAD MAN WALKING in every way.