Rolling through the summer to the beginning of September, we come to Touchstone Pictures prison drama Last Dance. Is this worth a watch, or should it be confined to the extreme corners of the streaming world?
The Plot
Cindy Liggett is a convicted murderer who is bound for execution. Rick Hayes is recently assigned to the clemency board at the state government thanks to his brother John’s timely help. While initially it seems like an open and shut case and the execution will be carried out, Rick starts to dive into Liggett’s crime and tries his best to get her death sentence commuted to life in prison.
While Rick is navigating the corridors of power, and the paperwork of justice, he learns that the clemency board and political machinations might conflict with what is right and wrong.
The Good
Sharon Stone is great as Cindy Liggett. At this point in her career this role is a great change from her previous films. Stone makes an excellent effort to bring her character presence in the film.
Randy Quaid is pretty good as Sam Burns.
The Bad and the Ugly
The film doesn’t feel genuine. Last Dance suffers from an immaturity in the story that sees Rick Hayes become so emotionally involved with a character so quickly. The film never focuses on Cindy Liggett and doesn’t allow Stone to tell the story of Cindy Liggett. Instead, we spend more time with Rick which makes his care for Cindy seem illogical. At one point Rick states that he cares about Cindy, but why? We don’t see enough of a relationship with Cindy that would explain his commitment to her.
How Rick Hayes is portrayed makes him seem juvenile. Driving his Porsche and wearing his Princeton clothing makes the character the rich kid that someone like Cindy would dislike. It’s hard to believe in Rick Hayes. He seems phony.
The film is a serious picture which delves into state politics, the nature of the death penalty, and political and police corruption, but these are throwaway moments that get cast aside so that we can watch rich kid Rick try desperately to save a convicted murderer.
I just can’t care about the characters. I don’t believe Rick’s good intentions, and Cindy’s story isn’t explored enough to make me want to see her avoid the death penalty. The ending is soapy, melodramatic, and preposterous. An ending like this negates any statement about the death penalty, and the reform of prisoners that the film may have hinted at
Beyond the Film Facts
- Charles S. Dutton has an uncredited role as a death row prisoner named John Henry Reese.
- The film was not well received, coming on the heels of 1995’s Oscar winning Dead Man Walking.
- Some of the film was shot on location in South Carolina and Tennessee.
The Streamy Award
{The following four categories are based on a Film Reel scale.
1 Reel-Watch on your Smartphone, 2 Reels-Tablet Time, 3 Reels-Travel Entertainment, 4 Reels-Big Screen Event}
Sharon Stone has never received enough credit for her acting ability. She is a talent that should have got an Oscar for her work in Casino. Stone is working hard to bring some humanity to Cindy, but the hard work that Stone is committing is wasted.
Last Dance wants us to weep for Cindy and scourge the death penalty, but the film fails to deliver on its intentions.
I can’t recommend Last Dance. I want to, because Sharon Stone is great, but the film falls apart in too many ways.
Cast and Crew
- Sharon Stone as Cindy Liggett
- Rob Morrow as Rick Hayes
- Peter Gallagher as John Hayes
- Randy Quaid as Sam Burns
- Skeet Ulrich as Billy Liggett
- Jayne Brook as Jill
Directed by Bruce Beresford
Produced by Touchstone Pictures
Release Date: May 3, 1996
Budget: $41 million
Box Office Gross
Domestic: $5,939,449
Coming Soon
Next week, it’s time for some Big Trouble with Tim Allen and Rene Russo.