"We spend more time defending our relationship than actually having one."
'Save the Last Dance' is a film depicting the life of Sara Johnson. From a young age Sara has been interested in ballet, with the help of her mother she was able to follow this dream however when a fatal accident occurs killing her mother and leaving Sara alone, she turns her back on her love of dancing. Believing that her dream/ambition to be a professional dancer killed her mother as she was rushing to be at her daughter's side during her audition. that Her whole world is flipped upside down as she has to leave her home and the friends she knows to live with her father in the suburbs. Initially Sara finds it a struggle to fit in due to being the minority in a predominantly black school but as she makes friends and realises who she should keep at arms length she starts to become herself again and embraces the fact that their is not just love between a white girl and a white boy but there can also be interracial love. 
As she falls for Derek who was once the bad boy image but cleaned up his act and now is going to doctor school to become a paediatrician and wants her to be true to herself and audition for Juilliard. As well as that her mother dying should not have perturbed her from her dream but instead encouraged her to pursue it and grab it with both hands to show that her mother had not died in vain. The film presents the audience with generic miscegenation and the harsh realties of how one persons happiness can cause another person to be envious and try to prevent it from lasting. As Sarah's word starts to fall apart because of her letting others interfere with it, it seems her dancing career is hanging in the balance yet again but just as she is ready to give up she is given a few surprises which boost her confidence and encourages her to dance the best she ever has and get a place at Juilliard. The film was an small influence due to the reactions Sara and Derek received for being a couple. It shows that even though people are no longer killed for being a multiracial relationship it is still frowned upon and people are not necessarily ready to accept it.