Cindy Liggett is waiting on death row for a brutal double murder she committed in her teens, 12 years earlier. Clemency lawyer Rick Hayes tries to save her, based on the argument that she was under the influence of crack cocaine when she committed the crime of which she was found guilty and that she is no longer the same person she had been at the time of the murder. After being initially strapped in, in preparation for her execution, a last-minute stay is granted for her case to be reviewed by an appeals panel. However, a short time later her death sentence is carried out. Afterward, Rick discovers an intricate drawing of the Taj Mahal Cindy had made among the artwork that was created while she was incarcerated. The film ends with Rick on a trip to India to visit the Taj Mahal after Cindy's execution.
The film was largely ignored at the box office, and suffered in comparison to the 1995 film Dead Man Walking, which was an Academy Award–winning drama whose treatment of the death penalty theme was still fresh in the minds of audiences.[2]
Last Dance received negative reviews from critics. It currently holds a 30% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 23 reviews, with an average rating of 5.2/10.[3] Sharon Stone was nominated for a Razzie Award for Worst New Star (as the new serious Sharon Stone) for this film and Diabolique, where she lost to Pamela Anderson for Barb Wire.
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times felt the film handled "potentially powerful material thoughtfully" and made a "good showcase for Stone". However, he pointed out that the film suffered from the "inescapable misfortune" of being following too soon after the "unquestioned masterpiece" of Dead Man Walking. In comparison, Ebert felt Last Dance "comes across as earnest but unoriginal".[4]James Berardinelli of ReelViews also felt Dead Man Walking was "far superior". He felt Last Dance was a "less compelling tale" and "a little too safe", with "a little too much manipulation and melodrama". He praised Stone as giving the "most impressive performance of a rather lackluster career", but criticized Morrow as "leav[ing] something to be desired". He concluded that Last Dance is "perfectly watchable, and even worth a marginal recommendation, [but] in comparison to Dead Man Walking, it feels diluted."[5]
Janet Maslin of The New York Times praised Stone's "stellar presence and surprisingly intense performance" in the film, describing her "dead-end role" as the film's "lifesaver". However, she was critical of the overall film, stating: "...soon the story begins taking sentimental turns, and even Ms. Stone's startling ferocity gets buried in sludge."[6]Peter Travers of Rolling Stone was critical of the film and concluded: "Last Dance is a prison melodrama that embraces all the cliches that Dead Man Walking artfully dodged. Last Dance acts tough, but its heart is pure soap opera."[7]Desson Howe of The Washington Post was also critical of the film, suggesting that the film "isn't quite 'Dumb Blonde Walking', but that satirical slur isn't so far off the mark". He described the film as "formulaic" with a "strangely distancing" emotional effect.[8]
Barbara Shulgasser of the San Francisco Chronicle described the film as "simplistic, puerile rubbish", adding that Stone needed to "start picking difficult material if she really wants to become an actress".[9] Edward Guthmann of the same newspaper felt the film had "able" direction and acting, but that Dead Man Walking was "far superior". He praised Stone's performance, but added: "The moments when Last Dance doesn't gloss over Stone's character are the best, and they make you wish the movie had been restructured." He described the film as an "earnest, unremarkable addition to the Hollywood canon of prison movies".[10] Anne Billson of the UK newspaper The Daily Telegraph felt Stone "emerges from this enterprise with a certain amount of dignity", unlike Morrow, who is given "a wilfully unsympathetic role". She described the film as providing the "usual compendium of clichés".[11]
