It's hard to believe it's been 15 whole years since we were blessed with Save the Last Dance.
The teen rom-com about a white girl finding herself in the most unlikely place (a black inner-city high school) after her mom's tragic death was an instant classic back in 2001.
It gave us a look into a world most mainstream teen movies were avoiding back then.
And introduced us to characters we'll never forget, like the street-smart teen mom Chenille, played by a young Kerry Washington.
Who even back then was fighting for women's rights.
And shady mean girl Nikki played by Brie Lawson aka Beyoncé's stepsister bka the girl who has been playing a teenager for decades because #blackdontcrack.
She threw unforgettable shade with ease in almost every scene she was in.
Actually, a lot of the characters gave us shady comebacks to take back to class with us.
SHADE FOR DAYS!
Although, sometimes it wasn't delivered as well as others lol.
We also got to witness a true miracle when Derek managed to take Sara from this.
To this.
Still not sure how he did it tbh.
Speaking of Derek, let's take a moment to appreciate his smile. If you didn't have a crush on Sean Patrick Thomas by the end of the movie you're crazy.
I mean, not even Sara could resist.
Which gave way to a lot of relatable moments for interracial couples throughout the film.
And a lot of things they usually have had to hear.
There was also this legendary speech from Kerry's character.
That was a bit too real for Sara and most of America to take in, but it had to be said.
Kerry actually gave a lot of great advice in this movie. We should've known then she'd go on to be a gladiator.
Finally, you can't talk about this movie without giving a proper nod to Sara's epic Juilliard audition.
View this video on YouTube
"Live your dreams, it's not as hard as it may seem."
And this timeless heel toe she did in the middle of it.
Sigh, thanks for all you've given us STLD. We'll forever cherish these memories.
