The Last Showgirl (2024)
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A veteran Las Vegas showgirl must navigate her uncertain future as the long-running revue she has performed in for three decades prepares to close.
The story
Shelly Gardner is a 57-year-old showgirl who has performed for three decades in Le Razzle Dazzle, a classic French-style revue on the Las Vegas Strip. When the stage manager, Eddie, reveals that the show is closing in two weeks due to declining ticket sales, Shelly is forced to confront her uncertain future. As her younger co-stars begin looking for new work, Shelly faces the reality of her situation with limited resources. The narrative follows her internal and external struggles as she navigates her identity as an aging performer and attempts to reconnect with her estranged daughter, Hannah, who is currently a student in Arizona.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Shelly Gardner, a 57-year-old showgirl, has performed in the Las Vegas revue Le Razzle Dazzle for thirty years. When the show is scheduled to close in two weeks to be replaced by a modern production, Shelly faces a crisis of identity and livelihood. Her co-stars, Mary-Anne and Jodie, begin seeking other work, while Shelly's friend Annette reveals she has lost everything and is living in her car. Shelly attempts to reconnect with her estranged daughter, Hannah, leading to a tense confrontation where Hannah criticizes the 'vulgar' nature of the show. During a private meeting, it is revealed that the stage manager, Eddie, is actually Hannah's father—a fact both Shelly and Eddie have kept from the girl. After a humiliating audition for a new show where she is told she lacks the talent to succeed without her youth, Shelly faces a crossroads. She eventually reconciles with her colleagues and considers moving to Arizona to be with Hannah for her graduation or taking a job as a cocktail waitress. The film concludes with a final performance where Shelly envisions her daughter and Eddie watching her from the wings.
- First release year
- 2024
- Runtime (minutes)
- 89
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Gia Coppola
- Writers
- Kate Gersten · writer
- Cast and characters
- Pamela Anderson · Shelly Gardner; Kiernan Shipka · Jodie; Brenda Song · Mary-Anne; Billie Lourd · Hannah Gardner; Dave Bautista · Eddie; Jamie Lee Curtis · Annette
- Genres
- drama
- Themes
- aging in the entertainment industry; mother-daughter relationships; the cost of career vs. personal life
- Tone and mood
- intimate; raw
- Premise and plot tags
- drama; show business; Las Vegas
- Source material / true-story basis
- Body of Work (play)
- Content notes
- alcoholism
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with Pamela Anderson garnering critical praise.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 66 · scale: 100 · review count: 44
- Awards and nominations
- Golden Globe Awards · Best Actress · 82nd · nomination; SAG Awards · Best Actress · 31st · nomination; SAG Awards · Best Supporting Actress · 31st · nomination; BAFTA Awards · Best Supporting Actress · 78th · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was shot on 16mm film to achieve a raw, grainy quality.; The film's score features an original song performed by Miley Cyrus.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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