“Save the Last Dance” was released on January 12, 2001. Almost 24 years to the day, the film’s star Julia Stiles is back in theaters, albeit in a different fashion. Stiles makes her directorial debut in “Wish You Were Here,” (out now) an adaptation of the Renée Carlino novel.
“I had a visceral response to the book,” Stiles, 42, tells USA TODAY. “I literally was laughing out loud. I cried at the end. I think the first thing that grabbed me was that it felt like the love story was a lot more mature than the age of the main characters.”
The film follows Charlotte (Isabelle Fuhrman), a waitress in her 20s who experiences a whirlwind romance with Adam (Mena Massoud). After discovering Adam is terminally ill, Charlotte finds a new purpose in life.
“This is a really cynical, scary time,” Stiles says. “We need a movie that’s hopeful and about what it’s like to be human.”
The film’s genesis dates back five years to when film producer Gabby Kono-Abdy (who plays Helen, Charlotte’s best friend) slid into Stiles’ direct messages on Instagram with the book title and movie pitch. Kono-Abdy eventually took the more formal route and sent the idea to Stiles’ agent. Production was delayed due to the Hollywood strikes in 2023. Filming took place in New Jersey and Florida, with Stiles “totally running on adrenaline and fumes.” The 12ihour days during the week were followed by location scouting and blocking on the weekend.
Now 24 years after “Save the Last Dance” launched her career, Stiles’ career comes full circle.
“I had no idea when I was that age that I would be able to direct to my own movie,” she says of her 19-year-old self, before reflecting on the advice she’d tell that person. “Enjoy it. I think there’s so much internal pressure that I would put on myself or external pressure from whatever. Sometimes that can rob you of the joy of the experience and so just enjoy it.”
