Reel Review: The Last Showgirl Is A Shimmering Hollywood Homecoming For Pamela Anderson
A wise woman once said, “It is literally impossible to be a woman.” Hollywood star Pamela Anderson stepped into Gia Coppola’s glittering story as Shelly, a Las Vegas showgirl who must face the unknown when her decades-long show, Le Razzle Dazzle, unexpectedly shuts down. Anderson’s portrayal of Shelly stunningly reflects the fears that women know all too well: replacement and reinvention. What do you do when the dream you worked your whole life for disappears? What do you do when the person you thought you’d be doesn’t exist anymore? Coppola’s story explores the many facets of change, and proves that any character can experience a coming-of-age story—no matter your age.
While audiences follow Shelly’s journey as she grapples with grief for her career, they also see her grieve the time she lost with her daughter Hannah, played by Billie Lourd. Brenda Song and Keirnan Shipka play Marianne and Jodie, young dancers at Le Razzle Dazzle who look up to Shelly as a mother figure—much to Shelly’s dismay. Shelly’s story showcases the hard truth that women often must choose between: a career or their children. While Shelly loved her daughter, she knew she couldn’t give Hannah the life she deserved, and also follow her dreams. Anderson’s performance perfectly balanced the two sides of Shelly. The dreamer in Shelly longed to perform and share her passion with likeminded dreamers, but another part of her was desperate to know her daughter and make up for lost time. Coppola’s choice to show Shelly’s struggle to connect with her daughter contrasted against her seemingly involuntary maternal instincts towards Mariane, Jodie, and her best friend Annette (played by Jamie Lee Curtis) was a great way to highlight that motherhood—or simply life in general—is a journey with no instruction manual. Even though Shelly wasn’t the perfect mother—or even a perfect person—audiences watch her consistently try to be better each day, which is what really matters.
Anderson’s raw emotion as Shelly struggles to let go of her old life and embrace the uncertainty of her future is a tale as old as time. Change can be terrifying—or as I love to call it: absolutely nauseating. Once again, I can’t help but see this story as a coming-of-age film for Shelly. This film beautifully highlights replacement and rejection as inevitable insecurities that arise in women’s lives. Whether it’s the end of friendship, a relationship, or even a job, feeling replaced and loss are hard pills to swallow. Women are constantly reinventing themselves to escape the threat of replacement. Need more proof? Listen to Taylor Swift’s “Nothing New” or “Clara Bow” then come back to this article. Throughout the film, Shelly is constantly disappointed as she sees the Las Vegas she once knew rapidly decline into a new culture she doesn’t recognize. All her frustration boils over when she auditions for a role, and is told she isn’t getting picked because she’s considered to be “No longer beautiful.” Aging is looming threat that woman constantly feel forced to evade, and Shelly is forced to confront the archaic idea that she’s “aged out” of her career. The scene where Shelly challenges these aging ideals during an audition was painstakingly true for the world of women, but it was refreshing to see a woman challenge these ideals that are hardwired into their brains since a young age. The film ends with Shelly’s final performance at Le Razzle Dazzle accompanied by a gorgeous song written by Miley Cyrus for the film. The song “Beautiful That Way” was a bittersweet ballad that seamlessly encapsulated Shelly’s story. Even though her time as a showgirl was ending, audiences can tell Shelly is proud her career, accepting of a new age of showgirls taking over, confident in her beauty and talent, and optimistic for her future. The song conveys that women are beautiful beings with substance, not just objects with an expiration date.
I appreciated that Shelly was a determined dreamer. Throughout the film, Shelly encourages her daughter to follow her dreams, and challenges every pessimistic view Hannah held toward the world. This made the scene were Shelly blows up after a failed audition even more heartbreaking to watch. Seeing her persistent positivity diminish as the film progressed is a feeling I think most people face at some point. Nonetheless, Shelly’s breakdown was necessary for her story to progress, as it helped her understand her own journey and prepare for a new chapter of her life. Even though Shelly was knocked down, she didn’t stay down, and Anderson’s beautiful performance is a testament to female ambition, insecurities, and persistence.
The Last Showgirl is a shimmering story in theaters nationwide now.
