The Last Showgirl

The Last Showgirl

Company type	Film
Industry	Motion picture
Founded	2024 (2024)
Founder	Gia Coppola (director), Kate Gersten (screenplay)
Headquarters	Los Angeles , United States
Products	Drama film

The Last Showgirl is a 2024 American drama directed by Gia Coppola with a screenplay by Kate Gersten. The cast features Pamela Anderson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Billie Lourd, Dave Bautista, Brenda Song, and Kiernan Shipka. The narrative follows a middle-aged showgirl from Las Vegas who faces an uncertain path after her long-running revue is announced to be closing. The script is adapted from Gersten's play, Body of Work, which draws inspiration from her experiences attending the Jubilee! show prior to its 2016 shutdown.

The movie had its debut at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2024, and was released in select U.S. theaters on December 13, with a wider release beginning January 10, 2025. It garnered mostly favorable reviews, highlighting Anderson's performance, which earned her nominations for Best Actress at both the 82nd Golden Globe Awards and the 31st Screen Actors Guild Awards. Curtis was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the SAG Awards and the 78th British Academy Film Awards.

Plot

Shelly Gardner, aged 57, has been a performer in Le Razzle Dazzle—a traditional French-style revue on the Las Vegas Strip—for thirty years. Among her fellow performers are younger women such as Mary-Anne and Jodie, who regard Shelly as a maternal figure. Annette, an older colleague who was dismissed from the show years ago, now works as a cocktail waitress.

Eddie, the producer of Le Razzle Dazzle, announces that due to falling ticket sales, the show will close in two weeks and be replaced by a neo-burlesque circus act occupying their prime performance slots. Shelly reacts with dismay to this news, finding the new production excessively flashy. Despite Shelly’s reservations about their provocative style, Mary-Anne and Jodie audition for other shows along the Strip. With no retirement fund and few alternatives available, Shelly worries about what lies ahead.

Shelly attempts to reconnect with her somewhat distant daughter Hannah, a college student living in Arizona who spent much of her youth with family friends. Their reunion is tense due to emotional barriers and Shelly’s unfamiliarity with Hannah’s life. Although Hannah initially refuses an invitation to dinner, she returns the next evening for a brief moment of connection.

Hannah secretly attends a Le Razzle Dazzle performance and confronts Shelly afterward, criticizing her for choosing career over motherhood and condemning the nature of the show. Shelly leaves abruptly; Hannah briefly speaks with Eddie before departing. Jodie visits Shelly upset about her own mother’s silence but is met with coldness. During the following performance, Jodie declines to assist Shelly in preparation, causing Shelly to miss her cue and break down backstage.

Seeking clarity about her future and feelings of isolation as an aging artist, Shelly invites Eddie to dinner. It is revealed that Eddie is Hannah’s father—a fact unknown to Hannah herself. Eddie expresses dissatisfaction with Shelly’s parenting while Shelly reproaches him for his absence.

Annette loses shifts in favor of younger employees and later confides that she has lost all her money gambling and has been living out of her car. She asks if she can stay temporarily with Shelly.

At a casting call attended by Mary-Anne, Shelly’s audition falters; the director bluntly tells her she lacks talent and only succeeded previously due to youth and appearance. Humiliated, Shelly is comforted by Mary-Anne but lashes out at her for sacrificing too much for their profession.

Shelly leaves an apologetic message for Hannah, reconciles with Jodie and Mary-Anne, and informs Eddie that she is considering relocating to Arizona for Hannah’s graduation or taking up work as a cocktail waitress like Annette. During Le Razzle Dazzle’s final show, Shelly imagines Hannah backstage smiling and watching alongside Eddie in the audience.

Cast

• Pamela Anderson portrays Shelly Gardner, an experienced showgirl
• Kiernan Shipka plays Jodie, a fellow showgirl
• Brenda Song appears as Mary-Anne, another showgirl
• Billie Lourd takes on the role of Hannah Gardner, Shelly’s daughter
• Jason Schwartzman acts as the casting director
• Dave Bautista is Eddie, the producer of the revue
• Jamie Lee Curtis embodies Annette, Shelly’s close friend, a cocktail waitress and former showgirl

Development

The screenplay was adapted by Kate Gersten from her unproduced play Body of Work, which drew inspiration from her experiences attending the Jubilee! show prior to its 2016 shutdown. Coppola highlighted that the play’s structure lent itself well to an intimate film with a focused narrative. In 2021, she began working with producer and cousin Robert Schwartzman, choosing a limited budget and brief shooting schedule to preserve artistic independence: "Keeping the project small allows me to retain creative freedom... With few locations and a compact cast, the environment remains controlled."

Casting

The ensemble cast—including Pamela Anderson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dave Bautista, Brenda Song, Kiernan Shipka, and Billie Lourd—was revealed in February 2024 after completing filming. Coppola approached Anderson for the role of Shelly after watching her 2023 documentary Pamela, a Love Story. When Anderson’s agent initially declined the script without consulting her, Coppola reached out to Anderson’s son Brandon to ensure she received it. Anderson described the part as a rare opportunity that resonated deeply: "I heard her voice clearly... It’s that moment when you read something and know you must be part of it." She likened the film’s atmosphere and trust with Coppola to the works of John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands. Curtis accepted her role upon learning Anderson would lead the cast. Bautista was cast after Coppola recalled his previous interest in exploring dramatic characters.

Filming

Principal photography occurred over 18 days in Las Vegas with a budget below $2 million. Coppola drew creative influence from nonfiction Vegas portrayals, including documentaries and writings by journalist and art critic Dave Hickey, emphasizing photographic inspiration rather than traditional cinema. She reunited with cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw, who had collaborated on her earlier films Palo Alto and Mainstream. Arkapaw captured The Last Showgirl using 16mm film to create a gritty, textured look, employing handheld cameras alongside custom anamorphic lenses. Due to Jamie Lee Curtis’s limited four-day availability in January 2024, her scenes were shot first.

Costumes for the showgirls were sourced from archival collections designed by Peter Menefee and Bob Mackie, including pieces originally worn in the Jubilee! production.

Music

The soundtrack was composed by Andrew Wyatt. It includes the original song "Beautiful That Way," performed by Miley Cyrus and co-written by Cyrus, Wyatt, and Lykke Li. The single was released on December 9, 2024, followed by its inclusion on the digital soundtrack album launched on December 20, 2024, via Milan Records.

Release

In May 2024, Goodfellas partnered with Utopia, a company co-founded by Coppola's distant relative Robert Schwartzman, to manage the film's international sales. The project had garnered considerable attention from distributors at the Marché du Film.

The Last Showgirl made its debut at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2024, and was also in competition at the 72nd San Sebastián International Film Festival. On September 27, Roadside Attractions secured the North American distribution rights. Shortly thereafter, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions obtained the remaining international rights, encompassing Latin America, Europe (with the exception of Poland), Asia, and Africa.

The movie was released in a limited theatrical run in Los Angeles beginning December 13, 2024, to meet eligibility for the 97th Academy Awards, followed by a nationwide release on January 10, 2025. The planned January 9 premiere at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre was canceled due to wildfires affecting Southern California.

It became accessible via video on demand on February 18, 2025, and started streaming on Hulu from May 23, 2025.

Box office

During its one-week limited engagement in Los Angeles in December 2024, the film earned $77,589 from a single screen, ranking as the fifth-best per-theater opening of that year and marking Roadside's second-highest per-screen average over two decades. Upon expanding to a wider release on January 10, 2025, it generated $620,700 on opening day across 870 theaters and concluded the weekend in tenth place with $1.5 million. Industry experts regarded this performance as successful, noting it surpassed Better Man, which made $1.1 million across 1,291 venues. To date, the film has accumulated a global box office total of $7 million.

Critical response

The Last Showgirl currently holds an 83% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes with an average score of 6.9/10 and has received a Metacritic score of 66. Critics lauded Pamela Anderson’s dramatic turn as one of her most significant performances to date. KTLA News drew parallels between its themes and those of Coralie Fargeat's The Substance, emphasizing women's struggles related to beauty standards and professional life.

Time included Anderson’s portrayal among the top ten performances of 2024, highlighting her compelling combination of vulnerability and strength. At its world premiere, RogerEbert.com applauded Anderson’s subtle and layered acting style, comparing her to Judy Holliday for her ability to balance lightheartedness with emotional depth. Sheila O'Malley echoed this sentiment, describing Anderson’s role as an unintentional critique of an industry that both celebrated and marginalized her. The Boston Globe also ranked her performance among the year's best ten, noting her profound embodiment of the character.

Accolades

Award	Ceremony date	Category	Recipient(s)	Result
San Sebastián International Film Festival	September 28, 2024	Golden Seashell	The Last Showgirl	Template:Nom
		Special Jury Prize	Cast of The Last Showgirl	Template:Won
Zurich Film Festival	October 4, 2024	Golden Eye Award	Pamela Anderson	Template:Won
Newport Beach Film Festival	October 24, 2024	Outstanding Feature Narrative	The Last Showgirl	Template:Won
SCAD Savannah Film Festival	November 2, 2024	Marquee Award	Pamela Anderson	Template:Won
Miami Film Festival	November 3, 2024	Art of Light Acting Award		Template:Won
Hollywood Music in Media Awards	November 20, 2024	Best Original Song – Independent Film	"Beautiful That Way" – Miley Cyrus, Lykke Li and Andrew Wyatt	Template:Won
Gotham Awards	December 2, 2024	Outstanding Lead Performance	Pamela Anderson	Template:Nom
Winter IndieWire Honors	December 5, 2024	Performance Award		Template:Won
Sun Valley Film Festival	December 6, 2024	Pioneer Award	Pamela Anderson and Gia Coppola	Template:Won
Astra Film Awards	December 8, 2024	Best Indie Feature	The Last Showgirl	Template:Won
San Diego Film Critics Society	December 9, 2024	Best Costume Design	Jacqueline Getty and Rainy Jacobs	Template:Runner-up
Las Vegas Film Critics Society	December 13, 2024	Best Song	"Beautiful That Way" – Miley Cyrus, Lykke Li and Andrew Wyatt	Template:Won
St. Louis Film Critics Association	December 15, 2024	Best Actress	Pamela Anderson	Template:Nom
Pandora International Film Critics Awards	December 18, 2024	Song Composing	"Beautiful That Way" – Miley Cyrus, Lykke Li and Andrew Wyatt	"Template:Nom"
Online Association of Female Film Critics	rowspan=2	December 23, 2024	Best Supporting Female	Jamie Lee Curtis	Template:Nom	style=text-align:center; |
	The Rosie	The Last Showgirl	Template:Nom	style=text-align:center; |
scope=row	List of film awards#North Texas Film Critics Association	December 30, 2024	Best Actress	rowspan=2	Pamela Anderson	Template:Nom	style=text-align:center; |
scope=row	Greater Western New York Film Critics Association	January 4, 2025	Lead Actress	Template:Nom	style=text-align:center; |
rowspan=2 scope=row	Golden Globe Awards	rowspan=2	82nd Golden Globe Awards (January 5, 2025)	Best Original Song	"Beautiful That Way" – Miley Cyrus, Lykke Li and Andrew Wyatt	Template:Nom	style=text-align:center; |
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama	Pamela Anderson	Template:Nom	style=text-align:center; |
scope=row	Austin Film Critics Association	January 6, 2025	Best Actress	Template:Nom	style=text-align:center; |
scope=row	Alliance of Women Film Journalists	January 7, 2025	Best Woman Director	Gia Coppola	Template:Nom	align=center |
scope=row	Hawaii Film Critics Society	January 13, 2025	Best Song	"Beautiful That Way" – Miley Cyrus, Lykke Li and Andrew Wyatt	Template:Nom	align=center |
rowspan=2 scope=row	Women Film Critics Circle	rowspan=2	January 15, 2025	Best Actress	Pamela Anderson	Template:Runner-up	style=text-align:center; |
Karen Morley Award	The Last Showgirl	Template:Won	style=text-align:center; |
scope=row	Chicago Indie Critics#Windie Award	January 17, 2025	Best Original Song	rowspan=2	"Beautiful That Way" – Miley Cyrus, Lykke Li and Andrew Wyatt	Template:Nom	align=center |
scope=row	Critics Choice Awards	February 7, 2025	Best Song	Template:Nom	align=center |
scope=row	AARP Movies for Grownups Awards	February 8, 2025	Best Actress	Pamela Anderson	Template:Nom
scope=row	Society of Composers & Lyricists		February 12, 2025		Outstanding Original Song for a Dramatic or Documentary Visual Media Production	"Beautiful That Way" – Miley Cyrus, Lykke Li and Andrew Wyatt		Template:Nom
scope=row	Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild		February 15, 2025		Best Contemporary Hair Styling		Katy McClintock, Marc Boyle and Stephanie Hobgood		Template:Won
scope=row	British Academy Film Awards		February 16, 2025		Best Actress in a Supporting Role		Jamie Lee Curtis		Template:Nom
rowspan=2 scope=row	Screen Actors Guild Awards		rowspan=2	February 23, 2025		Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role		Pamela Anderson		Template:Nom
	Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role		Jamie Lee Curtis		Template:Nom
scope=row	Golden Raspberry Awards		February 28, 2025		Razzie Redeemer Award		Pamela Anderson		Template:Won
scope=row	Golden Trailer Awards		May 29, 2025		Best Teaser		The Last Showgirl: "Final Performance"		Template:Nom

External links

• Official site
• IMDb page