The passage of time, particularly for women, has been a theme in 2024’s film slate and the movies that explore this have been buoyed by notable performances from star actress past who have moved onto their latter life stages, paralleling the characters they portray in these films. Demi Moore has her critically acclaimed outing in The Substance and now Pamela Anderson joins her in a role exploring an older woman who faces a society that feels she is no longer useful without her youthful beauty.
The Last Showgirl introduces us to Shelley Gardner (Anderson) a Las Vegas showgirl who, after a successful thirty-year run, now faces the closure of the show that has come to define her life. Shelley is now forced to confront a future where she’s no longer viewed as the young, pretty star of the show while also confronting the issues of the past that she buried for her now former glory.
While much has been made about the specter of aging theme in The Last Showgirl, upon watching the film, you quickly observe that it is as much a tale of frayed mother-daughter relationships as it is about the hands of time. Shelley’s time as the belle of the Vegas strip came at the expense of her relationship with Hannah, played by Billie Lourd, who grew up with family outside of Nevada. As Shelley comes to terms with her showgirl mortality, she also is attempting to repair the bond between she and her daughter and make up for lost time, something which Hannah is reluctant to do. As her life’s work comes to a close, Shelley now begins to wonder if what she sacrificed was truly worth it and if it can be reclaimed. This particular theme is sure to be relevant for those in the audience that have spent maybe a little too many extra hours in the office at the expense of time spent with their family. This is another emotional thread that Anderson plays well balancing her desire for closeness with Hannah, but also defending her choices in a moment where her daughter rejects her attempt at reconciliation. Anderson captures the feeling of both moments with enough empathy to make her character someone the audience can feel for even if they wouldn’t have made the same choices.
Anderson also performs well when it comes to the film’s main theme of an older woman who has succeeded in an industry which rewarded her good looks suddenly having to come to terms with those looks no longer being valued by society writ large as she ages. The desperation Shelley feels as a result is conveyed well in her performance, the highlight being a pleading audition where she tries to maintain a space as a performer in Vegas. When this film works, it’s because of her. Overall however, the film plays as a basic story of an older woman navigating aging in a world that can be unfair to those like her, but never elevates much above that. The performances are serviceable, but nothing to write home about. The Last Showgirl is mildly interesting, but mostly just stays there.
Image: Roadside Attractions
