The Last Showgirl Gia Coppola

“’Hard.’ That’s the dumbest phrase anyone told anybody with a dream.”

A deep, quietly powerful film about living life on your own terms—even when the world doesn’t make it easy.

This movie captures something very raw about America: the struggle of chasing your dreams while barely affording rent, eating cheap food, and doing everything you can just to keep going. It’s about being an artist in a world that often doesn’t value art. But even more, it’s about dignity—finding it in places others would call cheap or vulgar.

What really struck me was the mother–daughter dynamic. The main character, Shelly, left her daughter with her sister so she could pursue her dream. I’ve never known anyone like that personally. I understand the decision to have an abortion—but to give birth, then choose to walk away and chase a dream? That takes a different kind of bravery. It’s not about selfishness—it’s about the cost of choosing your own path.

And while watching, you feel just how much Shelly loves what she does. What others see as oversexualized or trashy, she sees as art. And honestly? So did I. There’s a kind of beauty and freedom in her glitter, choreography, and rhinestones.

It really made me reflect: how much are we willing to give up to do what we love? How far would I go? Even with my strong personality and clear sense of purpose, I’m not sure I could give up as much as she did. That kind of strength—the kind rooted in vulnerability and sacrifice—is something rare and unforgettable.