The Toronto International Film Festival stepped up its glamour on the second day of its 49th edition with the world premiere of Las Vegas-set drama “The Last Showgirl,” which will land star Pamela Anderson in awards season buzz for the first time in her iconic career.
Directed by Gia Coppola (Palo Alto), the film follows a 30-year veteran dancer toiling away in sequins in the last remaining traditional floor show in gambling mecca Sin City. Dave Bautista plays a stage manager who must break the news to the dancers that their show will close for good in two weeks. Mad Men stars Kiernan Shipka and Brenda Song play Anderson’s next generation of dancers, with Billie Lourd playing her estranged daughter. Recent Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis, with frosting strips applied to her permanently tanned skin, plays a comedic role as a Las Vegas cocktail waitress who must endure the insults of customers while raking in the casino chips.
Anderson took to the screen after the credits rolled for a Q&A session to thunderous applause. Dressed in black pants, a black blouse and dark sunglasses, she talked about her journey from ’90s sex symbol to playing Shelley, a dreamer who is pushed aside by the maelstrom of Las Vegas because of her age. “I’ve been preparing for this movie my whole life,” she said, deadpan, before bursting into laughter. “I’ve never felt as strongly about anything as I do for this movie. I was just like, go for it, just be it, and I did.”
Anderson, a Canadian native who became legendary for her red swimsuit in the long-running TV series “Baywatch,” is enjoying a major career resurgence following last year’s Emmy-nominated Netflix documentary “Pamela, a Love Story” and her best-selling autobiography “Love, Pamela.” “The Last Showgirl” presents a completely different side of her, from the often-objectified Playboy model turned tabloid regular. But 2024 is a pivotal year for Anderson, as big-name directors like Coppola have begun pursuing her. She recently signed with CAA, which will sell “The Last Showgirl” at this year’s TIFF market.
Curtis broke down in tears as she paid tribute to the people who support the casinos and the Las Vegas economy that comes with them, many of whom struggle to make ends meet before payday. “It’s really tough for the people of Las Vegas. It’s a really tough life,” she said, choking up. “The dream becomes a really harsh reality, especially for women.” She added that Hollywood, with its emphasis on youth and disposability, is not dissimilar to Las Vegas, saying, “I’m a product of that same reality.”
Lorde said the film gave her a new perspective on her relationship with her mother, the late Carrie Fisher, and her relationship with her mother and grandmother, the late Debbie Reynolds. “I got to understand my mother on a deeper level,” she said of her role with Anderson. “And Pamela was just an incredible person.” Afterwards, the two actresses crossed the stage and embraced.
The Toronto festival marked something of a homecoming for Anderson, who was born in Canada and grew up in British Columbia. Even the steady rain couldn’t dampen the mood at the Princess of Wales Theatre. In one scene, Anderson endures a humiliating audition, when a male producer interrupts her dance performance, calls her by the wrong name and explains that she’s no longer young or sexy.
“I’m 57 and I’m beautiful, you motherfucker,” she said, to cheers from the audience.
