'The Last Showgirl' Ending Explained: Does Pamela Anderson’s Shelly Get a Showstopping Finale?

The Last Showgirl is an intimate look into Pamela Anderson’s Shelly, a Las Vegas showgirl who desperately clings to a career that is pulling away from her. Directed by Gia Coppola and written by Kate Gertsen, it's a bittersweet film that explores motherhood, ageism, and sexism, with supporting roles by Jamie Lee Curtis and Dave Bautista that further humanize the story of facing an uncertain future. The final minutes might leave some viewers unsatisfied, but an ending with no loose ends wouldn't stay true to what came before.

'The Last Showgirl' Shines a Spotlight on Shelly’s Messy Life

Shelly Gardner is an older Las Vegas showgirl, who learns the revue she has spent three decades with, Le Razzle Dazzle, is closing due to poor ticket sales. During her final two weeks, the past and present collide. Her estranged daughter Hannah (Billie Lourd) resurfaces, worrying that her aspiration to go into photography isn’t a safe financial one as her college graduation looms. Shelly's advice to follow through with a creative career only frustrates Hannah. These feelings get worse after Hannah finally attends one of Shelly’s performances and believes the semi-nude dancers and a nearly empty audience prove that her mother picked a lackluster career over raising a daughter. The attempts to reconnect with Hannah then strain the mother-daughter relationship with the fellow showgirls that look up to her, Mary-Anne (Brenda Song), and especially Jodie (Kiernan Shipka).

A heartbreaking scene has a tear-stained Jodie arrive unannounced at Shelly’s house. The young woman hopes to find support that her own family hasn’t given her, viewing Shelly as a surrogate mother, but Shelly denies her entry. This comes after a fight with Hannah and in the middle of Shelly trying to practice a dance for an upcoming audition. Even if it does seem cruel, Shelly distancing herself from Jodie is understandable. All of this messiness makes Pamela Anderson’s performance captivating to watch. The Last Showgirl never judges Shelly, and Coppola and Gertsen never forget to treat Shelly's passion for being a Las Vegas showgirl with tremendous dignity. Then another conflict arises with Eddie (Bautista), the producer of Le Razzle Dazzle, who is revealed to be Hannah’s biological father, something that only Shelly knows.

Shelly Finds Support and Criticism as 'Le Razzle Dazzle' Nears the End

Dave Bautista portrays the producer as a sweet man with no self-awareness. When Shelly decides to go on a date with him, it doesn’t go well once Eddie admits his disapproval of Shelly putting a career over Hannah. It's uncalled-for, but at least Shelly can find unwavering support from longtime friend and ex-showgirl, Annette (Curtis), a cocktail waitress who is constantly getting hours given to younger coworkers. Annette represents a future of being forgotten, building onto a sense of anxiety that runs throughout the film as Shelly feels the crushing weight of ageism and sexism.

The failed date is uncomfortable, but her failed audition is devastating. A newcomer to a modern casting call, she is rejected quickly for not being the right age and not having the right dance skills. Angry and embarrassed, Shelly hurries to the parking lot, while lashing out at Mary-Anne, who was also at the audition and has followed to comfort her. Despite how grounded this film is, several scenes feel almost fantasy-like when Shelly, by herself, or in another scene with Annette, walks around Las Vegas with no one else around. It’s as if they are both ignored by society, but with the camera on them, they are worthy of being seen. It's not until the final minutes that the grounded realism of the slice-of-life narrative truly shifts into fantasy.

'The Last Showgirl' Ends With Uncertainty

When Shelly makes amends with her fellow showgirls, viewers might question if it takes place in reality due to how suddenly the wordless scene appears, with Shelly crying and embracing the women. According to screenwriter Kate Gertsen, “After that scene in the parking lot, there was a scene that was cut of dialogue between Mary-Anne and Jodie and Shelly sort of moving on to what's next in their lives.” During the final show of Le Razzle Dazzle, the slo-mo editing and dreamy camera work strongly imply these final minutes exist in her head. On the way to the stage, Shelly sees Hannah, but her daughter seems to disappear amidst the lineup of dancers. While performing, she finds her two lives united when Hannah sits next to Eddie in the audience, both with proud faces.

Gertsen explained she put into the script, “that Hannah is there photographing the show and that she has decided to preserve it.” But Coppola decided on the ambiguous ending, choosing to keep a lack of uncertainty in The Last Showgirl for what comes next for Shelly after Le Razzle Dazzle, or how she can fix her relationship with Hannah. Instead, viewers get a peek into what she feels when on stage. It’s the only time the film allows us to see a performance, and this special access is magical. You understand why it means so much to her. The rhinestones on her costume shine under the stage lights as brightly as the smile on her face. You are left with the hope Shelly can find that happiness again.

The Last Showgirl is now playing in theaters.

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