Brief

Stephen Manning is a talented and hard worker accountant who becomes very successful with high-paying jobs at a young age. He met Mary Ann at his first job, and she becomes his wife and a loving mother of their four children. While spending a successful and enjoyable life together, they have to deal with the loss of their youngest son Kyle, who died suddenly after taking medication. After a while, Mary Ann is being diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. Her goal is to make the last dance with her son Ryan at his wedding. Mary Ann passed 72 hours after the event.

What We Liked

As Stephen Manning tells the story of how he met Mary Ann and how they fell in love until she died, he retraces every moment of the relationship in great detail. This story is filled with love, hope, and commitment, highlighting the challenges of managing career and family life. Throughout the narrative, the audience is immersed in social celebrations, weddings, and childbirths, as well as the tragedies of death. The narrative also provides an interesting snapshot of the prosperous American lifestyle in the 1970s and 1980s, with accounts of Reagan's Star Wars program, Sears credit cards, travels, and communication before cell phones and the internet. It brings fascinating insights about the opium epidemic, suicide, elderly care, cancer treatment, financial business dealings, and California residential real estate costs at that time.

Film: As a movie, Last Dance offers great insight into the American lifestyle during the 1970s and late 2000s. Stephen is a sports enthusiast and spends a lot of time traveling on business, which brings opportunities to show different places and cultures. Although the main subject is the family and their loss, the story also brings insights into the opium epidemic, suicide, elderly care, cancer treatment, financial business dealings, and California residential real estate costs at that time.

TV: Stephen Manning retraces every moment of his relationship with Mary Ann in great detail. Last Dance can be developed over a mini-series where each episode shows a different phase of their lives, from their first meeting until Marry Ann's death. Social celebrations, weddings, and childbirths offer opportunities to discuss the middle-class American lifestyle over the years, from the 1970s through the late 2000s.

Key points:
1. True story
2. Family tragedies
3. Meaningful message
4. Love story
5. Low budget

Synopsis

Stephen Manning grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska. After graduating from the University of Nebraska in 1974 with a B.S. in Economics and Finance with a minor in Accounting, Stephen Manning found himself moving to Chicago to take up a new job opportunity at Inland Steel Company.

As a young man, his mother advised him that he would meet a lot of girls, but "when you meet that special someone, please make sure she is the one you want to raise your children." The guidance profoundly impacted him, prompting him to form the ideal of a loving mother in his mind.

As he settled at Inland, he noticed a beautiful young lady who worked in the sales department and came to perform transactions on the accounting floor. On his way to and from work, he happened to meet the same woman on the bus, and they soon became friends. He learned that she is dating a coworker, but things are not very well. After some time, he was pleasantly surprised to know that her relationship was over. He seized the opportunity to ask her out and began their romance.

After a while, Stephen was headhunted to join the Operational Audit Group at Rockwell International, which he accepted. As Mary Ann took her time to process this news, she made it clear that she could not move with Stephen "without a ring on her finger." In no time, he proposed, and with excitement, they began planning their wedding.

After Mary Ann revealed that she had a medical issue that could compromise her ability to have babies, Stephen was shaken, questioning his decision to marry someone who might not be able to give him children. Still, he and Mary Ann began a wonderful life together, and she becomes the loving mother of their four children.

Very successful in his career, Stephen spent a lot of time traveling on business, while Mary Ann is a stay-at-home mom. He held high-flying jobs that required them to relocate from one country to another and from one company to another. Despite his senior positions, he always respected Mary Ann's decisions and never made any moves without consulting her. They also live a good life: sports enthusiasts, they go to the best hotels and restaurants across the world, including cruising trips.

After establishing themselves in the Bay area to raise four children in the beautiful town of Pleasanton, CA, they face a tragedy in their family: the sudden death of their youngest son, Kyle, after taking medication for pain.

After a while, Mary Ann is diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. She fights the disease with strength and determination. Her goal is to make the last dance at her son Ryan's wedding. Her family ensured that all the necessary considerations were in place so she will be able to fulfill her dream, even being in limited condition. The family then prepared to say goodbye to Mary Ann. She passed 72 hours after the wedding.

About The Author

Stephen Manning lives and works with Information Technology and Services in the Silicon Valley of Northern Californian. After a few years of the morning his wife Mary Ann's passing from breast cancer, Stephen decided to write a book about Mary Ann's life, meeting, marriage, and how they grew a family together. Last Dance is Stephen's first book and took over 18 months to write, edit and publish.