Finally, a heartfelt comedy that goes down easy.
Last Holiday (2006)
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Reviews Counted:112
Fresh:61
Rotten:51
Average Rating:5.8/10
Consensus: Although Queen Latifah's bountiful life-affirming spirit permeates the film, director Wayne Wang is unable to revive this remake with any real flair.
Theatrical Release:Jan 13, 2006 Wide
Box Office: $38,360,195
Synopsis: Queen Latifah is absolutely delightful in Wayne Wang's romantic comedy, LAST HOLIDAY. Latifah stars as Georgia Byrd, a reserved plus-sized woman who lives a dreary, ordinary life in pre-Katrina New... Queen Latifah is absolutely delightful in Wayne Wang's romantic comedy, LAST HOLIDAY. Latifah stars as Georgia Byrd, a reserved plus-sized woman who lives a dreary, ordinary life in pre-Katrina New Orleans, where she dreams of an elegant existence filled with fancy food, stylish clothing, and high-society parties. But she spends most of her evenings eating frozen dinners all alone, often thinking about a shy coworker (LL Cool J) she has a crush on. When she is suddenly diagnosed with a terminal illness and given three weeks to live, she collects her savings and decides to go crazy, doing all those things she would never allow herself to do before. She heads for one of the world's ritziest hotels, the Grand Hotel Pupp in Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic, where she takes advantage of every luxury she can, from spa treatments to downhill ski runs to helicopter trips to designer shopping excursions. While her lavish appetite is admired by a gourmet chef (Gerard Depardieu, showing agile comic skill), she is deemed a potential threat by a corporate bigwig (a slick Timothy Hutton). She's also none too happy to find her too-smooth senator (Giancarlo Esposito) enjoying a lush vacation instead of serving his community. Latifah simply lights up the screen in a somewhat different version of the role played by Alec Guinness in Henry Cass's 1950 original. This version of LAST HOLIDAY has been updated with a playful pop soundtrack, Geoffrey Simpson's beautiful photography, William Arnold's bright and colorful production design, and an enjoyable, lighthearted pace from director Wang (DIM SUM, THE JOY LUCK CLUB, and MAID IN MANHATTAN). [More]
Starring: Queen Latifah, LL Cool J, Timothy Hutton, Gerard Depardieu
Starring: Queen Latifah, LL Cool J, Timothy Hutton, Gerard Depardieu, Alicia Witt, Giancarlo Esposito, Michael Nouri, Jane Adams
Director: Wayne Wang
Director: Wayne Wang
Screenwriter: Jeffrey Price, Peter S. Seaman
Producer: Robert Zemeckis, Steve Starkey, Richard Vane, Laurence Mark, Jack Rapke
Composer: George Fenton
Producer: Peter S. Seaman, Jeffrey Price
Studio: Paramount Pictures
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Release:
Dec 30, 2008
Reviews for Last Holiday
...A slight film, sometimes droll, sometimes whimsical, and usually sharp.
The real radiance in this sumptuous, likable fantasy-fulfillment comedy comes from Queen Latifah.
Last Holiday remake returns to the era of the original 56 years ago, when films made all sorts of leaps to sell their concepts.
This isn't the sort of movie that's meant to surprise, but it is a movie that gets better as it goes.
Admirably avoiding the burlesque fish-out-of-water/makeover movie one might fear, Last Holiday is as joyful and winsome as Georgia turns out to be.
Last Holiday isn't much more than a fantasy, but it's a sweet one, and it's far more worthy of attention than such hideous garbage as Rumor Has It . . . .
...more of an éclair than a hearty meal... for those seeking light diversion...
Queen Latifah remains here an utterly imperturbable, warm and human presence.
...an admittedly inconsequential yet undeniably uplifting piece of work...
She's (Queen Latifa) the unexpected and hugely effective star of Last Holiday, a pleasant trifle made far better than it should be by her effortless charm and expansive spirit.
An appealing morality play in which Queen Latifah demonstrates a warm embrace of life with humor and humanity.
If Last Holiday were a song, it'd be one of Earth, Wind and Fire's brassier anthems of uplift and self-realization.
A sweetly comic film that gives Queen Latifah her most satisfying role to date.
a happy surprise... Latifah shines under the direction of Wayne Wang, who turns her into a classic screwball comedy heroine.
The Last Holiday would be predictable even if it weren't a remake, but that isn't necessarily a drawback. On the contrary, it actually adds a boost to the movie's feel-good format.
[Latifah] makes you easily sympathize with her character, even as you're aware of the plot's utter contrivance.
Latest News for Last Holiday
January 18, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: "Hitcher" Aims to Terrorize Moviegoers
After a busy MLK frame which concluded with the Golden Globe Awards, Hollywood lets the dust settle this weekend as only one new film enters wide release - the horror remake... More...
January 11, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: Can Sony "Stomp" the "Museum?"
Can Ben Stiller and his living artifacts four-peat at the top of the North American box office, or will one of the new releases take the crown over the four-day Dr. Martin... More...
July 07, 2006:
Cast Your Vote in the Teen Choice Awards
Are you between the ages of 13 and 19? Do you like ... stuff? Then click right here and cast your votes for the 329th annual Teen Choice Awards, which is where you can tell the... More...
January 17, 2006:
Weinsteins "Hoodwink" Their Way to #1 at the Weekend Box Office
The Weinstein's "Hoodwinked" took on a trio of big studio rivals over the MLK holiday weekend, and early estimates for the four-day frame indicate that the little guy... More...
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