This is a terrific story with lots of wonderful ideas swirling around inside it, and a few genuinely wonderful sequences. But the film suffers from a complete lack of attitude or style.
Last Holiday (2006)
Tomatometer
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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:03-03-2006
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
Reviews for Last Holiday
It’s not exactly distinguished, but pleasantly warm-hearted, and the sort of thing you might enjoy on afternoon TV when laid up with the flu.
Money can buy you happiness in this inferior remake — although its makeover storyline may please fans of The Princess Diaries et al.
It's clear that Queen Latifah is a proper, old school movie star - the camera loves her and her constantly upbeat screen persona is extremely likeable. It's just a shame that studios don't seem able to find a decent vehicle for her talents.
The film's larger arc and plot twists leave quite a bit to be desired. But Wang's overall delicate touch makes Last Holiday tolerable.
The movie, which is directed by Wayne Wang (The Joy Luck Club, Smoke) leads to a predictable but smile-worthy conclusion.
It's obvious where "Last Holiday" goes and at times it takes too long to get there, but watching Latifah work her style and spirit when she gets to the Grandhotel Pupp is pure enjoyment.
... overlong (it's almost two hours) and unfocused, but thanks to Latifah, at least you're in amiable company.
The film proffers both a fantasy of wealth and the reassurance that money isn't what really matters.
A mild, fangless, forgettable thing that entertains some and offends little, barring one obnoxious subcontinental stereotype and a cloying urge to make everybody chipper at the end.
Without Queen Latifah, Last Holiday would have been a somewhat tedious vacation, despite its beautiful setting.
An appealing morality play in which Queen Latifah demonstrates a warm embrace of life with humor and humanity.
A better way to seize the day would be to do something other than sitting through the sitcomedic Last Holiday.
...A slight film, sometimes droll, sometimes whimsical, and usually sharp.
Latest News for Last Holiday
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January 11, 2007:
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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
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