The Last Word (2017)
The start of the movie is very touching. Baby, childhood, youth, and adult pictures of Shirley MacLaine are displayed over the opening credits, similar to a tribute to her at the Oscars after she’s passed away (which we all hope will be many, many years in the future). Next, we are introduced to Shirley’s character, an 81-year-old retired businesswoman who insists on having control over every aspect of her life. She trims her own hedges and improves dinner while her chef is cooking, but at the end of the day, she’s enormously unhappy. She attempts suicide, but when she is revived, she has a sudden worry: she hasn’t planned out her obituary yet!
Amanda Seyfried is the writer hired by Shirley to write her obituary before her death. Normally, a young female journalist character in a movie is written out to be utterly unlikable and ruins whatever scene she’s in. I feared the same during The Last Word, however, as the movie progressed, she didn’t wind up nearly as unlikable as I’d thought. And, given the choice of other actresses who could have been cast in the role (Emma Stone, Anna Kendrick, etc), I was very happy with Amanda’s rendition of the character.
If you’re a Shirley MacLaine movie, this is a must-see, especially since she’s still alive. I can imagine watching this movie after she’s passed away would be very sad. Instead, it’s inspiring. Shirley is at first motivated to change her life because she wants a better obituary, but along the way, she starts enjoying life in its own right, and it’s beautiful. The Last Word has the freedom of a “bucket list” type of movie, but with the motivation of enjoying life, not fearing death.
More Shirley MacLaine movies here!
Amanda Seyfried is the writer hired by Shirley to write her obituary before her death. Normally, a young female journalist character in a movie is written out to be utterly unlikable and ruins whatever scene she’s in. I feared the same during The Last Word, however, as the movie progressed, she didn’t wind up nearly as unlikable as I’d thought. And, given the choice of other actresses who could have been cast in the role (Emma Stone, Anna Kendrick, etc), I was very happy with Amanda’s rendition of the character.
If you’re a Shirley MacLaine movie, this is a must-see, especially since she’s still alive. I can imagine watching this movie after she’s passed away would be very sad. Instead, it’s inspiring. Shirley is at first motivated to change her life because she wants a better obituary, but along the way, she starts enjoying life in its own right, and it’s beautiful. The Last Word has the freedom of a “bucket list” type of movie, but with the motivation of enjoying life, not fearing death.
More Shirley MacLaine movies here!