The Last Word

Shirley MacLaine did a wonderful job. That is it. The movie in itself was predictable and they of course had to throw in a little kid that was quite annoying. But Shirley MacLaine was great!

Lovely film about a cantankerous, controlling widow Harriet (Shirley MacLaine) who reads obituaries talking about the good deeds of hateful people and decides she should have a good one herself. She approaches the writer responsible, Anne (Amanda Seyfried) and asks her to write her obituary.

Along the way, both women learn some important lessons.

Wonderful performances, especially from scene-stealer AnnJewel Lee Dixon, who is a scream.

Enjoyable, on the predictable side, but very well done.

This is a predictable movie - will not give anything away as you will see it for yourself. Shirley Maclaine is fun to watch and believable -she is a lady used to having her way and all of a sudden she is having questions about how she will be remembered. The main characters beside her, are the obit writer and the young person she is going to help and turn their life around. This is a film that is easy to watch, predictable and believable. Just not a great one but a good way to spend the afternoon.

This is a gem of a movie with a slow start that builds in appreciation as the story unfolds. It has a surprising array of talented actors, and they all do well. Shirley Maclaine is a masterful actress and does not disappoint in this film. She plays a woman who has always controlled everything in her life and now is focused on having her final say, hence the title. Amanda Seyfried plays a young obit writer and as always, fully commits to the role and she shines. The two make this an enjoyable and thoughtful experience. It isn't an action or popcorn movie, and didn't make much of a splash when it debuted but has a new life in streaming. It's about living life, facing challenges and being willing to take risks in life without fear of failure.

This movie caught me off guard. I was expecting a boring, standard movie with a few funny sketches when I was rewarded with a brilliant, profound movie that came to me as a tiny mirror of my own life. You won't regret it but in the end, these are just my thoughts.