This was a fantastic movie that showed what Georgia (Queen Latifah) would do if her life was coming to an end – such as quitting her job, traveling to meet a famous chef and allowing her “impossible” dreams to become realities. After an accident at work, a faulty CAT scan results in Georgia’s doctor’s determining that she has a terminal illness and only has three weeks to live. Georgia left her workplace and realized she had been missing out on much of what life had to offer, realizing she could become happy by vacationing in Prague. Cashing all checks and bonds, she had an almost-unlimited supply of money. She befriended the young mistress and friends of a man who wrote the books her boss swore by, in addition to being the owner of the Louisiana store where she worked in the kitchenware section.
Georgia left her love interest, Sean (LL Cool J), a man she worked with but never had the courage to ask out, and her young neighbor back in Louisiana. She did not tell anyone where she was going, leading people to become worried after her drastic departure from church. Georgia became a great friend of the esteemed chef, learned to snowboard, received massages, and eventually convinced the owner of her store to stay alive.
This was an enjoyable movie, where Queen Latifah did a great job playing her role. Though the subject was depressing, it was directed in a way that people could still enjoy the story, understanding that she wanted to do as much living as possible in a short period of time. In the end, as some may assume, Georgia did not end up dying. Her CAT scan results were identical to those of her doctor and another patient, leading the doctor to believe there was a flaw in the machine. When Georgia discovered she would stay alive, she went back to Louisiana, married the man she loved and opened a gourmet restaurant.
This movie’s ending was similar to what happened to Elle (Reese Witherspoon) in Legally Blonde. At that movie’s conclusion, Elle was said to be a powerful woman, as she proved that it is possible to achieve your dreams, no matter how farfetched people may think they are. In Last Holiday, Georgia was able to do great things with her life, and even after the ending credits rolled, a smile was firmly planted on my face. A typical “feel-good” movie, it is still above the rest. The subject matter was fresh, and the dramatic plot twist made me realize that sometimes people, no matter how nasty, really can change for the better.
I would recommend this movie to anyone, especially people who enjoy happy endings. Whether you see it in a theater or wait until it comes out on video, you will not be let down.
This film is solid proof that Hollywood has no balls whatsoever. They could have made a movie that set a precedent with a Hollywood Tragic Comedy, but they pussied out and went with the typical "happy ending." This was still an excellent film, but it had the potential to have everyone in the theatre leave wiping their eyes had they not played it safe. Damn you, Hollywood; take a risk once in awhile.
Written by: SL