Any film with three generations of women that take a road trip has fall within the main definition of a chick flick. In the case of "The Last Word," this motion picture is offers a star turn to Shirley MacLaine, who plays a retired advertising executive who enlists a young reporter to write her obituary...before she dies.
The super control freak played by Miss MacLaine is named Harriett Lauler, who has even conceive for the reporter the four key ingredients of a good obituary in which the deceased is described as having been loved by family, respected by co-workers, beloved of a special person whose life has been uniquely touched, and a "wild card" with an unforgettable opening line in the tribute.
Anne Sherman (Amanda Seyfried) has the unenviable task to research Harriett's life and somehow write an obituary that will satisfy the woman who is described by her daughter as having and obsessive-compulsive personality. As Anne interviews Harriet's acquaintances, co-workers, and family members, there are some humorous moments and memorable one-liners, such as Harriett's description of compromise in a marriage: "Compromise meas that two people are miserable instead of one." It was somewhat of a stretch to believe that the young writer had a transformative experience in her relationship, making the decision to pursue her dream of becoming a more substantial writer and traveling to southern Spain to visit the plains of Andalusia. There was also a strained effort to develop the theme of "taking risks" in life "living up to one's potential." Those were the primary factors in how Harriett led her life, as marvelously portrayed by Shirley MacLaine.
The super control freak played by Miss MacLaine is named Harriett Lauler, who has even conceive for the reporter the four key ingredients of a good obituary in which the deceased is described as having been loved by family, respected by co-workers, beloved of a special person whose life has been uniquely touched, and a "wild card" with an unforgettable opening line in the tribute.
Anne Sherman (Amanda Seyfried) has the unenviable task to research Harriett's life and somehow write an obituary that will satisfy the woman who is described by her daughter as having and obsessive-compulsive personality. As Anne interviews Harriet's acquaintances, co-workers, and family members, there are some humorous moments and memorable one-liners, such as Harriett's description of compromise in a marriage: "Compromise meas that two people are miserable instead of one." It was somewhat of a stretch to believe that the young writer had a transformative experience in her relationship, making the decision to pursue her dream of becoming a more substantial writer and traveling to southern Spain to visit the plains of Andalusia. There was also a strained effort to develop the theme of "taking risks" in life "living up to one's potential." Those were the primary factors in how Harriett led her life, as marvelously portrayed by Shirley MacLaine.