It's about first loves, last chances and everything in between.
Harvey Shine is in London for the weekend for his daughter's wedding. His work in New York preoccupies him: he writes music for ads, and he knows his boss is pushing him aside for younger talent. With family he's also on the sidelines - long divorced, his wife remarried, her husband closer to his daughter than he. His path crosses that of Kate Walker, unmarried, her life becoming that of a spinster, set up by friends on blind dates leading nowhere. After Harvey's no good terrible day, he chats Kate up at a Heathrow bar. She's not interested. Where can this conversation lead? Back at his daughter's reception, the step-father rises to give a toast.
Genre(s): Drama, Romance
Runtime: 93 minutes
Rating: 7.0/10 (5,397 votes)
Release Date: 8 November 2008
Country: USA
Languages: English
Company: Overture Films
Sound: DTS, Dolby Digital, SDDS
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for brief strong language.
Director(s): Joel Hopkins
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Producer(s):
Jawal Nga - executive producer
Tim Perell - producer
Guy Tannahill - line producer
Nicola Usborne - producer
Writer(s):
Joel Hopkins - writer
Cast:
Dustin Hoffman - Harvey Shine
Emma Thompson - Kate Walker
Eileen Atkins - Maggie Walker
Kathy Baker - Jean
Liane Balaban - Susan
James Brolin - Brian
Richard Schiff - Marvin
Tim Howar - Johnnie
Wendy Mae Brown - Aggie
Bronagh Gallagher - Oonagh
Music: Dickon Hinchliffe
Jawal Nga - executive producer
Tim Perell - producer
Guy Tannahill - line producer
Nicola Usborne - producer
Writer(s):
Joel Hopkins - writer
Cast:
Dustin Hoffman - Harvey Shine
Emma Thompson - Kate Walker
Eileen Atkins - Maggie Walker
Kathy Baker - Jean
Liane Balaban - Susan
James Brolin - Brian
Richard Schiff - Marvin
Tim Howar - Johnnie
Wendy Mae Brown - Aggie
Bronagh Gallagher - Oonagh
Music: Dickon Hinchliffe
Posted on: December 28, 2008
June 16th, 2009
You can really feel the tension and truth in this film. What a reliefHoffman and Thompson – an unlikely couple – should get together withthis great script to produce an emotional roller-coaster. Thank youboth. This really is my kind of film.
Having walked out of Terminator Salvation after an hour, for obviousreasons (okay, to spell it out: lack of plot and senseless actionsequences), I was once again loosing faith in Hollywood with itsanimation madness. Didn't Dogme95 remind filmmakers about getting backto basics? Well, here's a film that does just that. Boy did this filmhurt – especially if you actually have kids or have ever wanted them.
I would say this is the best of Hoffman's films, and a typically greatperformance from Thompson – who is allowed to really shine in this one.Neither of them are spring chickens but their acting is the reason whywe still need experienced actors.
June 20th, 2009
Have just had good fortune to see Last Chance Harvey at localindependent cinema and it was an absolute delight from start to finish.Gentle, witty, wry, poignant, well observed and beautifully acted bythe 2 main leads. Emma Thompson just improves with every film and goodto see her daughter following in her footsteps too. Dustin Hoffmanshows that with maturity comes a lightness and delicacy of touch and Iwas especially impressed with his piano composition and playing. Yes,there were a few unlikely and contrived moments, but it didn't spoilthe pace of the film and I would highly recommend it to anyone wantinga relaxing and enjoyable evening at cinema
June 25th, 2009
I'd be very surprised if Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson are notembarrassed by this film. Surely they just did it for the money, right?It is brainless drivel for the unremittingly sentimental. It leaves nocliché unturned, no hackneyed plot device unused. Everythingpredictable about a RomCom is there, except that this one has virtuallyno laughs at all, largely because most of the time it is grimlydepressing. At least Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson can act, and Iwas able to be grateful for that small mercy in what was otherwise areal lemon of a film!
One of the many irritating features of this film is that it resorts totourist brochure stereotyping of London. I'm sure for Americans who'venever left America that's fine, but anyone who knows London knows thatthis insipid and inaccurate portrayal is pure garbage. And of course,we are meant to believe that the two main characters arrive atPaddington station from Heathrow and then walk to the Royal FestivalHall on the South Bank via Trafalgar Square so that Emma's charactercan attend a – yawn – writing class…
July 2nd, 2009
I am absolutely shocked to see a modern day movie made that's devoid ofspecial effects; explosions; fast cut editing; no foul language; nonudity; no vicious killings; no villains; no CGI. This movie was sorefreshing for what it is. Tells a coherent story with no "shockending", with actors who can ACT and not run around and look stunningwith all kinds of make-up and fancy costumes. Also nice to see a moviemade for ADULTS and not tweens or kiddies. Of course it was a boxoffice dud, but who cares. Just wish more movies of this ilk are madeand if only seen by a few people who love movies the way movies weremeant to be made. Story, direction, acting and nice locales. DustinHoffman and Emma Thompson make a terrific team and would like to seethem in a film again, not in tiny character parts, but as leads such asthis.
July 2nd, 2009
This is an exquisitely made film, perfect in every frame. In it, DustinHoffman gives the finest performance of his entire career. And EmmaThompson gives the finest performance of her career as well. These twopros work so well together on screen that you feel you areeavesdropping on something so acutely personal that you should creepaway on tiptoe and not disturb them. It is almost impossible to watchthis film and remember that it is a film. It is so powerful andconvincing that you really believe you are there. The film was bothwritten and directed by Joel Hopkins, a relative newcomer as a Britishdirector. He is so brilliant that he should make lots and lots ofmovies and then when he has done that, he should make lots and lotsmore, and so on, ad infinitum. The film is nothing short of a totalwork of genius. It is extremely, agonizingly painful to watch theparalytic shyness, uncertainties, self-doubts, hesitations,hopelessness, and oppressed personalities of Hoffman and Thompson, bothof them crushed in their own ways, as they tentatively find each otherand struggle to learn to trust one another and overcome the fear ofcommitment. This is a masterpiece of modern British cinema. It shouldwin all the Oscars, but because it is not 'trendy', it will probablywin none. Thank God, neither Hoffman nor Thompson has had plasticsurgery. They still have their personalities and have not becomeidentikit robotic immobilized faces. They have all their wrinkles andcrinkles, they can show expression when they smile and frown, they arehuman. I think if I see another surgically altered Hollywood actor oractress I shall scream and scream and scream and scream. Then I shallrun out into the street and pull off all my clothes, and rant like aloonie: 'Faces! Give us back faces! Down with the Zombies!' But here wehave faces aplenty: they are all the faces of all the moods and all thethoughts of the two lead characters. They have hundreds of faces, asthey have hundreds of shades to their moods and their emotions. This isjust as heart-rending an emotional drama as 'Brief Encounter' ever was,and Hopkins is every bit as creative and sensitive as David Lean.Really, we should all be queuing up to sign a book somewhere,certifying the classic status of this great work, and endorsing it forfuture generations. If Hoffman and Thompson had never made anothermovie in their lives, this one alone would serve to place them amongstthe immortals.