Zu guter Letzt

I have to admit going into this a little unprepared and not sure what to expect. I hadn't read any write ups and went in with very little knowledge of what the movie was about.

I nearly always like Shirley MacLaine movies, she rarely does a bad one and Amanda Seyfried usually does OK. This was no exception and Shirley MacLaine really shines in this one. The roles is not really new, we have seen her in this type of role before so it is one she is either picked for or picks for herself.

Amanda Seyfried does quite well, but the real performance to look out for is from AnnJewel Lee Dixon, she really does make for a fun movie and steals some of the scenes she is in from Shirley MacLaine.

Word of warning, if you don't like the use of foul language by young children you may not like this movie, be prepared for that.

Some would say this is a predictable movie, so be it, it probably is, but it is also very entertaining and worth the price of admission.

8/10 for me and I would see it again.

Cleverly written, this little film is a gem and shows that a good movie doesn't have to be a big blockbuster. AnnJewel Lee Dixon is wonderful and her personality shines through every scene she is in. Shirley MacLaine, while getting older, shows she still has "it." While my wife cried at the end, I didn't think of it as a typical "chick flick."

This film tells the story of an elderly woman who is difficult and controlling. One day, she comes up with the idea of controlling what her obituary should look like. Therefore, she hires an obituary writer to work on the last words that would summarise her existence on Earth.

The first five minutes should have been a warning sign for me. There is little dialog, as the screen shows Shirley MacLaine's character, Harriet being grumpy by herself. Then, she is as difficult as can be, evoking no sympathy for her from me.

I can't quite bear her creating artificial relationships with Amanda Seyfried and the little girl either, as their bond with Harriet is contrived and unconvincing. Am I really to believe that you can chat up a little girl in the school yard, and subsequently take the girl on a one day trip without parental consent? The whole subplot of the little girl is seriously flawed.

The story is slow, and there is not enough content to fill the screen time. I felt seriously bored. I almost dosed off when Harriet does something similar on the sofa. Then something unbelievable happens. I cannot possibly imagine anyone does what Amanda Seyfried does in that situation. Her lack of action is entirely absurd and senseless.

Normally I like a brain off film with a predictable plot, but "The Last Word" manages to bore and irritate me.

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.

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!