The Last Word is a 2017 American comedy-drama film directed by Mark Pellington, from a screenplay by Stuart Ross Fink. It stars Amanda Seyfried and Shirley MacLaine.
| The Last Word | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Mark Pellington |
| Written by | Stuart Ross Fink |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Eric Koretz |
| Edited by | Julia Wong |
| Music by | Nathan Matthew David |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Bleecker Street |
Release dates |
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Running time | 108 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $2,982,004 [1] |
The Last Word premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2017. It was released on March 3, 2017, by Bleecker Street.
Plot
editA retired businesswoman wants to control everything around her, knowing that she only has a little time left before an imminent death due to a medical condition. She decides to craft her own obituary, so she hires a young obituary writer to work with her to ensure her life story is told her way. The businesswoman tries to expand the horizons of her life, and adopts a young kid for mentoring and lands herself a job as a disc jockey. She grows close with the young writer and influences her life.
Cast
edit- Shirley MacLaine as Harriett Lauler
- Amanda Seyfried as Anne Sherman
- AnnJewel Lee Dixon as Brenda
- Anne Heche as Elizabeth
- Tom Everett Scott as Ronald Odom
- Thomas Sadoski as Robin Sands
- Joel Murray as Joe Mueller
- Adina Porter as Bree Wilson
- Philip Baker Hall as Edward
- Sarah Baker as Zoe
- Steven Culp as Sam Serman
- Basil Hoffman as Christopher George
- Todd Louiso as Dr. Morgan
Production
editIn September 2015, it was announced that Amanda Seyfried and Shirley MacLaine would star in the film, with Mark Pellington directing from a screenplay by Stuart Ross Fink, while Myriad Pictures would handle sales and finance the film.[2] In February 2016, Anne Heche, Philip Baker Hall, and Tom Everett Scott joined the cast of the film.[3] Nathan Matthew David composed the film's score.[4]
Filming
editPrincipal photography began on February 3, 2016.[5] and concluded on March 11, 2016.[6]
Release
editIn November 2015, Bleecker Street acquired U.S distribution rights to the film.[7] The film had its world premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2017.[8][9] It was released on March 3, 2017.[10] On its first weekend, the film grossed $35,000 from four theaters in New York and Los Angeles.[11]
Critical reception
editOn Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval of 40% based on 95 reviews, with an average rating of 4.9/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "The Last Word proves Shirley MacLaine remains a wonderfully magnetic screen presence -- and deserving of a far better vehicle for her considerable talents."[12] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 40 out of 100, based on 21 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[13]
References
edit- ^ "The Last Word". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
- ^ Busch, Anita (September 12, 2015). "Myriad Pictures Will Finance Shirley MacLaine, Amanda Seyfried Starring 'The Last Word'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 25, 2016.
- ^ McNary, Dave (February 9, 2016). "Anne Heche, Philip Baker Hall Join Shirley MacLaine-Amanda Seyfried's 'Last Word'". Variety. Retrieved July 25, 2016.
- ^ "Mark Wellington's The Last Word To Feature Music by Nathan Matthew David". FilmMusicReporter.com. July 6, 2016. Retrieved July 25, 2016.
- ^ "On the Set for 2/5/16: Vin Diesel & Nina Dobrev Start Shooting 'xXx' Sequel, Ben Affleck Wraps Production on 'Live by Night'". SSN Insider. February 5, 2016. Archived from the original on February 21, 2016. Retrieved July 25, 2016.
- ^ "On the Set for 3/11/16: Taraji P. Henson & Octavia Spencer Team Up for 'Hidden Figures' While Jordan Peele, Allison Williams & Catherine Keener Wrap 'Get Out'". SSN Insider. March 11, 2016. Archived from the original on March 12, 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2016.
- ^ Hipes, Patrick (November 2, 2015). "Shirley MacLaine-Amanda Seyfried Dramedy 'The Last Word' Lands At Bleecker Street". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 25, 2016.
- ^ "2017 Sundance Film Festival" (PDF). Sundance Film Festival. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
- ^ Patten, Dominic (December 5, 2016). "Sundance 2017: Robert Redford, New Rashida Jones Netflix Series, 'Rebel In The Rye' & More On Premiere, Docu, Midnight & Kids Slates". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ Pederson, Erik (December 12, 2016). "'The Last Word' Trailer: Controlling Shirley MacLaine Vs. Overwhelmed Obit Writer Amanda Seyfried". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
- ^ "Anna Kendrick's 'Table 19' Leads Meager Post-Oscar Indie Box Office". TheWrap. March 5, 2017. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
- ^ "The Last Word (2017)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
- ^ "The Last Word". Metacritic. Retrieved March 26, 2017.