The Last Word (2017)

“The Last Word” stars Shirley MacLaine, Amanda Seyfried, Anne Heche, and Tom Everett Scott.  Released on March 3, 2017, the film is about a young writer who is tasked to write the life story of a retired businesswoman.​

The film is directed by Mark Pellington, who also directed films such as Arlington Road, Henry Poole Is Here, and I Melt with You.  This is one of those moments where a film like this gets released with the other big releases that got so much attention from most moviegoers.  After seeing the trailer for the first time, I thought it would be best for me to go take a good look at it since I’m playing catch up with the new releases.  I know little to no information about this film, so it would be interesting to see how it turns out for me.

Pros:
Solid performances, with Shirley MacLaine being a personal highlight of mine.

Its message was heartwarming.

The story didn’t tug any of my heartstrings, but it was nicely told nonetheless.

Cons:
First and second acts were a bit slow and underwhelming.

Final thoughts: While it might not get any awards recognition, Shirley MacLaine does her part in carrying “The Last Word” forward despite its underwhelming and slow storytelling.  It does have some moments that I enjoyed, but they weren’t enough for me to warrant a second look.  If you’re a fan of MacLaine’s other works as an actress, then I think you will like this film more than I did.  Heck, even my mom and my grandmothers liked it more, so I guess that’s something.

C+