Secondhand Lions

Copyright Āc 2009 Ed Bagley

Last Chance Harvey - 2 star - Average

Is it possible for your two leads to be nominated for best actor and best actress Golden Globe Awards, and yet your magnum opus is average at best?

Yes it is, especially if your son is Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson, and the writer / director Joel Hopkins is the film. Then you have the makings of "Last Chance Harvey. This film is much too dark and depressing to be a romantic comedy, it feeds more negative than positive energy.

Last Chance Harvey is a misnomer. Harvey Shine (Dustin Hoffman) is a person who is not busy at ease around and just lovely. Most of his time is devoted to lament his condition in life. His wife dumped him years. His dream job was to be a jazz pianist, but he opted for a job as a jingle writer for an advertising agency in Manhattan, who is about to abandon it for talent.

His wife remarried, and her daughter is closer to his stepfather as he. Harvey made a career of being absent by choice. Now, he traveled to London for the wedding of his daughter and received a very cold reception from her ex and everyone counts. It becomes a disaster at the rehearsal dinner, can not wait to leave London, and informs his daughter that he will not attend the wedding reception.

Unfortunately for Harvey, he is stuck in traffic and misses his plane, and is quickly informed that he was fired.

He finds solace in a bar after having imposed Kate Walker (Emma Thompson), a survey taker who never married and is now concerned that it will become an old maid. Long story short, these two losers finding just enough to each other to tolerate being together.

Soon, Kate convinces Harvey to attend the wedding of his daughter and he should as long as it accompanies. It's a long story even shorter, they almost have a great time at the reception and agree to meet at noon the next day. It this scenario sounds familiar, just think of "An Affair to Remember".

Harvey, of course, does not go because the elevator is broken at his hotel, he ran down the stairs, has an attack of arrhythmia and is off to the hospital. Kate waiting patiently and was crushed when Harvey does not show, just like a sappy teenage daughter. It never occurs to her that Harvey was hit by a Mack truck on his way to meet her, she assumes the worst, because it follows the unfortunate results like stepping into quicksand. How it all works in the end? What do you think? That's why you see the film, as it is.

This is not the quality that makes a film Last Chance Harvey means he is the screenwriter / director Joel Hopkins. Believe me when I say that Hopkins did his best to make this film a winner artistically and financially. Ultimately, it is not.

Last Chance Harvey reminds me of Jack Nicholson movie is called "About Schmidt" is just terrible.

As a cinephile and film critic, I am related images, human dynamics and psychology of living and existing. Harvey and Kate Both the characters are written as people who exist to complain rather than choosing to live a better life. It's a good thing they found each other because misery does love company.

Harvey is just not a sympathetic character, and Kate is not much better.

Last Chance Harvey made 14 million dollars at the box office, hardly a rousing success. Other than two nominations for Golden Globe Hoffman and Thompson (neither won), the prize suppliers avoid this film like the plague.

Hopkins lack of experience as a writer or director, and has courted failure by attempting to become both the writer and director. I'm sure his ego does not give him much choice in the matter. For all candidates they think.