The Last Word

As she faces the end of her life, lonely businesswoman Harriet Lauler (Shirley MacLaine) enlists a newspaper writer (Amanda Seyfried) to write her obituary. But when Harriet finds out she is universally loathed, the pair go on a road trip to rewrite her legacy. While it has an interesting starting point, Mark Pellington's comedy focuses so much on how nasty Harriet is, that she becomes difficult to redeem, making the final act exceedingly hard to swallow. The question is not whether she can be saved, but whether she deserves to be. That said, there are some laughs to be had from the misanthropy. MacLaine gives a spirited performance, putting Seyfried through a series of increasingly unbelievable misadventures, and she's helped by witty child star AnnJewel Lee Dixon, a surprise package as Harriet's young companion. The Last Word certainly has good intentions, but can't prevent its spiky lead character going too far with her acid tongue, or her unrealistic plans.