I just finished watching the DVD, 'Last Holiday' with Queen Latifah, LL Cool J, and Timothy Hutton, in a Wayne Wang film. It is a romantic light-hearted but not what I would call a comedy. The heroine, Ms. Georgina Byrd (Queen Latifah) is straight-laced, church-going, single woman who finds herself attracted to a fellow co-worker Sean Williams (LL Cool J), is emitted to the hospital for knocking herself unconscious on a set of cupboards in the workplace. The examination results in a CAT scan which ultimately shows she has a rare virus that leaves her with approximately three weeks to live. After finding out that she isn't insured for the surgery needed to remove the brain tumors, nor can she come up with $350,000 cash, she resigns herself to the inevitable.
Realizing that she will never have the time to fulfill all her dreams, including marrying Sean, salesman in the sports department of the store she works at, she quits her job during the Christmas rush, cashes in all her bonds and savings and decides to go on a dream ski trip to Karlovy Vary, Czechoslovakia. She books her flight second class and ends up in first class because she felt that with only three weeks to live she would splurge. After finding out that it would take an-over night drive to get to her hotel, she hires a helicopter to take her to the luxurious hotel, where only the rich play. After arriving in high style, she finds that she is early and hasn't a reservation so she pays the extra and stays in the Presidential Suite, which only adds to an illusion that she is accidentally putting up.
At dinner she orders the
famous Chef Didier (Gerard Depardieu) specialties, without substitutions which pleases and impresses the chef who introduces himself and strikes up a conversation with whom he believes to be a very eccentric, wealthy woman. Georgina becomes an instant hit of the hotel, by being friendly and spending money on a new international wardrobe, a complete new look, taking snow boarding lessons, base-jumping and other noticeable activities.
Sean Williams decides around this time, that he has to get to better know her and asks the doctor who gave her the CAT Scan about his findings. After persuading the good doctor, he goes to her home only to find that she has gone. With more than a little luck, he meets a youth who picked her possibilities (dreams) book out of the garbage, where she threw it, and finds out her thoughts concerning himself and her destination. He departs to find her.
Meanwhile, her doctor is finding that everyone that passes through the CAT scan has the same virus. He comes to the conclusion that the machine is at fault. After searching for Ms Byrd, he also finds out where is and sends a fax stating that she is not going to die that the machine was faulty. The fax drops to the floor of the hotel reception office and goes unnoticed for the time being.
The hotel floor valet has been tipped by the antagonist, corporate mongul Matthew Kragen (Timothy Hutton) of the movie to reveal who Georgia Byrd is exactly. Ms Byrd is invited out to a casino and ends up cashing out with approximately $100,000. The valet, Ms Gunther finds the note the Georgia writes as her final will and testament, which explains her impending death and without trying shows Georgia the way to go is to return home. She returns the tip and tries to do the ‘right’ thing. Georgia leaves the hotel but she finds her way blocked by the same avalanche that blocks Sean from getting to her. Ms Gunther finds the fax and is more than happy to tell Georgia the good news.
In the end, Georgia uses the winnings from the casino to make another one of her dreams come true. She creates a small Bistro style restaurant at home at Louisiana.
This is not what is called a Block Buster Movie. Instead, it is a good Christian film that would be rated for the whole family. It is about serious events that everyday people living everyday lives go through with a touch of humor to make the movie more light-hearted. It is about how one woman survives death. It is about success. I would definitely recommend the movie without hesitation to anyone.
Realizing that she will never have the time to fulfill all her dreams, including marrying Sean, salesman in the sports department of the store she works at, she quits her job during the Christmas rush, cashes in all her bonds and savings and decides to go on a dream ski trip to Karlovy Vary, Czechoslovakia. She books her flight second class and ends up in first class because she felt that with only three weeks to live she would splurge. After finding out that it would take an-over night drive to get to her hotel, she hires a helicopter to take her to the luxurious hotel, where only the rich play. After arriving in high style, she finds that she is early and hasn't a reservation so she pays the extra and stays in the Presidential Suite, which only adds to an illusion that she is accidentally putting up.
At dinner she orders the
famous Chef Didier (Gerard Depardieu) specialties, without substitutions which pleases and impresses the chef who introduces himself and strikes up a conversation with whom he believes to be a very eccentric, wealthy woman. Georgina becomes an instant hit of the hotel, by being friendly and spending money on a new international wardrobe, a complete new look, taking snow boarding lessons, base-jumping and other noticeable activities.Sean Williams decides around this time, that he has to get to better know her and asks the doctor who gave her the CAT Scan about his findings. After persuading the good doctor, he goes to her home only to find that she has gone. With more than a little luck, he meets a youth who picked her possibilities (dreams) book out of the garbage, where she threw it, and finds out her thoughts concerning himself and her destination. He departs to find her.
Meanwhile, her doctor is finding that everyone that passes through the CAT scan has the same virus. He comes to the conclusion that the machine is at fault. After searching for Ms Byrd, he also finds out where is and sends a fax stating that she is not going to die that the machine was faulty. The fax drops to the floor of the hotel reception office and goes unnoticed for the time being.
The hotel floor valet has been tipped by the antagonist, corporate mongul Matthew Kragen (Timothy Hutton) of the movie to reveal who Georgia Byrd is exactly. Ms Byrd is invited out to a casino and ends up cashing out with approximately $100,000. The valet, Ms Gunther finds the note the Georgia writes as her final will and testament, which explains her impending death and without trying shows Georgia the way to go is to return home. She returns the tip and tries to do the ‘right’ thing. Georgia leaves the hotel but she finds her way blocked by the same avalanche that blocks Sean from getting to her. Ms Gunther finds the fax and is more than happy to tell Georgia the good news.
In the end, Georgia uses the winnings from the casino to make another one of her dreams come true. She creates a small Bistro style restaurant at home at Louisiana.
This is not what is called a Block Buster Movie. Instead, it is a good Christian film that would be rated for the whole family. It is about serious events that everyday people living everyday lives go through with a touch of humor to make the movie more light-hearted. It is about how one woman survives death. It is about success. I would definitely recommend the movie without hesitation to anyone.