Movie Review for Last Holiday

Summary: Georgia Byrd lives a small life tucked inside big dreams. A shy cookware salesperson for a New Orleans retail outlet, she handles knives and skillets with the flair of a master chef. But when Georgia learns her days are numbered, she throws caution to the wind and embarks on a dream holiday vacation to a grand resort in Europe. There, thinking she has nothing to lose, Georgia undergoes a metamorphosis--and her transformation affects everyone around her. Georgia's newly uninhibited personality shakes up staff and guests alike, including a venerate chef as well as a retail magnate who becomes convinced she's a rival intent on sabotaging his business plans. From snowy slopes to spectacular spas, delectable dinners to midnight balls, Georgia is going to live a lifetime of fun in just a few weeks.

                         Reviews of Last Holiday
By Kevin Carr of 7M Pictures (7/0)
            Move over Julia Roberts... there's a new Queen in town.

By Rebecca Murray of About.com (7/0)
            Queen Latifah's performance saves what might have been an otherwise ordinary romantic comedy from...

By Marrit Ingman of Austin Chronicle (7/0)
            If we are to live in a world of movies in which women are comically diagnosed with brain diseases...

By M. K. Terrell of Christian Science Monitor (7/0)
            This remake of a 1950 Alec Guinness vehicle isn't a great flick, but Latifah's exuberant performa...

By Jeffrey M. Anderson of Combustible Celluloid (7/0)
            The film's larger arc and plot twists leave quite a bit to be desired. But Wang's overall delicat...

By Jeff Vice of Deseret News, Salt Lake City (7/0)
            Queen Latifah's film career has been marked by a series of big, brassy, bold performances, which ...

                         Reviews of Last Holiday
By Peter Sobczynski of eFilmCritic.com (7/0)
            Not the worst movie ever made -- no thanks to Latifah.

By Emanuel Levy of EmanuelLevy.Com (7/0)
            The gifted and charming Latifah deserves a better role than the bunch of cliche's she's asked to ...

By Anna Smith of Empire Magazine (7/0)
            Money can buy you happiness in this inferior remake — although its makeover storyline may please ...

By David Noh of Film Journal International (7/0)
            Queen Latifah remains here an utterly imperturbable, warm and human presence.

By Rory L. Aronsky of Film Threat (7/0)
            It's obvious where "Last Holiday" goes and at times it takes too long to get there, but watching ...

By Sean O'Connell of filmcritic.com (7/0)
            Holiday belongs with those formulaic comedies that bug critics as they please crowds.

                         Reviews of Last Holiday
By Brian Orndorf of FilmJerk.com (7/0)
            Holiday certainly is harmless entertainment, but considering the pedigree of the talent here, the...

By Bill Clark of FromTheBalcony (7/0)
            Wayne Wang directs the film as if he gets an extra commission for each Latifah reaction shot.

By Peter Canavese of Groucho Reviews (7/0)
            A better way to seize the day would be to do something other than sitting through the sitcomedic ...

By Jackie K. Cooper of jackiekcooper.com (7/0)
            Latifah is warm and winning but her movie is predictable from beginning to end.

By Ken Hanke of Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) (7/0)
            While nowhere near the quality of the Alec Guinness/J.B. Priestley original, this isn't an outrig...

By Cynthia Fuchs of PopMatters (7/0)
            The film quite misses the point of casting LL Cool J as romantic object: he's only visible some 2...

                         Reviews of Last Holiday
By Mark Pfeiffer of Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema (7/0)
            Set in a luxurious locale and awash in generosity for its characters, even the mean ones, Last Ho...

By Laura Clifford of Reeling Reviews (7/0)
            ...strictly by the numbers, but, as with Beauty Shop, the Oscar-nominated Queen Latifah has the t...

By Jim Lane of Sacramento News & Review (7/0)
            Wayne Wang keeps things on an even keel, with good supporting performances from LL Cool J as Lati...

By Sean Means of Salt Lake Tribune (7/0)
            Latifah is as charming and sassy as always. ... Someday, she'll find a script that can match her ...

By Larry Ratliff of San Antonio Express-News (7/0)
            Last Holiday is the kind of film perfectly suited for those in the mood for something that doesn'...

By Rich Cline of Shadows on the Wall (7/0)
            This is a terrific story with lots of wonderful ideas swirling around inside it, and a few genuin...

                         Reviews of Last Holiday
By Fernando F. Croce of Slant Magazine (7/0)
            One might gladly exercise the film's carpe-diem moral by concluding that life is too short for mo...

By Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone of TheMovieChicks.com (7/0)
            You can wait to see the Last Holiday during the 'off-season' rates.

By Trevor Johnston of Time Out (7/0)
            It’s not exactly distinguished, but pleasantly warm-hearted, and the sort of thing you might enjo...

By Matthew Turner of ViewLondon (7/0)
            It's clear that Queen Latifah is a proper, old school movie star - the camera loves her and her c...

By John Beifuss of Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) (3/5) Login Required (Login Required)
            The film proffers both a fantasy of wealth and the reassurance that money isn't what really matte...

By Greg Maki of Star-Democrat (Easton, MD) (3/5) Login Required (Login Required)
            Georgia is a lovable character we can't help but root for.

                         Reviews of Last Holiday
By James Sanford of Kalamazoo Gazette (6/1) No reference
            a happy surprise... Latifah shines under the direction of Wayne Wang, who turns her into a classi...

By Scott Foundas of L.A. Weekly (3/4) No reference
            Whether performing a thrilling, impromptu church spiritual or making a grand entrance in a shimme...

By Jenice Armstrong of Philadelphia Daily News (3/4) No reference
            The movie, which is directed by Wayne Wang (The Joy Luck Club, Smoke) leads to a predictable but ...

By Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat of Spirituality and Practice (3/4) No reference
            An appealing morality play in which Queen Latifah demonstrates a warm embrace of life with humor ...

Movie Distributors
Paramount Pictures
Universal Pictures

Production Companies
ImageMovers
Laurence Mark Productions

Movie Studios
Paramount Pictures
Universal Pictures