Last Chance Harvey (2008)

Director:

Joel Hopkins

Writer:

Joel Hopkins (writer)

Release Date:

16 January 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

It's about first loves, last chances and everything in between.

Plot:

In London for his daughter's wedding, a rumpled man finds his romantic spirits lifted by a new woman in his life.

Plot Keywords:

Wedding | Lunch | Divorce | No Opening Credits | American Abroad

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes.

Cast

Dustin Hoffman	...	Harvey Shine
Emma Thompson	...	Kate Walker
Eileen Atkins	...	Maggie Walker
Kathy Baker	...	Jean
Liane Balaban	...	Susan
James Brolin	...	Brian
Richard Schiff	...	Marvin
Tim Howar	...	Johnnie
Wendy Mae Brown	...	Aggie
Bronagh Gallagher	...	Oonagh
Jeremy Sheffield	...	Matt
Daniel Lapaine	...	Scott
Patrick Baladi	...	Simon
Adam James	...	Josh Hillman
Michael Landes	...	Peter Turner

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language.

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #44804) | Australia:PG | Singapore:PG | Portugal:M/12 | Netherlands:AL | Finland:S | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Mexico:A | Ireland:12A | Sweden:Btl | Argentina:Atp | Brazil:12 | Japan:G

Filming Locations:

Belsize Park, London, England, UK

Company:

Overture Films

Trivia:

Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman worked so well together in 'Stranger Than Fiction (2006)', they wanted to do another project together and got involved in "Last Chance Harvey".

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: During the wedding ceremony scene, Harvey's daughter is wearing a very casual beige dress, but later at the reception she is wearing a formal beaded wedding gown with ornaments in her hair. However, this is a common practice in British weddings: for each event the dress gets more formal.

Quotes:

Harvey Shine: I'm gonna dance your socks off.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Angela and Friends: (#1.14)" (2009)

Predictable but Entertaining

This movie is about a socially awkward American man and British woman who meet in London, get to like one another and may have a future together. The plot has been done a zillion times. I pretty much knew what was going to happen twenty minutes into the film. What saves the film from being one huge predictable snooze fest is that the author is clever enough not to fall into too many clichés so things seem possible if not probable. And there is the excellent casting of Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson. Their characters are quirky enough to be believable and both are very sympathetic. And there's no silly Hollywood ending with rockets bursting and doves flying into the sunset. There's a chance they might make it as a couple despite differences in age, culture and countries or they might be in for a huge disappointment and hurt--something both have known in their lives.

If you're expecting a movie that will entertain, be free of gratuitous sex scenes and violence with a charming backdrop of London landmarks, then this film is for you.