Last Chance

I've been in this town for twenty-two years, and I've been dragged to many a screening. I steel myself beforehand to be polite and noncommittal, then wipe the old memory banks as I exit the screening room. And although I've spent many hours at this site over the course of the last four years, I've never been inspired to register in order to vote on a movie, and certainly never to comment on one.

"Last Chance" is awesome. My girlfriend giggled at me for fully two hours after the screening (Saturday, 2/10/2001) as I repeated over and over, "That movie was awesome! That kid was awesome! I loved that movie! What a great movie! Thank you so much for inviting me to see that movie!"

Okay, so it's obvious that I have nothing particularly intelligent to say about it. I'm completely out of my element here. But see it if you love romance. See it if you love kids. See it if you love the desert. See it if you're fond of cactus and/or turkeys. See it if you're recovering from an addiction. See it if you love Jay Thomas. Just see it! You will be touched...

The first thing that I saw pertaining to this movie was a poster that read "Will you know when it's your last chance?" I answered the question like so many other people in there mid 20's do with, "Of course. Are you kidding me?" I walked into the film a 25 year old and walked out a much smarter 25 year old. This film has amazing insight, wonderful writing and an outstanding cast. Some of the lines in the screenplay blew me away. It made me stop and look at my life. It's a film that you go to sleep with. You think about it when you leave. You talk about it with the person that you went with and then you take the most precious part home with you which is analyzing your existence here on earth and what role you have and what role you don't have. All of the characters have true depth and the realism pours out of the screen. None of the characters are "bad" people. They are just who they are. Smart. Smart. Smart. It's so refreshing to see life as it is and how it can change - if you have the courage to change it.

I was told once that an unfinished circle was much more appealing than the closed one because the person looking at the unfinished circle could fill in the missing piece. Last Chance owns this brilliant piece of film making that many films try so hard to capture. This film doesn't have fast paced special effects or a crazy, hip screenplay. This film owns truth and knowledge into the wonderful world of life. After seeing this film, don't be surprised if you catch yourself evaluating where you are and if you truly will know when it's your last chance.

I had the opportunity to see Last Chance at the Rhode Island Film Festival in Providence,RI on August 15th. I was so impressed by the movie as a whole but in particular I was impressed by the acting of Robin Dearden who played Lauren Benson. It is so refreshing to see a story about a women who is learning about herself and her own strength without it being because "someone kidnapped her daughter and no one will listen, etc, etc, etc...". There seems to be so few stories about women who are more than just one dimensional and this is one of the few! Robin played the part of Lauren in a way that made you feel you were eavesdropping on a person's life not watching a movie. She was completely believable as a woman who never expected more than her "lot" in life until a stranger touches her in a way she never expected. The supporting cast was excellent as well. What a great treat to see a movie that does not rely on violence, sex, and special effects to keep an audience's attention but relies instead on real characters and an intelligent story. The film played to a sold out crowd of about 150 people at the Rhode Island Film Festival. After the show, Bill Timoney, an actor and producer of the film, invited people to comment on the film and ask questions. The overall response of the film was excellent!! This is one of the most enjoyable movies I have seen in a long time and I look forward to seeing it again!

Bryan Cranston not only proves himself to be an excellent actor (have you noticed how he changes his looks in all the films and TV series he's done?), but now he also shows his directorial chops in an excellent, human story. There aren't many films that show this much emotion without being a sappy mess. I would recommend this film to anyone, even if it's not their type of film. It should get a wider release and have the success it deserves. Mr. Cranston should direct more films during his hiatus from Malcolm In The Middle.

Just saw this film at the Valley Fest and it was a crowd pleaser. It is a good script and was well acted and directed. I wish only the best for Cranston. His vision was clear and the dialog true to the characters who spoke them. recommended