Une dernière danse

It's an ode for good teachers! It's a film that asks you to slow down and inhale the best scents of life's memories quoting Cicero's line about actors leaving the stage quietly after achieving their best! It's a film that brings to mind Mazursky's "Harry and Tonto" and Bruce Beresford's "Tender Mercies".

The story is great and performances real. Maureen O'Hara in her eighties is really wonderful to look at (compare her withered hands to her great face) and to hear. Her enunciation of spoken English is a treat for the ears.

The film is more of a play on film but the editing is so smooth that you feel one scene weaves in to the next. The film does not stun you but endears you psychologically. The film involved the work of three writers at three stages. Probably Beth Polson had much to do with making the story good for cinema, may be it was Dalene Young. The film is great because of the contribution of three good writers, a charming Maureen O'Hara and fine editing. The direction of Kevin Dowling and the cinematography of Larry Reibman, though not outstanding, was above average.

I caught this movie on Lifetime, but it had the Hallmark network feel to it. Sometimes this type of film can be overly sentimental, but I found this one to be wonderful as it emphasized the importance of taking time to love one another. Maureen O'Hara, at 80-something and looking great, plays a schoolteacher who becomes involved in the life of a former student and his wife. As a woman whose great love ended before the relationship could fully develop, she imparts what she has learned to them about what's really important in this world, and what really stays with those we leave behind when we go into the next one.

O'Hara is really inspirational. Her voice and acting are strong and her no-nonsense portrayal keeps "The Last Dance" from being cloying in any way. You really grow to love this woman and all she stands for. The flashback scenes are well cast.

A nice movie to catch, especially around the holidays.

Maureen O'Hara was one of the most spectacular beauties in Hollywood history. When she made "The Last Dance," she was 82--and still a stunning woman. Because many of her films were action films and westerns, it's easy to forget that O'Hara was also an excellent actress. Here she plays a retired Latin teacher--yes, Latin was once taught in public schools, folks--who reconnects with a former student who is now a male nurse. The plot is reminiscent of "Good Morning, Miss Dove," with Jennifer Jones, another beauty who has aged well.

The former student keeps an eye on the teacher when she leaves the hospital, and soon his family (wife and two children) becomes involved as well. The plot is interesting, and the movie is well-written and very well-acted by the cast. What could easily slide into bathos is genuinely moving as the film gradually reveals via well-integrated flashbacks the teacher's life, past as well as present. A bus trip and a day at the beach are extremely well-done.

"The Last Dance" is one of those films that really has to be seen to be appreciated; it's very quietly done but beautifully realized. When you watch O'Hara, think about what most of the current crop of "actresses" will look like and what their performances will be like when they are in their eighties--if any of them manage to maintain a career past the age of thirty.

The style of Maureen O'Hara is unmatched,even today among the best in the business. and there are so many very talented people in the industry. Her classic beauty & comedic humor always has set her apart from others. The Irish temperament,at times,thick accent,especially when angered, her natural beauty, are what set her apart from other women of her generation. She is of a timeless beauty that is so rare these days. I'll never forget her in "MaClintock". I loved that movie so much in my childhood, I couldn't wait for it to come out so I could purchase it,myself.Then, it came out on DVD. That did it. I bought it as a collector's edition. We watch it often. This world has been a much better, enjoyable world with her in it. I am of Irish descent myself,& my family is from Dublin,Ireland, where Ms. O'Hara is from. Though, I've never been, I will always call Ireland the Home of My family. Thank You Maureen O'Hara for all the lovely memories.

Todd is a harried hospital nurse struggling to balance his hectic work and family lives, when he has a chance contact with an elderly patient: his high school Latin teacher.

Despite the untimely departure of her husband in her twenties, she developed a love for life and appreciation of friendship that she finds she must teach him. Drawing his wife and children into her life, she helps him achieve a better understanding of the essence of his existence, as she must resolve the final details of her own. A poignant, compelling tale, sad yet upbeat.