Last Holiday - Movie Review

Last Holiday did not make a huge splash at the box office; but for me it's keeper. Maybe it'll become a cult classic.

Watch it on Amazon Instant Video, too

Queen Latifah's character, Georgia Byrd, starts out as a self-depriving good girl from New Orleans. She rushes home from her job in a department store, making gourmet dishes while Emeril gives instructions on TV. Then she feeds them to her grateful teenage neighbor while she microwaves herself a diet dinner.

Pronounced terminally ill, Georgia cashes in her savings and flies off to a posh resort in the Alps, where others mistake her for a jet-setter. There she lives out her dreams, yet manages to keep her values and speak her truth, with some hilarious moments as a result. She gambles in a high-stakes casino, base-jumps, and shows such an appreciation for Chef Didier's cuisine that he invites her into the kitchen to cook with him.

Spoiler
The happy ending involves a realization of her dream to create beautiful food, in a way that affirms her local (hometown) community.

Summary
A fairly predictable vehicle for Queen Latifah - but so delightfully executed that I didn't care. Tellingly, the bad characters don't appreciate good food but only see dining as an extension of personal power.

Supporting Cast
Gerard Depardieu, LL Cool J, Timothy Hutton, and Susan Kellermann particularly sparkle.