SCREEN IT! PARENTAL REVIEW: LAST HOLIDAY

"LAST HOLIDAY"
(2006) (Queen Latifah, LL Cool J) (PG-13)

Alcohol/ Drugs	Blood/Gore	Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude	Frightening/ Tense Scenes	Guns/ Weapons
Heavy	Minor	Heavy	*Minor	None

Imitative Behavior	Jump Scenes	Music (Scary/Tense)	Music (Inappropriate)	Profanity
Mild	None	None	Mild	Moderate

Sex/ Nudity	Smoking	Tense Family Scenes	Topics To Talk About	Violence
Moderate	Minor	None	Moderate	Minor

QUICK TAKE:: Comedy: When a woman is told she only has three weeks to live, she cashes in her savings and heads off for an extravagant European vacation where she unintentionally fools others into thinking she's a wealthy person to watch.

PLOT:

Georgia Byrd (QUEEN LATIFAH) is an unassuming New Orleans woman who sings in the church choir and dreams of marrying coworker Sean Matthews (Sean COOL J) when not working with him in Kragens department store where she has a mean boss and an unfulfilling job cooking samples for the store's customers. Things change when she goes to the company doctor after accidentally knocking herself out. And that's because he has bad news for her -- if she doesn't immediately have surgery to correct a previously undetected and rare medical condition, she's going to die in three weeks.

Not having the $340,000 for the procedure and with her insurance unwilling to pay for it, Georgia decides to cash out her savings and go out with a bang. Since she's never been farther north than Mobile, Alabama and her favorite TV personality is Chef Didier (GERARD DEPARDIEU), she takes her money and heads for Europe and the Grandhotel Pupp where he works.

Not telling anyone about her situation, she treats herself lavishly, an act that makes everyone else -- except for the no-nonsense floor valet Ms. Gunther (SUSAN KELLERMANN) -- think she's some wildly successful businesswoman. That gets Matthew Kragen (TIMOTHY HUTTON), the head of the department store where she recently quit, concerned. Staying at the hotel with his assistant and secret lover Ms. Burns (ALICIA WITT), Kragen is wining and dining some Washington politicos -- Senator Clarence Dillings (GIANCARLO ESPOSITO) and Congressman Bob Stewart (MICHAEL NOURI) -- for some much needed support.

When he thinks Georgia might be a spy, the competition or, worse yet, someone who might make him look less favorable in the politicians' eyes, he sets out to prove himself better and more important than her. While dealing with that and with Sean trying to track her down with some important news, Georgia tries to live her last days to the fullest.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: If they're fans of someone in the cast, they might.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13: For some sexual references.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:: QUEEN LATIFAH plays a department store worker who dreams of being with Sean, but then learns she only has three weeks to live. Accordingly, she cashes out her savings, travels to Europe and treats herself lavishly, all while dealing with Kragen needing to compete against her. She briefly uses some profanity.
LL COOL J plays her coworker who doesn't understand why she suddenly can't see him, and then travels around the world to find her and deliver some important news.
TIMOTHY HUTTON plays the head of a department store company who's cheating on his wife with Ms. Burns and becomes suspicious and/or jealous of Georgia, thus causing him to compete every way he can with her.
GERARD DEPARDIEU plays a famous TV chef who takes a liking to Georgia and her attitude about life.
ALICIA WITT plays Kragen's subordinate who's having an affair with him and initially has a condescending attitude toward the hotel staff until Georgia sets her straight.
GIANCARLO ESPOSITO and MICHAEL NOURI play politicians that Kragen is wining and dining, but find themselves more impressed with Georgia.; LL COOL J plays her coworker who doesn't understand why she suddenly can't see him, and then travels around the world to find her and deliver some important news.
TIMOTHY HUTTON plays the head of a department store company who's cheating on his wife with Ms. Burns and becomes suspicious and/or jealous of Georgia, thus causing him to compete every way he can with her.
GERARD DEPARDIEU plays a famous TV chef who takes a liking to Georgia and her attitude about life.
ALICIA WITT plays Kragen's subordinate who's having an affair with him and initially has a condescending attitude toward the hotel staff until Georgia sets her straight.
GIANCARLO ESPOSITO and MICHAEL NOURI play politicians that Kragen is wining and dining, but find themselves more impressed with Georgia.; TIMOTHY HUTTON plays the head of a department store company who's cheating on his wife with Ms. Burns and becomes suspicious and/or jealous of Georgia, thus causing him to compete every way he can with her.
GERARD DEPARDIEU plays a famous TV chef who takes a liking to Georgia and her attitude about life.
ALICIA WITT plays Kragen's subordinate who's having an affair with him and initially has a condescending attitude toward the hotel staff until Georgia sets her straight.
GIANCARLO ESPOSITO and MICHAEL NOURI play politicians that Kragen is wining and dining, but find themselves more impressed with Georgia.; GERARD DEPARDIEU plays a famous TV chef who takes a liking to Georgia and her attitude about life.
ALICIA WITT plays Kragen's subordinate who's having an affair with him and initially has a condescending attitude toward the hotel staff until Georgia sets her straight.
GIANCARLO ESPOSITO and MICHAEL NOURI play politicians that Kragen is wining and dining, but find themselves more impressed with Georgia.; ALICIA WITT plays Kragen's subordinate who's having an affair with him and initially has a condescending attitude toward the hotel staff until Georgia sets her straight.
GIANCARLO ESPOSITO and MICHAEL NOURI play politicians that Kragen is wining and dining, but find themselves more impressed with Georgia.; GIANCARLO ESPOSITO and MICHAEL NOURI play politicians that Kragen is wining and dining, but find themselves more impressed with Georgia.

CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE

Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
Then read OUR TAKE of this film.

(Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).

OUR WORD TO PARENTS:

Here's a brief summary of the content found in this comedy that's been rated PG-13. Profanity consists of an incomplete "f" word and 4 "s" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are used. Sexually related dialogue is present, and a boss is having an affair with his subordinate (we see them kissing, she invites him to join her in a bubble bath, but that doesn't occur). A woman has a comically sensual fantasy after accidentally hitting her head, and several women sport cleavage while we see one's bare back during a massage (classic style statues show bare breasts).

Some slapstick style material is present (including a maitre d' smacking a waiter on the back of the head) as are comedy-based bad attitudes, while a woman receives news that she only has three weeks to live (which turns out to be incorrect). Various characters smoke or drink, with one being intoxicated from the latter.

If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content.

ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE: We briefly see some liquor in a convenience store.
We see some cooking with wine on TV and then see Georgia doing the same.
Georgia has wine by herself.
Georgia has a drink on her plane to Europe and then has champagne when she moves to first class.
Georgia, Dillings and others have wine with dinner (and then have more wine after dinner).
Miscellaneous people drink in a casino.
Chef Didier uses lots of wine in his cooking.
Miscellaneous people have drinks with dinner, while Kragen's table has champagne. Later and after everyone has left, Kragen drinks his and others' champagne and then has more straight from the bottle.
We later see Kragen sitting out on a hotel building ledge, intoxicated and holding a bottle.
Chef Didier has some wine and Georgia pours some into some food that's cooking.
Miscellaneous people have drinks.

BLOOD/GORE: Seeing how uptight Ms. Gunther is, Georgia jokingly says that her gift to her is a colon irrigation treatment at the spa (not seen if it occurs at all).
A worker jokes that Kragen wet his pants when he was about to do a base jump off a high dam with Georgia.

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE: Georgia's boss is mad at her about giving away food samples, angrily telling her to stop feeding the moochers.
While quitting and mad at her boss, Georgia smashes his phone and then breaks his cassette tape.
A male flight attendant has a bad attitude toward Georgia who's seated in coach.
We see that Kragen is cheating on his wife with Ms. Burns.
When Georgia tells a clothing store clerk to make her international, the snooty clerk says, "We can try."
A waiter accidentally pours some wine on Kragen's hand, prompting Kragen to tell the maitre d' to fire that waiter. We then see the maitre d' smack that waiter on the head.
Ms. Burns has a bad attitude toward a masseuse.
Ms. Gunther takes a bribe from Kragen to find out what she can on Georgia (we then see her snooping around Georgia's things, but when she discovers that Georgia is supposedly dying, she no longer helps out Kragen). She later tells Georgia that she goes through everyone's stuff at the hotel.
Kragen lets the others know the truth about Georgia (trying to make her look bad, but it backfires on him).
Some viewers might not find a sight gag as funny where we see the chalk outline of Georgia's boss during the end credits (meaning he's dead).

FRIGHTENING SCENES: For those who may have received similar news or know someone who has, the following might be unsettling: A doctor at work tells Georgia that she has lesions on the brain and only three weeks to live if she doesn't receive very expensive ($340,000) surgery.
Those afraid of heights might be unsettled by a scene where Georgia and Kragen are going to base jump off a very high dam (she does, he chickens out). Later, we see Kragen sitting out on a hotel building ledge, intoxicated and holding a bottle. Georgia then joins him to try to talk him out of doing anything stupid, with Sean then joining them as well (nothing happens).

GUNS/WEAPONS: None.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR: Phrases: "Are you sh*tting me?" "Sh*tty," "It's the bomb," "Sugar," "You could crack a walnut with that ass," "Best damn worker in this whole damn place," "Stop feeding the moochers," "You better have a hell of an excuse," "Loser," "I don't know everyone who's black," "Shut up," "Take a cold plunge," "Yeah, I know, I'm a bitch," "Are you crazy?" "Snow sucks," "What the hell's he doing?" "Jerk," "You're really starting to piss me off" and "It's colder than a snowman's ass out here."
While quitting and mad at her boss, Georgia smashes his phone and then breaks his cassette tape.
Georgia base-jumps off a dam (jumping and then opening a parachute).
Georgia bets and wins a lot of money playing roulette in a casino and continues to do so, placing the same bet.

JUMP SCENES: None.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE): None.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE): The song (with the same lyrics) "Let's Get in On" plays during a brief moment of delirium caused by an accidental knock on Georgia's head.

PROFANITY: At least 1 incomplete "f" word (used with "mother"), 4 "s" words, 6 damns, 6 hells, 3 asses (1 used with "hole"), 1 crap, 7 uses of "Oh my God" and 1 use each of "Lord," "Oh God" and "Oh Lord."

SEX/NUDITY: Referring to Sean as he's bent over (clothed), Georgia's female friend says, "You could crack a walnut with that ass."
Georgia's friend jokes about Georgia dreaming of holding Sean's "booty" and then says, "He can hold my booty."
After accidentally being knocked out at work, Georgia is a bit delirious and imagines Sean unbuttoning the top of his shirt, licking his tongue over his lips, suggestively licking his finger and then moving in for a kiss (all seen in close-up and as the song "Let's Get it On" plays on the soundtrack).
Georgia's friend shows some cleavage.
Georgia states that she never slept around in her life, although her sister did.
Classic style statues/figures in a hotel lobby show bare breasts.
We see that Kragen is cheating on his wife with Ms. Burns.
While shopping, Georgia holds up a tiny little thong.
Georgia shows some cleavage.
Dillings moves over closer and gets friendly with Georgia in a hot tub (but nothing happens between them).
Kragen passionately kisses Ms. Burns in an elevator, but Georgia ends up interrupting them.
We see Ms. Burns in a bubble bath (nothing seen) and she tells Kragen to join her, but he doesn't as he's now fixated on figuring out who Georgia is.
We see Ms. Burns' bare back and just the very top of her bare butt (that's otherwise covered by a towel) as she lies face down getting a massage.
Georgia tells Ms. Burns that she (Ms. Burns) has tension in her neck because she keeps "going down" on Kragen. Ms. Burns asks if it's that obvious she's sleeping with him, and then says that she's marked by this.
Ms. Burns shows some cleavage.
Suggesting he wants sex, Kragen tells Ms. Burns that he needs to relax, but she replies, "Take a cold plunge."
Georgia and Ms. Burns show some cleavage.
When Ms. Gunther gives her a surprise, compassionate hug (after learning Georgia's supposedly dying), Georgia half-jokes that she hopes Gunther's not making a pass at her, adding that she couldn't handle that right now.

SMOKING: A doctor smokes once, as does a miscellaneous character, while the congressman has an unlit cigar.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES: None.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT: What you would do if you were told you only had three weeks to live.
The concept of living every day like it's your last.
People's thoughts of "I should have..." when told there's no time left.
Why Georgia doesn't tell anyone about her prognosis.
How people can misinterpret others.
When Kragen asks Senator Dillings (who's black) who Georgia (who's black) is, Dillings sarcastically replies that he doesn't know everyone who's black.
Georgia says she spent her whole life in a box (meaning work), adding that she doesn't want to be buried in one.

VIOLENCE: When Georgia stands up in the store, she accidentally hits her head on something and is knocked out.
While quitting and mad at her boss, Georgia smashes his phone and then breaks his cassette tape.
A waiter accidentally pours some wine on Kragen's hand, prompting Kragen to tell the maitre d' to fire that waiter. We then see the maitre d' smack that waiter on the head.
When the company doctor won't tell Sean where Georgia has gone to, Sean picks him up off the ground to make him talk (but holds him like a baby).
As a spa worker whacks Georgia with some sort of plant as part of her spa regimen, Georgia doesn't understand and hits her back with it (played for laughs).
While snowboarding out of control, Georgia accidentally knocks down several people on the slope, including Kragen.
Kragen takes a bad fall on the slopes, but it's only partially seen.

Reviewed December 7, 2005 / Posted January 13, 2006

Other new and recent reviews include:

Privacy Statement and Terms of Use and Disclaimer
By entering this site you acknowledge to having read and agreed to the above conditions.