Drab, boring, pointless, and ever so long (and it's only 93 minutes). Did they not give Patricia Richardson a script before the shoot? This is a movie about a family and some friends gathering together over a holiday weekend at the family "cabin" in Lake Tahoe. There seems, however, to be no plot--or if there is one, it is disjointed, lumbering, and completely inane. Dialogue doesn't appear to be prepared in advance and is s...l...o...w. Character interactions have no focus. There are no cohesive conversations -- every word begets conflict. If they are trying to irritate us into oblivion, then this movie is a success. Otherwise, it is anything but.

A family of spoiled narcissists spend a long weekend at their fabulous Lake Tahoe home(s). The children are, for the most part, unreflective, unaccomplished and unkind. Self-absorption incarnate. Add assorted wives, boyfriends and hangers-on. Mom (the always glorious Patricia Clarkson) has the most unbelievable character trajectory from uptight, cold control-freak to, well, the opposite of that. Dad pretty much looks angry and disappointed all the time (with some good reason, if you ask me) until he, too, experiences a miraculous transformation at the very, very end where he is kind and gentle to his now changed wife. In summary: a group of exceedingly unattractive and under-appreciative people do rather little over the course of a weekend, but one or two seemed to be changed by it. Oh, and they sell the house. I would keep the house and get rid of the damn kids.

I have to agree that this is a brave film - but it is brave because, if one can see the subtleties and nuances of the family dynamic and the experience of the main character, then one will understand what this film is truly about. Yes, it is a study of privilege - of the nouveau riche and their children - but it is more than that. It is the study of the beginnings of a catastrophe where only some are aware the measure of a life changing event.Only those who have gone through the beginnings of a loved one's dementia health crisis will identify what is truly transpiring. What we are seeing here is the beginning of a failing memory, and how the character is choosing to deal with it. She is the rock upon which the family is built and she is no longer sure of the geographical boundaries. She is a woman who has built a life based upon control of every situation, real or imagined, but is faced with the ultimate lack of control.I know her.Bravo! Brava!

I saw this film at the KCET screening in Santa Monica and loved it. Too few films explore the intimate lives of women at all, not to mention women's lives after their children have flown the nest. The strong performances, nuanced story and beautiful scenery make for a powerful film.Patricia Clarkson (Celia) is a mother on the brink, struggling with the realization that her two sons are no longer children. Her sons have become adults, and Celia's own transition begins. Patricia Clarkson does a pitch perfect job in playing a character who can be abrasive, unsympathetic (and quite funny), but by the end, a transformation takes place, one that humanizes all involved.As a woman who is NOT rich, my material life may be far from spending summers at Lake Tahoe, but all the material wealth in the world can't buy peace of mind for Celia. To focus on Celia's financial privilege misses the point - the film explores more nuanced questions about what we want out of our lives, and how to navigate changing times and identities - something all mothers can relate to as their children grow older. What I most appreciate is how the movie explores life after children without fear of being too critical or sentimental of either the mother or the children concerned. Real life is not so sanitized, so cookie cutter. The film uses humor to expose some of the darker sides, but eventually finds emotional transformation and cathartic release.Celia's two sons & their assorted friends and significant others, the family's neighbors and other Lake Tahoe relations come together in a beautifully-directed ensemble. Even the lake itself, steady and calm while emotions rage around it - becomes a character whose texture imprints on the whole. Judith Light appears for a few side-splitting scenes, leaving a strong impression as Celia's next-door neighbor & frienemy. To see these two veteran actresses in the height of their talents is a rare delight. How do we navigate through life's inevitable - and not always welcome - transitions? Can we let go of the illusion of control? Can we find peace - and even the ability to laugh at ourselves? Ultimately, Last Weekend provides a moving answer to these questions