Great cast. Great writing. Shirley McClain and Amanda were excellent together. The music was perfect.

Thought the script and direction REALLY uneven. Mildly interesting for first 15 minutes or so, then I was jazzed that MacLaine rallied and decided to do something. ***SPOILERS*** Best part of the movie was the reporter's evolution from defensive, abandoned little girl to outward/forward-looking woman (indeed I cried at the end, moved by the fact that MacLaine, bitch or not, challenged the young woman to stop pitying herself and get on with it, LIVE, take risks). I liked how the male characters (ex-hubby and ex-employee) regarded MacLaine, with kindness and understanding (indeed, there were many perceptive, compassionate, thoughtful men in the story- the owner of the radio station, the newspaper editor, Anne's father too). I love Philip Baker Hall and he shone as usual in a small role as MacLaine's ex-husband.I read scads of reviews after watching and pretty much agree with them ALL, good and bad (so rarely the case)! Yes, the young black actress, AnnJewel Lee Dixon, had personality galore, a star in the making, but her character was stereotypical, paper-thin and undeveloped. Yes, though I ADORE Shirley MacLaine (since I saw her in The Apartment years ago), I thought she phoned it in, playing the same character as in Steel Magnolias, Terms of Endearment, etc. Many plot points were predictable and ridiculous- the road trip, the dip in the river, the singing and dancing around- PLEASE. Others were preposterous- Shirley becoming a DJ? The vandalism of her former company with no apparent repercussions later? The use of the F-word didn't matter to me one way or the other, but it was inconsistent that MacLaine should discourage its use then act like it's no big deal when used later.I liked the message that we can learn something from difficult people. Harriet wasn't a nice, sympathetic person; she had high standards and expected others to do their best, as she'd always done- and challenged them to do so. She was unnecessarily rude, though, to most. I thought Amanda Seyfried was TERRIFIC. In less able hands that problematic character could have been a hot mess. Indeed, I would say that the film succeeding a much as it does is thanks to her. As a Trekkie I was delighted to see Dr. Phlox from Star Trek Enterprise (John Billingsley) playing the vicar at the funeral.Overall I thought The Last Word, despite its flaws, was meaningful, interesting, and worth watching. Provocative, thought-provoking, about the kind of person you opt to be throughout life and into old age, and what your legacy will be. And while I wasn't tremendously affected during the course of the film, I WAS absorbed, and for me the ending was the payoff- it packed a powerful emotional wallop I won't forget it any time soon.

The Last Word (2017): Dramas may not have strong content but it always triumphs with extraordinary performances and emotional scenes.But surprisingly The Last Word has good content and star-cast is very good.But at the end it just managed to get just an OK reaction from me.Plot: Harriet (Shirley MacLaine) is a successful, retired businesswoman who wants to control everything around her until the bitter end. To make sure her life story is told her way, she pays off her local newspaper to have her obituary written in advance under her watchful eye. But Anne (Amanda Seyfried), the young journalist assigned to the task, refuses to follow the script and instead insists on finding out the true facts about Harriett's life, resulting in a life-altering friendshipMy Review: Here's another one of those by-the-numbers heart-warmers whose every narrative move you can predict 10 minutes before it unfolds.So why does this story about an unlovable woman who wants to edit her own obituary still work like a charm?It stars Shirley MacLaine, who's gloriously grumpy – and appealing – as Harriet Lawlor, a former ad executive who has alienated everyone in her life, including her daughter. Even her priest can't stand her.The idea of writing your own obituary when things aren't going well itself has scope of good comedy and drama.The Last Word has both the factors but only in limited quantity.The character seems to be in search of purpose much like the script itself. It's engaging enough to see through to the end, despite the material being so light it's a wonder it doesn't float away.This entirely predictable film has became watchable mainly because of Shirley MacLaine who rocked with her stellar performance.There is an energy and commitment in her performance that gives the film a jolt of life.Seyfried, who can be a vivid actress, has been handed an underwritten part.So,The Last Word may be highly predictable even with different concept,it worked because of Shirley's worthy performance.My rating 6.5/10

This is just the kind of film that my grandparents would enjoy EXCEPT for the language. I should have counted the number of f-bombs.Shirley MacLaine and Amanda Seyfriend were both great and the story was touching and funny. If not for the language I would recommend this much more. It's a shame.