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Last Chance Harvey
Overture Films


6.3

based on 26 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 20 votes
Read user comments
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MPAA RATING: PG-13 for brief strong language

Starring Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson, Kathy Baker, James Brolin, Eileen Atkins, Richard Schiff, and Liane Balaban

New Yorker Harvey Shine goes to London for a weekend to attend his daughter’s wedding but promises his boss that he'll be back on Monday morning to make an important meeting. Harvey arrives in London only to learn his daughter has chosen to have her stepfather walk her down the aisle instead of him. Doing his best to hide his devastation, he leaves the wedding before the reception in hopes of getting to the airport on time, but misses his plane anyway. When he calls his boss to explain, he is fired on the spot. Drowning his sorrows at the airport bar, Harvey strikes up a conversation with a woman named Kate, and finds himself energized by her intelligence and compassion. The growing connection between the pair inspires both as they unexpectedly transform one another’s lives. (Overture Films)

GENRE(S):	Drama \| Romance
WRITTEN BY:	Joel Hopkins
DIRECTED BY:	Joel Hopkins
RELEASE DATE:	Theatrical: December 25, 2008
RUNNING TIME:	99 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	UK \| USA

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

ReelViews James Berardinelli

Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson bring credibility to Last Chance Harvey merely by their presence. The result is a holiday parfait.

New York Post Lou Lumenick

Slight but utterly charming.

USA Today Claudia Puig

Last Chance Harvey is the "Before Sunrise" for the over-45 set.

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

Last Chance Harvey is a tremendously appealing love story surrounded by a movie not worthy of it.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sean Axmaker

It's a pleasure to see mature portraits of adult characters who put their vulnerabilities on the line. I enjoyed my time in the company of these strangers.

Boston Globe Ty Burr

Harvey is so thin it barely registers as a movie, yet these two actors - British apples and American oranges in their respective approaches to character - almost miraculously weave something memorable out of nothing much.

Variety John Anderson

Stars Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson (reunited after 2006's "Stranger Than Fiction") are so disarmingly charming that even the most treacly moments work an emotional magic.

Los Angeles Times Betsy Sharkey

Small and surprisingly hopeful film, with beautifully attenuated performances by Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson.

The New York Times Manohla Dargis

There’s something irresistible about watching two people fall in love, even in contrived, sniffle- and sometimes gag-inducing films like Last Chance Harvey.

Washington Post Ann Hornaday

Winds up being a touching portrait of that rarity in the movies: a recognizably human couple with recognizably human problems and quirks.

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

Hoffman and Thompson are each good enough to bring out a glow in the other.

Portland Oregonian M. E. Russell

Basically "Before Sunrise" for middle-aged people, only with less interesting conversations and a more formulaic construction.

Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea

Sappy, sentimental and redeemed only by the quiet radiance and fidgety intelligence of its leads, Last Chance Harvey is a fantasy about mopey middle-agers getting a second chance at love.

Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips

Last Chance Harvey is what it is: a pleasant put-up job, held up by world-class pros.

Miami Herald Connie Ogle

Provides the rare pleasure of a blossoming romance between two people older than Kate Hudson or Ryan Reynolds.

The Hollywood Reporter Kirk Honeycutt

Imagine Paddy Chayefsky's "Marty" saddled with more sentimentality and sprinkled with a few more laughs and you pretty much have Last Chance Harvey.

New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman

This mundane romantic comedy is notable for one reason only: its leading couple.

Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern

A good chance to see two superb actors having their way with wafer-thin material.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Nathan Rabin

If nothing else, Last Chance Harvey proves that you're never too old to be the subject of a zany trying-on-dresses montage, but considering the prestige of its leads, that's a minor victory at best.

Village Voice Aaron Hillis

Besides being old pros who could elevate such schmaltz in their sleep, Hoffman and Thompson -- despite the 20-plus years between them, and her graceful restraint in contrast to his creepy assertiveness -- have a genuinely sweet chemistry, which is the exact and only reason to seek this one out.

Baltimore Sun Michael Sragow

This movie is genial, forgettable piffle about the perhaps-beginning of a maybe affair. It's a romantic daydream so slim that it barely leaves the requisite sweet aftertaste.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Liam Lacey

Distinctly middling, London-set romance.

Christian Science Monitor Peter Rainer

All this gloomy masochism is made palatable because of the performers. And yet we must ask: Is this any way to show off two of our finest actors?

Austin Chronicle Marjorie Baumgarten

Last Chance Harvey is so much an "actors' film" that the hand of the director seems hidden until it bursts into view with something clunky.

Chicago Reader J.R. Jones

Lately, most of Dustin Hoffman's roles have been grinning crackpots or talking animals, so accepting the 71-year-old actor as a romantic lead who could fetch the likes of Emma Thompson requires some suspension of disbelief.

San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle

Witless banter might have won Ginger Rogers for Fred Astaire, but Thompson is too smart for that.

The average user rating for this movie is 6.3 (out of 10) based on 20 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Billy S. gave it a7:
Last Chance Harvey is a sweet little confection of a movie made for a specific audience that will appreciate, and never tire of, watching two consummate actors in roles that are hard to come by, but never the less, perfect for Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson.

Tom H. gave it a7:
Better than I thought it would be although I found Hoffman's character a little annoying.

dennis l gave it a9:
A nice love story about two fairly decent people. Light fare, but with a few good emotional touches. Surprised by the rather low score from the critics. They praise a stinkbomb like "Happy-Go-Lucky" and give Dustin & Emma the brush off.

Lisa gave it a7:
Given the mediocre reviews, I assumed it would be disappointing, but I was pleasantly surprised. I thought it was charming and sweet.

Eduardo B. gave it a9:
Wonderful adult acting. Nice photography. Good script.

Michael S. gave it a9:
I didn't know what to expect from this movie, but I ended up really enjoying it. I thought that the performances were excellent, and I loved the gentle pace and the very real way it explored what it's like to be lonely.

[Another] gave it a0:
Good acting in a bad movie- like Closer.

Last Chance Harvey Overture Films

Last Chance Harvey
Overture Films