Last Holiday

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to attend an advance screening of the movie, “Last Holiday,” which opens today nationwide. I enjoy a nice comedy, yet at first glance this particular movie seemed a little too frivolous to warrant a thoughtful review. However, as I read the story line it began to interest me because I appreciated the theme twist. “Last Holiday” is the story Georgia Byrd (played by Queen Latifah), a shy cookware salesperson who works in a large department store who keeps her dreams to herself while trudging through her rather mundane everyday life. When a medical diagnosis indicates she has only a short time to live she cashes in her savings and flies off to a grand hotel in Europe to get a taste of her dreams before it’s too late. Along the way, her new perspective on life frees her to try all manner of new experiences and she winds up having a profound influence on everyone sheet meets … from congressmen hotel servants. Adding to both the fun and sentiment are solid performances by LL Cool J as her would be beau and Gerard Depardieu as the snooty resort chef who becomes Georgia’s friend. This movie delivers all the comedy that the trailers promise, but I was also surprised at how thoughtful and touching it became. Somehow, the rather familiar plot was able to tug at my heart strings while I was still laughing out loud. In the end, while being thoroughly entertaining, it also causes the viewer to consider their own life and unrequited dreams as well. I strongly recommend this movie as both funny and meaningful. Parents also will be glad to know that there is very little inappropriate language and the sexual innuendo is kept to a reasonable minimum. So get out there and see “Last Holiday.” It’s lively enough to see with friends, romantic enough for a date night, and clean enough for the whole family.

In closing, I would also like to offer the following poem, with thoughts about how we might changes our own lives if we were to suddenly find them cut short. Enjoy.

As If It Were the Last
What if you had only one day to live?
Just twenty-four hours to spend
To say or accomplish what matters most
Before your life reached an end
Who would you spend it with, where would you go
What would you do or see
What words of wisdom would you bestow
Knowing they were your legacy
How would you spend your money, your time
The last ounce of strength you possessed
Would you reach for the stars or wallow in pity
In light of an imminent eternal rest
Would you eat, drink and be merry
Or fall on your knees just to pray
To prepare for meeting your Maker
On that brink of your reckoning day
Whatever has raced through your mind just now
While these few simple stanzas you’ve read
About what you thought you needed to do
Before you were suddenly dead
I would urge you to make a list of them
And start living that way, even now
For we never know when our last day might come
There are no guaranties anyhow
We never know when the Master may call
When all of our second chances have passed
Then we are stuck with the life we have lived
So why not live each day as the last
Nobody gets advance notice like this
But the cement of your life isn’t set
There is still time to change it before your last day
So live a life you will never regret
By Frank Carpenter ©