The Last Movie Star
 Theatrical release poster | ||
| Starring |
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| Directed by | Adam Rifkin | |
| Produced by |
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| Written by | Adam Rifkin | |
| Editing by | Dan Flesher | |
| Studio |
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| Music by |
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| Cinematography | Scott Winig | |
| Distributed by | A24 | |
| Released | Apr 22, 2017 Tribeca Film Festival Mar 30, 2018 United States | |
| Runtime | 103 minutes | |
| Country | United States | |
| language | English | |
| Gross | $14,410 | |
The Last Movie Star is a 2017 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Adam Rifkin. The film stars Burt Reynolds, Ariel Winter, Clark Duke, Ellar Coltrane and Chevy Chase.
The film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 22, 2017. It was released through DirecTV Cinema on February 22, 2018, before being released in a limited release and through video on demand on March 30, 2018, by A24.
This is one of Burt Reynolds' latter film appearances before his death in September 2018.
Plot
An aging movie star is invited to a small, local film festival in Nashville. He attends and goes on a journey throughout his past as he faces the fact that his glory days are behind him.
The story begins with Vic Edwards, old, frail, and frustrated, trying to perform everyday tasks. Although once a top movie star, he is ignored by an attractive woman while shopping. He has lunch with his friend Sonny and mentions he has been invited to get a lifetime achievement award at a film festival in Tennessee. Sonny tells him that this film festival has a great reputation, Clint Eastwood was a recent recipient and encourages him to go. Thinking it might improve his mood, Vic agrees but is unpleasantly surprised at the airport that his seat isn't in first class but in coach. Arriving at the airport, he is met by Lil, his assigned personal assistant and driver, who not only doesn't know who he is but hasn't bothered to clean the trash out of the back seat of her dilapidated car.
Vic's irritation is increased when she takes him to a low-budget motel, not the high-class hotel he was expecting. He states that no way did Clint Eastwood stay there. Lil then takes him to the film festival, which is run by her brother Doug. There Vic finds out it's not the prestigious film festival that Sonny had mentioned, but a shoe-string festival where the films are shown in the back room of a bar. Vic begins drinking heavily, and although the 30 to 40 people attending are in awe of him, he replies to their questions with contempt and shortly walks out.
The next day when Lil arrives at the motel to drive him to the festival, Vic insists on being driven to his hometown, several hours away in Knoxville, Tennessee. They visit his boyhood home and the football stadium where he played college football. He explains that he started six games as a sophomore during their undefeated season. In the last game, with time running out his team is losing. He scores the winning touchdown but is injured and never able to play again. He doesn't have respect for acting but explains that being a football player is really something to be admired which only adds to his bitterness.
Vic tells Lil that while he was there, he fell in love and married his first wife. He dumped her once he started becoming famous. Looking back, he sees that, out of all his wives, she was the only one that loved him for who he was, not just because he was a movie star. They go to a luxury hotel where he is recognized and given a suite. While there, Lil finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her from his social media posts. She wants to confront him, but Vic tells her that if the boyfriend isn't treating her well, he isn't worth it, and Vic knows from personal experience. They also go to the nursing home where his first wife lives, but they find she suffers from dementia and does not recognize him.
Vic thinks back on his career and imagines himself in his old movies interacting with the characters he played. First in a scene from Smokey and the Bandit and then Deliverance. Thinking of the women he treated badly, Vic decides to see his first wife again. The next morning, they take her out of the nursing home and take her to the college campus, where Vic apologizes and asks her to marry him again. She is happy but still doesn't know what is happening. They return to the festival just as the last movie is playing (with scenes from an episode of Gunsmoke). Now more at peace, Vic accepts the award and their praise.
See also [ Movies with Impact ]
- More information is available at [ Wikipedia:The_Last_Movie_Star ]
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