Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #469 in DVD
• Released on: 2009-11-02
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 89 minutes

Synopsis
Set in London, this romantic comedy stars Dustin Hoffman as Harvey Shine, a divorced and haggard jingle-writer quickly aging out of his career and workaholic ways. With a warning from his boss (Richard Schiff) to not bother rushing back, Harvey goes to London, begrudgingly, for his daughter's wedding, fielding that work calls the whole time he's there. When Harvey greets his estranged daughter, Susie (Liane Balaban), it becomes clear just how far away he's grown from his family. The film never spells out in exactly what ways Harvey was a bad father, but it is clear he missed the boat when Susie asks her stepfather (James Brolin) to give her away. As Harvey leaves his heartbreak at the ceremony for an emergency work call, he misses his flight and gets fired. While nursing a whiskey at the airport bar, Harvey bumps into Kate (Emma Thompson), an airport employee escaping her own bad day with a glass of wine and a book. Suddenly taken by Kate's British charm, a tipsy Harvey bombards her with tales of his trouble. This unlikely trading of sob stories leads to lunch, a walk around London, and a day of unexpected romance.


Thompson is charming as Kate, a lonely middle-age woman struggling to deal with her mother's constant prying into her life. Despite not having had the best of luck in romance, Kate is an optimist at heart, and it's this spark for life that attracts Harvey and ultimately helps repair his image in his daughter's eyes. Never showy or too ambitious, Joel Hopkins's slow-paced romance twists old cliches to suit a more adult audience. While not groundbreaking in its plot, LAST CHANCE HARVEY is saved by great performances from the always-solid Hoffman and the incredibly charming Thompson, who makes an otherwise familiar story feel fresh.

Customer Reviews

Two wonderful actors with real spark.
Warning - don't watch this film if you like 'all-action' movies as it certainly is not one of them; don't watch this films if you like your romances full of sex and glamour as there is none of that either; and don't watch this film if you don't feel empathy for others and don't like films about feelings. There is plenty going on but you need a brain (and a soul) to see it.

For once we have two actors who, despite their ability to portray the glamour of Hollywood, can nevertheless realistically play everyday people with doubts, fears and problems. The film shows that there is some sort of transformation for all of us and for these two how they have to shed the baggage of their pasts to face a better future.

A wonderful old-fashioned story.
A charming film with no sex, bad language or car chases! It owes much to the excellent acting of the two stars. Over the course of the film you come to see that the main characters, two no-hopers with a significant age gap, should be together. This is sweet, thoroughly enjoyable and makes a nice change. Despite having several American characters (principally Hoffman's), this feels very British.

It's been done before, but never so good!!
The plot of 'Last Chance Harvey' is thirteen to the dozen. Older, desillusioned man, divorced, estranged from his spouse and out of a job, meets single woman, independent in every field and in denial of dire need of affection. Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman succeed in taking this well worn concept to new heights. Set against London in autumn as background Harvey Shine (Hoffman) incidentally bumps into Kate Walker(Thompson) without really noticing her. They bump into each other again and they both remember the initial bump. From this point on the relationship blossoms with two steps forward and one step back, resulting in Kate and Harvey walking off, through autumn leaves, along the Thames, to pastures new. Powerful chemistry between the two leads make for top class entertainment. I enjoyed this cimematic artefact stretched out on the settee, with a bottle of bubbly at hand. Please note Kate's mother and her imaginary dangerous Polish neighbour. Eileen Atkins portrays mum superbly. Cherry on the cake.