The Last Movie Star

The Last Movie Star is a 2017 American drama film written and directed by Adam Rifkin. The film stars Burt Reynolds, Ariel Winter, Clark Duke, Ellar Coltrane and Chevy Chase.

The Last Movie Star
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAdam Rifkin
Produced by
Written byAdam Rifkin
Starring
Music by
CinematographyScott Winig
Edited byDan Flesher
Production
company
  • Whitener Entertainment Group
  • Mandt Bros. Productions
Distributed byA24
Release date
Running time
103 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$14,410[2]

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' last film appearances before his passing on September 2018.

Synopsis

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.

Cast

Production

According to director Adam Rifkin, it took him about seven years to secure financing for the film.[3] Rifkin had written the film with Burt Reynolds specifically in mind for the lead role, with many elements of the main character sharing similarities to Reynolds's personal life.[4][5] Principal photography began on May 9, 2016.[6] Most of the film was shot in Knoxville, Tennessee.[7]

Scenes from previous Reynolds films Deliverance (1972) and Smokey and the Bandit (1977) were included in the film.[3]

Release

The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 22, 2017.[1][8] On June 14, 2017, A24 and DirecTV Cinema acquired distribution rights to the film.[9] Shortly thereafter, the film's title was changed from the working title Dog Years, in a mutual decision between the filmmakers and A24 (who made the suggestion).[10] The film served as the closing-night film at the Palm Springs International Film Festival on January 14, 2018.[11][12] It was released on February 22, 2018, through DirecTV Cinema before being released in a limited release and through video on demand on March 30, 2018.[13] A red carpet premiere at the Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville happened a day earlier, on March 29.[14][15]

Reception

Critical response

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 61% based on 28 reviews, with an average rating of 6.10/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "The Last Movie Star has a few poignant moments thanks to Burt Reynolds and Ariel Winter, but their performances are stranded in a middling drama unworthy of their efforts".[16] On Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating to reviews, the film has a score of 46 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[17]

The film received mostly mixed reviews. In a mixed review for NPR, Scott Tobias stated, "Though Rifkin's heart is in the right place, there's not a moment in the film that isn't overplayed" and that, "Had Rifkin been willing to dial down the soppiness even a little, there's potential for The Last Movie Star to double as a tribute to Reynolds and a cautionary tale on the perils of fame."[18] A review in Variety states that the movie "never quite transcends such pedestrian execution."[11] Rolling Stone gave the film two out of four stars, calling it an "opportunity missed."[19] In a positive review for RogerEbert.com, Sheila O'Malley gave the film three out of four stars.[20]

Many reviews pointed to Reynolds's performance as a highlight of the film. Referring to Reynolds's performance, a review in the Los Angeles Times stated, "Thanks to its star’s all-in commitment, the overtly maudlin film works better than it should," while a review from Nerd Reactor stated, "The Last Movie Star shows us why Burt Reynolds is a legendary actor. It’s just a shame that the rest of the film isn’t as good."[21][22] Rolling Stone referred to the film as Reynolds's "swan song".[19] The Last Movie Star would be one of Reynolds's last film projects, as he would die several months after the film's release.[23]

Accolades

The film, as Dog Years, received the Chairman's Award at the 2017 San Diego International Film Festival.[24] It was also named Best International Dramatic Feature at the 2018 Edmonton International Film Festival.[25]

References
  1. Uhlich, Keith (April 22, 2017). "'Dog Years' Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 2, 2017.
  2. "The Last Movie Star". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  3. "Burt Reynolds 'Waited 7 Years' to Become 'The Last Movie Star' and It Paid Off Big". TooFab. September 7, 2018. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
  4. Epstein, Dan (March 30, 2018). "In Praise of Burt Reynolds: The Last Good Ol' Boy Movie Star". Rolling Stone. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
  5. Adams, Thelma (April 26, 2017). "'Dog Years' Star Burt Reynolds Dishes on De Niro, Brando, Eastwood and 'Star Wars'". The New York Observer. Observer Media. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  6. "On the Set for 5/13/16: Paul Rudd Starts Rolling on 'An Ideal Home', Gal Gadot Wraps Shooting on 'Wonder Woman'". SSN Insider. May 13, 2016. Archived from the original on April 29, 2017. Retrieved June 2, 2017.
  7. Jones, Maggie (March 2, 2017). "Knoxville-shot movie 'Dog Years' to debut at Tribeca Film Festival". Knoxville News Sentinel. Gannett. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  8. Ehrlich, David (April 26, 2017). "Dog Years Review: Burt Reynolds Stars In a Strange Tribute to Himself". IndieWire. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved June 2, 2017.
  9. Fleming, Jr., Mike (June 14, 2017). "A24, DirecTV Acquire Burt Reynolds Tribeca Pic 'Dog Years'". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  10. Jones, Maggie (December 21, 2017). "Knoxville-filmed 'Dog Years' receives new name, 'The Last Movie Star'". Knoxville News Sentinel. Gannett. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
  11. Harvey, Dennis (January 18, 2018). "Palm Springs Film Review: 'The Last Movie Star'". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
  12. Kilday, Gregg (December 15, 2017). "Palm Springs Film Festival: Steven Spielberg's 'The Post' to Screen on Opening Night". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
  13. Lee Lenker, Maureen (February 15, 2018). "Burt Reynolds sends up his own image The Last Movie Star trailer". Entertainment Weekly. Meredith Corporation. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  14. "Knoxville-filmed 'The Last Movie Star' to open at Knoxville theater on Friday". Knoxville News Sentinel. Gannett. April 12, 2018. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
  15. "Tennessee Theatre rolls out the red carpet tonight for 'The Last Movie Star' premiere". WBIR-TV. March 29, 2018. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
  16. "The Last Movie Star (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  17. "The Last Movie Star Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
  18. Tobias, Scott (March 29, 2018). "Burt Reynolds' 'The Last Movie Star' Is Semi-Tough To Get Through". NPR. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  19. Travers, Peter (March 30, 2018). "'The Last Movie Star' Review: Burt Reynolds Shines in His Swan Song". Rolling Stone. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
  20. O'Malley, Sheila (March 30, 2018). "The Last Movie Star movie review (2018)". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  21. Rechtshaffen, Michael (March 29, 2018). "Review: Burt Reynolds proves he's still got it in 'The Last Movie Star'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  22. Pacis, Mark (April 6, 2018). "The Last Movie Star Review". Nerd Reactor. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  23. Hearon, Sarah (September 6, 2018). "Burt Reynolds Dead: 'Boogie Nights' Actor Dies at 82". Us Weekly. American Media, Inc. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  24. "2017 Award Winners". San Diego International Film Festival. Archived from the original on January 16, 2018. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
  25. "Awards". Edmonton International Film Festival. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
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