THE MOVIE PAGES presents DUSTIN HOFFMAN & EMMA THOMPSON in LAST CHANCE HARVEY lastchanceharvey.htm

What Do The Critics Say?

"Mr. Hoffman, now past seventy, and Ms Thompson, inching toward fifty, still retain enough buoyancy to keep the picture afloat. And the rest of the cast kicks in with flawless ensemble support."
Andrew Sarris NEW YORK OBSERVER
"It's wonderful to watch young people falling in love for the first time. But it is even more wonderful to see people falling in love for the last time."
Nell Minow BELIEFNET
"Sometimes it's nice to be reminded that romance isn't only for the young."
Linda Cook QUAD CITY TIMES
"Hoffman and Thompson make it sublime, a genuinely pleasant 90 minutes spent with two thoroughly engaging characters."
Eric D. Snider ERICDSNIDER.COM
"A real treasure of a film, its tone perfectly pitched, its dialogue absolutely right and delivered with performances that will remain in our hearts and minds for a very long time."
Andrew L Urban URBAN CINEFILE

"Comedy, drama and romance embrace each other warmly in this richly layered story about two outsiders who discover that today is tomorrow; a love story for a grown up palette."
Louise Keller URBAN CINEFILE
"Hoffman and Thompson create a sweet, romantic story that grows on you with every frame of film."
Jackie K Kooper JACKIEKCOOPER.COM
"Watching Hoffman and Thompson tentatively discover each other is joyously tender."
Linda Barnard TORONTO STAR
"So much more touching, fun and substantive than the silly, formulaic romantic comedies starring younger, hotter box office stars."
John Wirt ADVOCATE
"The nightingale of mature romance sings a haiku tune for Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson in a good-spirited romantic comedy that worthy of their naturalistic performances."
Cole Smithey COLESMITHEY.COM

The Inside Story Writer and director Joel Hopkins quirky and original feature film debut "Jump Tomorrow" starring Tunde Adebimpe ("Rachel Getting Married") charmed me and critics worldwide. It went on to win Hopkins the Carl Foreman Award at the 2002 BAFTA Ceremony, for Most Promising Newcomer. It also attracted the attention of 1993 Academy Award ® winning actress Emma Thompson ("Howards End"), who was intrigued enough to sit down with Hopkins to discuss working together on a future project. "She said she liked my work and I’m obviously a big fan of hers," says Hopkins. "So I went away and thought of an idea for a character she could play. That was the beginning of this character Kate, who I just knew that Emma would be perfect for." For producer Nicola Usborne who shared the BAFTA with Hopkins ("Jump Tomorrow"), the film was a great collaboration between the stars and their director, and ultimately a very personal film for Hopkins. "He came up with the idea, he wrote it, he developed this great relationship for Kate and Harvey. He grew up in London but spent a lot of time in America and I think it’s not a coincidence that this film is about an American in London as sort of a fusion of Joel’s two worlds." According to 2007 Independent Spirit Award winner Tim Perell ("Short Bus"), who also produced "Jump Tomorrow" with Usborne, it was the writer-director’s utter lack of cynicism that caught the eye of 1996 Oscar ® winning writer Thompson ("Sense and Sensibility"). "She was interested in doing some kind of love story and Joel is one of these very people who sees the world in a very warm, rosy way. I don’t know if it’s that he’s completely naļve or he just lacks that irony gene that the rest of us all seem to have. But I think that’s one of the things that Emma really responded to in him. There is such warmth coming out of everything he does. He wrote such a richly detailed character that she responded positively to it." Thompson and two time Oscar ® winner Hoffman ("Kramer vs Kramer" & "Rain Man") first appeared together onscreen, in the Will Ferrel film, "Stranger Than Fiction". "We only had a couple of scenes together in that film," says Hoffman. "We used to walk the streets, learning our lines. We’d try to say them so people would think we were really just having a conversation that they were eavesdropping on. We really liked each other and responded to the way each other works. So at the end of the shoot, we said someday maybe we’ll get to make a movie together where we have bigger parts. And then she called me back in about a year. She’d met Joel Hopkins and he wrote something and I read it and we thought, wonderful: we can work together." "Dustin and I knew that we had chemistry," says Thompson ("Nanny McPhee" & "Brideshead Revisited"). "That is just something that happens sometimes; but not as often as you’d like. When Joel contacted me and asked if I had any thoughts about "Last Chance Harvey", I said this would really suit me and Dustin down to the ground. If you make it specifically for him, I think this could work." The project actually came together very quickly, according to producer Perell. "Emma read the first draft of the script within twenty-four hours." Thompson the sent an email saying "love it love it love it, let’s do it," asking if she could "send it to Dustin." "You don’t say no to that," says Perell ("Trust the Man"). "I frankly thought it would just disappear into the ether. But about forty-eight hours later she forwarded an email from Dustin with his very positive response." Perell took the script to Robert Kessel of the recently formed studio Overture Films.

"We all felt a certain amount of allegiance to Robert," he says. "He’s been a fan of Joel’s for many years. In fact, he was on the jury when Joel’s NYU short film won the grand prize. The response from Overture was incredibly encouraging and so we just pursued the relationship with them." For Hopkins, the opportunity to explore the idea of a more mature love affair between two very different characters was irresistible. "I think slightly older characters are just so much more interesting. They’ve experienced so many more things and they’ve got so much more baggage, which is good. Baggage is always interesting." Hoffman ("The Graduate" & "Runaway Jury") agrees: "I think one of the things that happens when a marriage fails is that you realize you don’t know what you think you know. You knew that this person was the one for you; or you thought you did, and it shatters your belief system and you shut down. What makes this film interesting is that these are two people who are no longer in the flush of youth. They’ve been so pained by the expectation of what they thought they were going to have, that they very much do not want to get involved with each other and I think that gives the film tension." "In fact, I think, falling in love when you’re older is devastating,"says Thompson. "It’s an enormous thing to happen, especially when you don’t think it’s going to come your way. Both of these characters in some way or other have resigned themselves. Not without effort, not without still wanting to work and do good things and have an interesting life. They still want all that, but the opportunities seem to be just out of their reach." Thompson says she based her performance on real women she knows who just haven’t found the right person. "It doesn’t really matter what the age is. It’s just not quite being able to find to find that connection: and not from want of trying." Thompsonrevealed she usually cautions against writers directing their own material. "But Joel had written and directed "Jump Tomorrow", which I really loved and so I knew he was more than capable of directing his own script. For a young man on his second movie to be directing a movie legend like Hoffman is extraordinary. I don’t think Joel had ever worked with an actor who found their way towards the lines in quite such a unique fashion." Hopkins admits he learned something new every day on this shoot. "It’s been a pretty humbling experience, but amazing fun. I got very used to watching the actors but then suddenly I’d see them on the monitor, and I’m like, oh my God, that’s Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson and I’m directing them!" Hoffman observes that Hopkins is the kind of director who visualizes every shot before he ever sets foot on set but still allows improvisation. "He recognized the energy Emma and I have together and he was responsive to it. We didn’t know the way the scenes would go. Sometimes we would see a scene that he had written and say to him, "We don’t think we have to say all of these lines, to make the scene work." And what was the young directors reaction. "I think Joel liked it," Hoffman said. Hopkins notes that Working with the two extraordinarily gifted and experienced players, made him reconsider some of his preconceived notions about the film. "I learned that I actually have a better sense of what I’m after than I thought I did. It allows me to hopefully be a bit freer ultimately, because I know I do have a quite good sense of what the essence of each scene is. The challenge was to be open to what’s happening and to realize when what’s happening on set is better than what I wrote."

Tim Perell observes that everyone involved with the project, from the stars to the studio, took a leap of faith in putting the project in the hands of a sophomore director. "Joel’s first movie was a million dollar movie with great actors, but no movie stars and a very small crew,” says the producer. “This is a huge jump for him. None of us knew what it was going be like. He’s done an extraordinary job and he’s had a lot to deal with." "I think it’s true when they say directing is mostly getting your casting right," says Hopkins. "I got it right and I didn’t need to do much more. I’m just there to tell them where to stand." Having Hoffman and Thompson onboard made it easier for filmmakers to assemble a stellar supporting cast, says producer Nicola Usborne ("Jorge"). "When you have Dustin and Emma you can attract a lot of fantastic actors." Hopkins’ rule for identifying the right actors for the film was simple: "I think I wrote it on a Post-it note: No baddies in this movie. I wanted everyone to have three dimensions, at least, and not be caricatures. We got this great start obviously with Dustin and Emma, but each role has a key part to play and you must keep up the strength in casting all the way through the film. We ended up with an embarrassment of amazing talent." Perell agrees with that assessment: "We were so lucky with the casting, so lucky. Richard Schiff as Harvey’s boss, Marvin, was a revelation. Kathy Baker is a dream and James Brolin is exactly who Joel originally conceived for the part. We felt so lucky to convince him somehow to come over to London for two weeks and do this. Liane Balaban is just a huge, huge discovery. Eileen Atkins is perfect for the role of Kate’s mother, Maggie. She and Emma do actually kind of look alike. There’s this phenomenal chemistry between them. Again, it comes back to the Joel Hopkins view of the world. There is an enormous amount of warmth and humor, but also a certain amount of frustration as well." Two time Golden Globe winner James Brolin ("Marcus Welby M.D.") says few many romantic pictures work as well as this one does. "First of all, Joel writes good material. He works from a very sweet and definite position. He believes that no matter how far the chips are down and luck is gone, there’s no such thing as, That’s it." Brolin was also impressed with Hopkin’s soft spoken assurance as a director. "You quietly bring your chair closer to him so that you can hear him better, rather than back off and say okay, okay, okay I’ll think about that." Harvey’s estranged daughter is played by up and coming young Canadian actress Liane Balaban ("Definitely, Maybe"). "“When I first read the script, I knew it was such a beautiful, thoughtful story that it really needed to be told. What was touching to me was the real honest human kind of damage that all the characters have, especially Harvey." Sydney born actor Daniel Lapaine ("Muriel's Wedding"), who plays the bridegroom, signed up solely on the strength of the cast. He had never even seen the full script. "Often in these Hollywood films, they’re quite secretive about letting people see the scripts," he said. The London of "Last Chance Harvey" will surprise some people who know the city well: or think they do. "It’s a very romantic city," says born and bred Londoner Thompson. "It’s full of incredible nooks and crannies and views and vistas. I actually get quite homesick for London, so coming back was a pleasure." "This is a more elegant side of London than is typically featured in films," says Hopkins. Hoffman credits Hopkins and cinematographer John de Borman ("Shall We Dance") for helping him to see London in a new light. “They really did find the romance that’s in London." Synopsis

Harvey Shine is a divorced and haggard jingle-writer quickly aging out of his career and workaholic ways. With a warning from his boss to not bother rushing back, Harvey begrudgingly goes to London for his daughter's wedding. When he meets Susan, it becomes clear just how far apart he's grown from her. He's even been passed over when it comes to give her away. That honour has gone to her stepfather Brian. Harvey tells her he'll see be at the wedding but not the reception. He plans to fly back to New York. When he misses the flight, he's fired. In the airport bar, Harvey bumps into Kate, an airport employee escaping her own bad day with a glass of wine and a book. He's taken by Kate's British charm. A tipsy Harvey bombards her with tales of his trouble. The two swap sob stories, have lunch and take a walk around London. Harvey suggests they attend the reception. When he offers to buy her a dress to wear, Kate agrees to accompany him. By doing so she helps Harvey redeem himself in his daughters eyes.

The Verdict

"It came as a bit of a shock when I started thinking about Dustin Hoffman's career. I remember reading in an autobiograhy on Oscar ® winner Robert Duvall ("Tender Mercies"), how the he and Hoffman had shared actor Gene Hackman's small, New York apartment, taking turns to sleep on the floor and in the bath. Of Hoffman being told to stick with directing plays as he'd never make it as an actor. Well he, Duvall and Hackman made it big-time. It makes a great read. It also made me realize that like Hoffman I'm getting older. I was only twenty-one when I saw Dustin in "The Graduate". Hoffman was seventy one years old when he made this, his latest film. But don't let that fool you, because from what you'll see on the screen, you quickly grasp the fact that he is just as good as he ever was. And plenty of kudos to Emma Thompson. The chemistry between these two dual Oscar ® winners is magic concoction. If you had the formula and bottled it, the world would be a much better place. No bottom lip sucking, ripping clothes off or totally unbelievable sex scenes here; just a feeling that despite the knowledge one is watching a very entertaining movie, this growing romance is every bit as genuine as the 'real deal'. That's the power of great acting. Writer and director Joel Hopkins is to be commended for giving adults what they need: a film that is fulfilling, fun to watch and more importantly, leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy all over. The soundtrack, cinematography and the support cast, all contribute to the pleasure of "Last Chance Harvey". Thoroughly recommendable. 4 STARS." Who's Who?

Dustin Hoffman
Emma Thompson
Eileen Atkins
Robert Jezek
Kathy Baker
Liane Balaban
James Brolin
Richard Schiff
Tim Howard
Wendy Mae Brown
Bronagh Gallagher
Jeremy Sheffield
Daniel Lapaine
Patrick Baladi
Adam James
Michael Landes
Kate Harper
Jamie Sives
Angela Griffin
Alex Avery
Tim Ahern
Charlotte Lucas

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Harvey Shine
Kate Walker
Maggie Walker
Polish Neighbor
Jean
Susan
Brian
Marvin
Johnnie
Aggie
Oonagh
Matt
Scott
Simon
Josh Hillman
Peter Turner
KJill
Doctor Butler
Melissa
Andrew
Barry
Gwen

The Production Team

Director
Writer
Producers
Original Music
Cinematography
Film Editor
Casting
Production Designer
Art Direction
Supervising Art Director
Set Decoration
Costume Design

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Joel Hopkins
Joel Hopkins
Tim Perell & Nicola Usborne
Dickon Hinchliffe
John de Borman
Robin Sales
Ali Farrell/Elaine Grainger/Laura Rosenthal
Jon Henson
Suzanne Austin
Patrick Rolfe
Robert Wischhusen-Hayes
Natalie Ward