Once Again, Shirley MacLaine Gets The Last Word

It seems like — ever since Steel Magnolias — Shirley MacLaine has practically cornered one role: playing rude old ladies who just don’t give a damn.

This time, the lady in question is Harriet, a perfectionist and once-successful business woman on a quest to get one more thing right before her life is done — her own obituary. Enter Amanda Seyfried as a local writer who ends up with the dual challenge of meeting Harriet’s high standards and finding anyone with something nice to say about the old battle axe. However, after the two initially butt heads, initially unlovable Harriet is revealed to possess numerous sassy charms that ultimately better the lives of others. In return, Seyfried’s character helps Harriet by reminding her older confidant that she may have more left to learn. THE WORD: Perhaps the best part of the film is its use of pictures from throughout MacLaine’s life that serve as reminders of her beauty throughout the years. COMING TO: Theaters