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Film: One Last Thing... [R] 93 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $11.00
Where Viewed: Starz FilmCenter, Denver, CO
When 1st Seen: 8 May 2006
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Review Dedicated to: Charles Moreau Thompson Jr.
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Have you ever wondered what a 16-year old boy with terminal cancer might wish for if he were given a wish from the Make-A-Wish Foundation? At first, a fishing trip with his favorite NFL® Quarterback might sound like a smashing good idea. Yet, when the settling pubescent hormones and best friends goading you on, you might just change your mind at the last moment and wish for a weekend with a world-famous super model, in this case the magnificent poster girl on your wall, Nikki Sinclair. Well, such is the story of Dylan portrayed with charm, passion, and the perfect blend of innocence and teenage angst by Michael (Jack’s son from “Will and Grace”) Angarano. Dylan’s father passed away earlier in his childhood leaving his mother, Karen (Cynthia Nixon) to raise him and then face his impending demise alone. Fortunately, she seems to have reconciled things to a degree and recognizes there are certain ‘rules’ of civilized society intended to protect children from things that might at worst get them killed or at best shorten their lives such as gallivanting around New York City unchaperoned at age 16 with your two best friends or drinking wine at dinner that must be suspended in his case considering the circumstances. She is coping and, surprisingly, Dylan is coping too. Of course, no one would have imagined that in switching his wish in front of a live television news crew in his small town near Philadelphia with his childhood idol Quarterback Jason O’Malley (Johnny “Running Scared (2006)” Messner) looking on would make him a celebrity of the moment in his own right once the story was picked up by the national news. Fortunately, the grace and humility of Jason O’Malley turns in to a huge asset later in the film as he supports Dylan’s last escapade—an actual date with Nikki Sinclair (Sunny Mabrey). Meanwhile, simultaneously, Nikki Sinclair’s private life is spinning out of control. She’s lost the meaning and purpose in her life after a failed right-out-of-high-school marriage, and the rise to superstardom has not been pretty on her. Her agent is nearly fed up with trying to coax her back to a sense of normalcy, but when she gets wind of the wish by a kid dying of cancer, she seizes the moment to get Nikki some excellent press coverage. A white limousine pulls up outside Dylan’s home, and in comes the real live woman of his dreams for a photo op, a hand shake, and a promise to meet him in New York City if he ever visits. I guess she should have known better than to hang that carrot out in front of a smitten 16-year old. From that moment, he can think of nothing else but getting to New York and all the while his cancer is ravaging his body little by little with his doctor insisting that it’s just a matter of which tumor shuts down which vital life process first.
One Last Thing… is a movie I honestly believe is helpful for people who’ve lost a loved one to cancer or another terminal illness. Dylan’s ability to cope with his circumstances that, while they certainly are not a pretty picture, present him with the motivation to realize the value of each day and the significance of those in our lives who matter to us most. He also learns to take nothing for granted and to pursue your dreams rather than assuming they will never come true. In the end, his life gave purpose and meaning to so many. This is one of the first movies I’ve ever seen where, when the doomed person passes on, you actually feel at peace with the event. He passes with a smile on his face having lived more in his final six months than many of us live in a lifetime. For this being his directorial debut, I would say Alex Steyermark did a classy job of bringing writer Barry Stringfellow’s script to the big screen. I am sure there will be some people who cannot see the forest for the trees and might think this film mocks the wonderful work of the Make-A-Wish® Foundation. I disagree. Quite the opposite, I think it highlights the amazing work of the foundation and all it does to bring some joy into the final months of kids who are not going to get to experience life to the fullest. Meanwhile, others may question the decisions of Karen in permitting Dylan the latitude in his life, and to those I would say, it is impossible to pass judgment on people in a situation like this without walking in their shoes. Having lost my own father to leukemia, I can state without reservation, that there is no way to know how anyone affected will respond until one is actually faced with the circumstances.
I really enjoyed this film and gained a new insight on life and death. My hope is that the film will bring others answers and peace in the same way as the film did for me. It is not the most powerful film ever made with the most lavish production values, but it is a good-natured film designed to give a valuable perspective on learning to face a fate no one of us can actually control. Life is so precious and yet so fragile. The strand that connects us to the web of life is as strong as spider silk, and yet, just as fragile. For me, the bottom line is that we must life lives of purpose, pursue our dreams, and believe in our capacity for contributing to the greater good with how ever many days we are blessed to enjoy.
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One Last Thing... [DVD](2005) DVD
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