Review of Last Chance Harvey

Harvey Shine (Dustin Hoffman) is having a day from Hades. First, this talented jingle writer learns that he has lost a major account at work. The company in question decided to go with younger composers and Harvey is out. Then, arriving in London for his daughter Susan's wedding, he finds that he is the lone family member at his hotel. Most everyone else is residing together in a large, rented home. Finally, as a dagger straight to the heart, his beautiful offspring tells hims that she is asking her stepfather, Brian (James Brolin) to give her away, instead of her biological father. This is because Harvey hasn't always been their for his daughter and she feels somewhat closer to Brian. Very hurt, Harvey makes plans to attend the wedding ceremony only, skip the reception, and fly back home to New York. But, a traffic jam makes Harvey miss his flight and he is stuck. Having lunch in a restaurant near the airport, he runs into airline worker, Kate (Emma Thompson) who he brushed off the day before, as she tried to get him to make a few comments about his journey to London. Now, the two strike up a conversation, that turns into a shared lunch, that, unbelievably, turns into a day together, culminating in Kate's insistence on Harvey attending Susan's evening reception. With this lovely woman by his side, this jingle writer is coming out of his funk and low spirits. But, is there a future for Kate and Harvey? This is a lovely romantic comedy with, what a rarity, middle-aged characters. But, what could have been a run-of-the-mill production has been transformed by the two stars, Hoffman and Thompson. They can take a simple line and make it special; they are definitely the major reason to see this one. That said, the script is really quite nice, as is the clean and serene direction, the London setting, the nice costumes (loved Thompson's little black reception dress), and the production values. So, do take a chance on Harvey and company, even if you have to spend your last spare change. This is a keeper for all those who adore tales of love.