''The Last Laugh'' is a 2019
comedy film
A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...
written and directed by
Greg Pritikin. It stars
Richard Dreyfuss and
Chevy Chase
Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase (; born October 8, 1943) is an American comedian, actor and writer. He became a key cast member in the first season of ''Saturday Night Live'', where his recurring ''Weekend Update'' segment became a staple of the ...
.
A former stand-up comedian who retired from the spotlight 50 years ago reunites with his former manager after being convinced to do one last comedy tour.
Plot
Newly retired Al Hart (
Chevy Chase
Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase (; born October 8, 1943) is an American comedian, actor and writer. He became a key cast member in the first season of ''Saturday Night Live'', where his recurring ''Weekend Update'' segment became a staple of the ...
) was a relentless talent manager who is slowing down, so his granddaughter Jeanie (
Kate Micucci
Kate Micucci ( ; born March 31, 1980) is an American actress, comedian and musician who is half of the musical comedy duo Garfunkel and Oates. Some of her roles include Stephanie Gooch in '' Scrubs'', Ally in '' 'Til Death'', Shelley in ''Raisin ...
) suggests he move to a retirement village, where he can enjoy fine dining and regular entertainment.
There, Al discovers Buddy Green (
Richard Dreyfus) is a resident. Buddy was Al’s first client and had potential for great success. 50 years ago he had booked him a spot on ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' back in 1967, which was considered the crown jewel of comedy gigs then. It would have established him as a major star. Inexplicably, he never showed up and quit comedy, instead choosing to raise a family and become a podiatrist.
Imagine Al’s surprise when Buddy turns out to be his tour guide in the elderly assistance home. Even more surprising, he is still getting laughs and being the life of the party.
After moving in, Al and Buddy reminisce about the good old days, Al lamenting the missed opportunity to be big stars in Hollywood. It’s at this point where Al, irritable with having to merge with people his age, tries to convince Buddy to let him manage him again.
Initially resistant, the what-ifs have never really left Buddy and Al, seeing the parade of residents to the morgue figures that he deserves a last shot to see if he has the stuff. When Buddy’s partner in the home passes away, he feels free to go for it.
Al finds his old rolodex and starts calling his contacts. He books Buddy on a cross-country tour, starting off in tiny venues in Podunk towns gradually working up to bigger shows until a big late night TV show in NYC. Al negotiates with his contact Vic to get Buddy on ''Jimmy Fallon''.
The first is a truck stop near Vegas, then Tijuana, Tucson, Texas and Kansas. The two bicker like an old couple as they travel. As Buddy is exhausted, he crashes in the motel room.
Al wanders to a bar and meets free-spirited artist Doris in Kansas City (
Andie MacDowell
Rosalie Anderson MacDowell (born April 21, 1958) is an American actress and former fashion model. MacDowell's known for her starring film roles in romantic comedies and dramas. MacDowell has modeled for Calvin Klein and has been a spokeswoman ...
), becoming sweet on her. She accompanies them on to Chicago, and when they arrive at the hotel, Al is unsure what room he’ll be in.
Before Al can decide anything, his contact Vic tells him he didn’t get Buddy on Jimmy Fallon. In a quandary, he confides in Doris, who offers him `shrooms to get his mind off it.
Outside of the Chicago gig, Jeanie and Charlie Green finally find Al. Neither he nor Buddy had called either of them during their two week road trip, Charlie scolds Buddy in the dressing room, where he first hears that his dad had been a comic half a century ago. We also discover Buddy is dying of pancreatic cancer, explaining his marijuana use.
As with all the gigs, except Texas, Buddy is a roaring success. Meanwhile, Al is fully tripping on the ‘shrooms. He and Doris spend the night together. He finds a note from her in the morning, saying her goodbyes.
At first Al, feeling down about Doris and Buddy’s cancer suggests they quit. Finally telling him he didn’t get ''The Tonight Show'', Buddy says he doesn’t care and he is going regardless. Jeanie and Charlie join Al and Buddy in the ride to NYC.
Discovering Max Becker, a once-client of Al’s is doing the Stephen Colbert ''Late Show'' in the Ed Sullivan theater in New York, he seeks him out. He offers him a huge bribe to give him his slot for Buddy.
Buddy goes on the stage after Max introduces him. After his extremely successful performance, he looks up, apologizing to ''Ed Sullivan'' for standing him up on that stage 50 years ago.
Broke, we discover that Al has not returned to the home, and he’s now with Doris in Kansas. The message is, it’s never too late to pursue a dream.
Cast
*
Richard Dreyfuss as Buddy Green
*
Chevy Chase
Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase (; born October 8, 1943) is an American comedian, actor and writer. He became a key cast member in the first season of ''Saturday Night Live'', where his recurring ''Weekend Update'' segment became a staple of the ...
as Al Hart
*
Andie MacDowell
Rosalie Anderson MacDowell (born April 21, 1958) is an American actress and former fashion model. MacDowell's known for her starring film roles in romantic comedies and dramas. MacDowell has modeled for Calvin Klein and has been a spokeswoman ...
as Doris Lovejoy
*
Lewis Black
Lewis Niles Black (born August 30, 1948) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. His comedy routines often escalate into angry rants about history, politics, religion, or any other cultural trends.
He hosted the Comedy Central series '' Lewi ...
as Max Becker
*
Kate Micucci
Kate Micucci ( ; born March 31, 1980) is an American actress, comedian and musician who is half of the musical comedy duo Garfunkel and Oates. Some of her roles include Stephanie Gooch in '' Scrubs'', Ally in '' 'Til Death'', Shelley in ''Raisin ...
as Jeannie
*
Chris Parnell as Charlie Green
*
George Wallace as Johnny Sunshine
*
Richard Kind
Richard Bruce Kind (born November 22, 1956) is an American actor and comedian, known for his roles as Dr. Mark Devanow in ''Mad About You'' (1992–1999, 2019), Paul Lassiter in ''Spin City'' (1996–2002), Andy in ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'' (2002 ...
as Jimbo
*
Chris Fleming as Palace Comic
Production
The film was announced on September 25, 2017 after a deal was brokered for
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
to distribute. The cast, headlined by
Richard Dreyfuss and
Chevy Chase
Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase (; born October 8, 1943) is an American comedian, actor and writer. He became a key cast member in the first season of ''Saturday Night Live'', where his recurring ''Weekend Update'' segment became a staple of the ...
, was announced and filming began in
the same day. The film was dedicated "for
Paul Mazursky
Irwin Lawrence "Paul" Mazursky (April 25, 1930 – June 30, 2014) was an American film director, screenwriter, and actor. Known for his dramatic comedies that often dealt with modern social issues, he was nominated for five Academy Awards: three t ...
."
Release
It was released on Netflix on January 11, 2019.
Reception
On
review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
website
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, the film holds an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average rating of . The site's consensus reads: "Chevy Chase and Richard Dreyfuss are a sight for sore eyes, but they unfortunately do not get ''The Last Laugh'' in a generic buddy comedy that never musters any jokes worthy of their comedic chops."
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Last Laugh (2018 film), The
2019 films
2019 comedy films
American buddy comedy films
2010s buddy comedy films
Films about comedians
Films about old age
Films shot in New Orleans
English-language Netflix original films
2010s English-language films
2010s American films