One Last Thing (2005)

"...refreshingly low-key weepie.  Chuck Wilson, L.A. Weekly
"Angarano and Mabrey bring something special to the proceedings, and they make it work.  Luke Y. Thompson, The Village Voice
"...across-the-board strong performances...  Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

Editor's Note This affecting and surprisingly smart comedy focuses on Dylan Jameison, a 16-year-old who happens to have terminal cancer. Offered a wish by the nonprofit "United Wish Givers," Dylan chooses what no one is expecting (but, of course, every American male secretly desires): a weekend with sexy supermodel Nikki Sinclair (Sunny Mabrey). With this intriguing premise, the film follows Dylan and his ragtag group of friends to Manhattan as they search for the lusted-after model who, it turns out, has problems of her own. Meanwhile, Dylan's concerned single mother (Cynthia Nixon, SEX AND THE CITY) wonders if this is the best way for him to be spending his last days. Despite its potential for caricature--and potentially depressing subject matter--ONE LAST THING succeeds through its well-drawn characters and its conclusion that is neither cloying nor discouraging, but tender and life-affirming--without trying too hard to be either.

	Cynthia Nixon
	Geoffrey Cantor
	Gina Gershon
	Johnny Messner
	Matt Bush
	Michael Angarano
	Sunny Mabrey
	Wyclef Jean
	Alex Steyermark - Director
	Anton Sanko - Original Music By
	Barry Stringfellow - Writer
	Chris Norr - Cinematographer
	Mark Cuban - Executive Producer
	Michael Berenbaum - Editor
	Will Battersby - Producer

ReelViews 7 of 10
Perhaps I am unduly harsh on motion pictures that waste a promising premise. One Last Thing is a case in point - the underlying concept is rich with possibilities, yet director Alex Steyermark (Prey for Rock 'n Roll) and writer Barry Stringfellow opt to take the easy way out. There's cloying melodrama, an uplifting final scene, and little in the way of real drama in between. There are things to like about the film. In particular, the acting is solid across-the-board...One of my biggest disappointments with One Last Thing is the superficiality of dialogue and character interaction. The lone exception here is the relationship between Dylan and Karen, which is well developed. - James Berardinelli

Variety 7 of 10
Too self-consciously styled as an irreverent, lightly comic tale of a terminally cancerous teen boy and his outlandish final wish, "One Last Thing..." lacks the spontaneously raw appeal of director Alex Steyermark's cool debut, "Prey for Rock and Roll," playing closer to an after-school special (with HBO-standard dialogue) than a satisfying feature film...Even though "One Last Thing..." succumbs to trite sentimentality, Angarano gives the film its soul, with a performance that allows him space to project tenderness, uncannily mature wisdom and a commanding sensitivity to his character's growing confrontation with death. - Robert Koehler