Last Holiday (2006)

The Steves discuss the 2006 holiday-ish classic, Last Holiday, along with what's making them happy in pop culture today.

What's making us happy?
Kirby and the Forgotten Land (Nintendo Switch)
Dysmantl (All gaming systems)

Let us know what you think of Last Holiday! E-mail us at happylifepod@gmail.com and follow us on all our socials @happylifepod

Ending- Any music or audio clips were borrowed from the original source material.

Transcript

Steve: 0:03

Hello, returning Happys and new listeners. This is Steve Bennet-Martin. And

Stephen: 0:07

this is Stephen Martin-Bennet, and welcome to a

Steve: 0:10

lifetime of happiness. The podcast where we take you on our journey through some of the movies, TV shows, and other bits of pop culture that are helping to keep us happy will hopefully bring a smile to your face along the way.

Stephen: 0:21

And this December, we're celebrating the holidays ish.

Steve: 0:26

Ish indeed. As we cover movies that take place around the holidays, but are not traditionally considered holiday movies like last

Stephen: 0:33

holiday. So let's blow all of our savings and live life to the.

Steve: 0:39

Well before you cash in on those bonds, my love what's been making you

Stephen: 0:42

happy? So last episode, I was talking about how I had finished Pokemon Violet. Yes. And now I am playing Kirby and the Forgotten Land for the Nintendo Switch. And I have honestly not owned a Kirby game probably since the Game Boyer Super NES. Yeah. it's been a while. Mm-hmm. And this one just looked so good because it was Kirby in a 3D space and it's a fantastic game. Like each level, I'm absolutely loving and you know, you get rewarded for exploring and finding secret things and stuff, and it's just really, really good. And. Now there's even a remake of a Kirby game coming out in February, and I'm like, maybe I'm a Kirby fan now. Maybe I'll get that one.

Steve: 1:39

Maybe I'll have to play it when you're done with it. I think

Stephen: 1:42

you should. It's really, really good, Excellent. Well, what's been making you happy?

Steve: 1:46

I have been playing on my phone a game called Dismantle. It's like the word dismantle, but with D Y S M A N T L. and the whole idea is it's a post-apocalyptic world where you come out of your shelter cuz you run out of supplies and you break shit everywhere.

Stephen: 2:07

okay? So you're trying to survive. after your Yeah. And your survival skills and everything are put to the use. And are there zombies or there

Steve: 2:19

are zombies and monsters that you fight and like it? It's the way it's set up with the, you can save at each campfire. The campfires are spaced enough where I'm playing on the phone and it's perfect for both like short stints where if I'm only having five minutes, I can just like be like, well, I was meaning to head west, so like I'll, we'll just load up the game, go from one campfire to the next and. Four or five minutes and then go back to my day. Yeah. But it's also the type, because it's available on like consoles and steam and everything like that, it is a bigger game. It you can sink like 30 to 50 hours into it. Wow. And it was only 10 bucks on the phone. So how did you hear about it? It showed up under recommended apps for me. Oh, okay. And it actually was a good recommendation App store. So thank you for 10 bucks. It's a very enjoyable game. That's surprisingly deep. While the controls are very simple and friendly on the phones, so I normally don't do them, like if they're like the freemium games, cuz those can be pitfalls and traps for some people. But this one is one where you pay the flat fee and you have the full. I appreciate

Stephen: 3:19

those games.

Steve: 3:20

Yes. You know what else I appreciated? I don't know.

Stephen: 3:24

Watching this movie and it was your first time

Steve: 3:26

watching it. It was my first time watching last holiday and I definitely can say that it was a really like happy movie. Yes. Like just filled with just happiness and hope and joy, and

Stephen: 3:39

it's one of those movies we are constantly rooting for the lead as they go on this journey of self discovery. Letting go of no longer serves them and they're living their most authentic self and it's fun, funny, and joyful. and Queen Latifa is just full of charm.

Steve: 3:58

Yes, and for those not in the know like me. Prior to this last holidays of 2006, American Romcom Dramedy film directed by Wayne Wang and written by Jeffrey Price. and Peter s Semen. The movie was released on January 13th, 2006, with a budget of 45 million and had a box office of 43.3 million.

Stephen: 4:23

And even though Latifah's performance was universally praised for her charm and humor, which word of mouth actually led to DVD sales of another 31 million. So the movie ended up making a profit not a huge one, but it was not a

Steve: 4:39

f. Excellent. Yes, and it's Stars Queen Latifa, as you mentioned. LL Cool j Timothy Hutton, Jean Carlo Esposito, Alicia Whitt, and Gerard Dip.

Stephen: 4:51

Thank you. Yep. It's based on the 1950 British film of the same name. though Roger Ebert says that this film takes advantage of the great good nature, warmth of clean latifa and uses it to transform a creaky old formula into a comedy that's just plain lovable. To describe the plot is to miss the point because the plot could have been made into countless movies, not as funny and charming as this. This film depends on Queen who has been known to go over the top on occasion. But in this film, films finds all the right notes and dances to them delightfully. It's good to attend important cinema, but on occasion we must be open to movies that have more modest ambitions. They only want to amuse us, warm us, and make us feel good. Last holiday plays like a. I couldn't agree more.

Steve: 5:46

Yes. And I would hate to miss the point. So I guess the episode's over Just kidding. But we will spend more time talking about how the movie makes us feel and what we would do in certain situations, I'm sure, than spending time talking about what HA happened. Yes. Because you should all go watch it if you haven't already. It is available.

Stephen: 6:03

It was on Amazon Prime for free for those that. Prime, which is like deliver everyone. Yeah. Everybody has Prime.

Steve: 6:10

Yeah. Or you know, someone with Prime that logs you on. Yes. Yeah. But start, do you want you like to start

Stephen: 6:16

us off with the movie? Sure. So Georgia Bird is a shy, unassuming salesperson in the cookware department giving cooking demonstration at Crain's department store in New Orleans. And a Baptist choir singer who longs to cook professionally. In her choir, she's reserved and does not sing out. She's frugal with her spending. She keeps her house locked tight, and Georgia privately records her dreams of a better life in a scrapbook labeled possibilities, and she enjoys replicating tv. Chef Emer LAI's Gourmet recipes, serving her creations to her neighbor while denying herself the pleasure of eating them, only eating a Lean Cuisine because she's on a forever diet. You know, it's like she's going through the motions of living without enjoying any part of it. And her friend Jane told her that life is too short for her to be living the way she does. Yes.

Steve: 7:09

And I can certainly look back into periods of my life where I was kind of in like as stasis, where like there wasn't a lot of forward movement or growth. Mm-hmm. and like I wasn't happy necessarily. I was like saving for the future and working like towards something better. But it was like, It was like this, where it was like, rinse, repeat, like work exist, exist, you know, work, watch tv, go to bed work, watch tv, go to bed. Very cyclical. Yeah. And so I love to see when she breaks out

Stephen: 7:38

of it later. Yeah. And so, fun fact, the film was originally written in the nineties for John Candy, but it was shelved after the actor's death in 90. In the two thousands, Queen's agent found the script, loved it, and suggested the update it for her, and here we are. Well,

Steve: 7:57

good call. Meanwhile, Mr. A Damian a Damian, her store manager who's always on his cell phone, gets on Georgia for being too kind to customers or like the Lookie Lous. Yeah, during the Christmas season while flirting with a handsome coworker named Sean Williams, whom she has secretly featured in her scrapbook as your dream husband in a totally not creepy way, except it's a little creepy, but it's okay because she's so adorable and charming in this role. Yes. While flirting with him, Georgia bumps her head on a kitchen cabinet, Dorin has taken to the store's health center for a CT scan because every department store needs a good CT scan just in case. Yeah.

Stephen: 8:35

So this was a little. Stretching it, but I guess they're saying that this department store is big enough that it has a walk-in urgent care clinic, and this urgent care just happens to have a c a new, it's not a new CT scan machine because Dr. Gupta is se quick to say it's new to us, but it is used

Steve: 8:59

Yes. And it's certainly not defective at all.

Stephen: 9:05

and there she's told by the company physician, Dr. Gupta, that she has several brain tumors resulting from a rare terminal neurological disorder called Lamping Ten's disease.

Steve: 9:16

Yes. Since her HMO plan cannot cover the high cost of the operation, Georgia resigns herself to having only three weeks to live, quits her job, and has a spiritual breakdown at. While simultaneously motivating the congregation. Quite jovially. Yes. Liquidates her assets and sets off on a dream vacation at the dog's Grand Hotel

Stephen: 9:33

Poop. And it is pronounced like a snotty way to say poop. Yes. So the grand hotel poop? Yes.

Steve: 9:40

In the shek Republic Sparity of Carlo. Very, yes. And when she arrives she doesn't wanna wait on a taxi, so she books a helicopter to fly her to the roof of the hotel. I

Stephen: 9:50

love that. Every time that. You'll have to wait. And she's like, I don't have that kind of time. I'm just gonna throw down cash. Yeah. And do more. So funny part, when she was telling me the HO o h HMO administrator, and they're like, the cost of the median cranial debulking surgery is around$340,000. That's without anesthesia. You'll want that.

Steve: 10:15

Yeah. No shit. Caroline

Stephen: 10:18

and like, When George is going through the grieving process for herself and she's like, you wait and you wait for something big to happen and then you find out you were gonna die. And she looks at a picture of Emeril ga. She's like, I wanted to meet you and I should have ate that and I should have ate all that stuff. And it's a really good lesson that, you know, she thought she created this book of all these possibilities of things she wanted to. because everyone assumes they have more time and it makes you stop and think that maybe we shouldn't put off all those things like yes, saving for the future is important. Yeah.

Steve: 11:04

I mean, what, what would you do in this position if you, if you were given that diagnosis, how would

Stephen: 11:09

you react? So, I would want to spend time. with family and the people that I'm closest with. Yeah. But then I would want to go out on a high note. Yeah. Like, I don't know where, like, I haven't put that much thought into it. Like where she has this place that she's always wanted to go. I don't have a book of possibilities place like that, but like I would want to take you and Remy and go somewhere. Then of course you'd be forced to deal with the aftermath of my death, but

Steve: 11:45

yes. But I was thinking that I would want to take off with you and have you just take the three weeks off until I die. Go on like F M L A or whatever, and travel the world with Remy.

Stephen: 11:57

Where, do you have any place specific you'd want to go with us? I

Steve: 11:59

wanna go Australia. I want to go to Japan. I wanna go to the Lego I wanna go. To, I already said Japan. Yeah. But I wanna go to Nintendo Worlds in Japan. I'd wanna

Stephen: 12:12

go to Iceland to see the Northern lights up close. Sure,

Steve: 12:15

that sounds good to me. We can make a pit stop along the way.

Stephen: 12:18

And

Steve: 12:18

Italy. Italy would be cool in Europe and Spain and Yeah. All of that. Yeah.

Stephen: 12:23

We should go, we should do those things instead of waiting for one of us to be dying. Yes.

Steve: 12:28

But maybe not today or this week or this month. Yeah.

Stephen: 12:32

So when George is trying to talk to Mr. A Dam. And hi. He's always like, and he has a flip phone. And he is always trying to take a call instead of listening. So she takes the phone out of his hand and beats it to death with her shoe, and it's really satisfying. And then she also finds out that she's the most profitable department and salesperson in the store. And a Damian never told her so that she wouldn't try to get a raise based on merit. Yeah, that's the worst kind of supervisor slash manager slash

Steve: 13:06

boss. I mean, I've had definitely supervisors that were like that on the back end with like not telling me things like, you're good or you're doing a good job.

Stephen: 13:15

Mm-hmm. like, or We couldn't do this without you. Yeah,

Steve: 13:18

exactly. But I've never had someone be so disrespectful. Obvious of obviously like in your face. Mm-hmm. what about

Stephen: 13:26

you? No, like, definitely. Like, there are times where I knew how valuable I was. Yeah. And I finally had to gently put my foot down and say, look, this is what I deserve for all that I'm doing. Yeah. Now the, like we said, that she withdraws all of her money. Yes.

Steve: 13:51

And she the bank person says, well, I'm sure a disciplined woman such as yourself has a good use for this money. Yeah.

Stephen: 13:58

I'm just gonna blow it. There you go. And I mean, this person that. Like you don't have these days great relationships with your bank people, but they can look at how much she's saving and everything and just be like, this is a good person. Yes. And she's just gonna blow it. Yes. Oh, so, and whenever she's flying over to the Czech Republic, she bought a thing in Coach, because that's just what she, what she's used to. Yeah. And the seats are really, really close together. And this guy keeps trying to lean his seat back, but it's like directly into her knees. And so he tells the stewardess on her, and the flight attendant is like, if you had bought a cocoon in our first class, you'd have all kinds of room. And so she just throws down the money and upgrades herself to a cocoon. And I'm. I wanna fly like that.

Steve: 14:53

Yeah. I've never flown like that. I, I would definitely love to fly in a cocoon. Yeah. And she does the same thing when she gets to the hotel as well. She checks into the presidential suite for$4,000 per night to enjoy succulent meals prepared by one of her heroes, the world's renowned

Stephen: 15:09

chef. Dda. Yes. And what's interesting also about Collo KLOVE very, it's a real town and it's a jewel box of a small town, 90 minutes outside of Prague. And it's hotels are high and wide, but not deep because the mountains rise right behind them and there really is a stream just running down the center of the town. And at the top of the valley is the grand hotel. Well,

Steve: 15:37

very interesting. Yeah. And what she does when she goes to dinner that night, because she wants to try all of the chef's food issue order, was one of everything on the menu.

Stephen: 15:46

And I love that because they tell her, you know, he doesn't recreate the same menu twice and so she doesn't wanna miss out on any specials. Wait, it all looks really, really good. If there was like, is there anybody that you. Do that for like Chef Wise or

Steve: 16:07

No, I mean, pretty much most restaurants, I was thinking like I'd order one of everything on Munchies four 20 menu or like, I guess I should probably shoot higher if I was, I was gonna say shoot just a little off there, a little bit higher. But like I, I'm sure that there are places where I'd be like, I want one of everything, but then I'd have like a bite or two of everything. I can't imagine finishing it all.

Stephen: 16:27

No. No. And I don't think she finished it all either. Yeah, I, because that was, Eight or six entrees. Yeah. Nobody, I don't think she could finish six or two entrees, but maybe

Steve: 16:38

she's a competitive eater. She, you never know. No, nevermind. I'm sure her stomach's really tiny after all those lean cuisines.

Stephen: 16:44

That's true. Now there is a fun fact about all this. All the dishes that are served in the movie were prepared by food network chefs who traveled with the crew to do the cooking. And they also taught Queen Latifa some basic cooking techniques that show that she would look more like a professional in the movie that had been practicing.

Steve: 17:02

Yeah. And aside from the full fish that still looked like it was alive, all the food looked absolutely amazing. I,

Stephen: 17:09

I liked the full fish that looked like it was alive. I don't know whether I would

Steve: 17:12

eat that

Stephen: 17:14

So using all of her money and realizing that in this town, she might as well look like she fits in. She goes to this. Store and it's like, make me international. Yes.

Steve: 17:27

And then there's a montage that feels very pretty woman ish as she hits up on high fashion dress shops

Stephen: 17:34

with the song if Aurora Rich Girl playing Yeah. In the background.

Steve: 17:39

And she buys a whole new wardrobe for this new her. Yeah. And all the spa treatments, including a sound bath, which they make it look like it's uncomfortable. Spa baths are

Stephen: 17:48

awesome. Yeah. The sound bath is. Absolutely amazing, and I know that they were trying to make it seem like a fish outta water thing. Like, if you have the chance to take part in a sound bath, do it. Do

Steve: 18:01

it. Yes. And a hot stone massage. I would like a big hot stone on my booty. and yets all sorts of special treatments, including being bir beaten with birch leaves. Yeah. And And she beats her right back.

Stephen: 18:14

Yeah. And she's like, I do it with love. Yes. And they're playing. I feel pretty also pretty now one of the fun things about. A spa and Klo Vive in, it's not like in America and they're not about counting the calories cuz after your spa treatment's here, they want you to recover with like roast duck and dumplings and apples strudel and stuff. And I'm like, okay, yeah, sign me up for that.

Steve: 18:41

Yep. And I'm sure, I wonder how, I'm sure they've seen an increase since the movie of people wanting to travel there. I'm sure. Yes. Now visiting this hotel is another party consisting of the retail tycoon, Matthew Cragan, who owns the chain of giant stores, including the one Georgia just resigned from in New Orleans at as Table R is mistress, a senator and a congressman. And they all walk into a bar. What happens? I don't, knowing

Stephen: 19:09

that's not a great setup for a

Steve: 19:10

joke. No, but they're startled when

Stephen: 19:12

Chef

Steve: 19:13

DDA pays more attention to the woman dining by herself than their self-important, super fancy spiffy table. Yeah. Craig Ends table becomes confused and consumed with curiosity, especially since they assumed Georgia Bird is obviously very wealthy

Stephen: 19:29

now. Earlier in the movie, Senator Dillings, who was with Craig In's. Was supposed to be at Georgia's church. Mm-hmm. the day she had her breakdown while in the choir, but he blew them off to go on the ski trip to the Czech Republic, and she ends up calling him out on it later. But one of the bellhops misunderstands Whenever she says that Senator Dillings didn't make their meeting, and they assume that she's a big mover and shaker, and that prompts even more speculation.

Steve: 20:01

Yes. And what I do can appreciate through this all is that like these people are just assuming these things left and right. She never says she's more than she is. Mm-hmm.

Stephen: 20:11

Not like she never, like nobody really asks anything and it's just how she is now. Craig and ta, like we said, she orders one of everything to try it. Craig ands table are looking at the dishes on the menu and they ask for substitutions with no butter, no fat, no dairy, no wheat. and Chef Gda is like, why even bother to eat?

Steve: 20:37

Yes, and by making no claims, putting on no heirs, telling no lies and acting if she has nothing to lose. Georgia transforms the hotel with her naive manner and forthright kindness. And ends up mingling with Craig In's party who are in awe of her. The chef adores her. Georgia impresses the hotel staff, but the exception of an old musty cunt named Miss Gunther who believes she's a fraud. Craigen is skeptical about Georgia and is obviously the Malone of the movie, suspecting her of trying to sabotage his business merger, but the rest are charmed by her free spirit.

Stephen: 21:12

Now she stands. to Ms. Burns when Ms. Burns is being rude to Brita in the spa and Georgia tells Ms. Burns that Her neck hurts because she has a lot of guilt because she's always going down on Mr. Craig and when he's a married man, and George ends up counseling her and telling her she deserves more and should leave him and go back to school. Yes. And

Steve: 21:35

that her neck ache is from going down on him

Stephen: 21:37

too much Yeah. And now I have zero tolerance for people that are rude to those in the service industry. Like I ended a date early once because someone was rude to a waiter. Yeah. We went

Steve: 21:48

home early that day. No, just kidding. It wasn't me. It was not you. Very nice to our St. Alex food service staff.

Stephen: 21:56

Yeah. Have you ever like been around someone that's rude to waiters on a regular basis? Not

Steve: 22:02

like overtly rude like that, but just more just like oblivious to themselves.

Stephen: 22:07

Yeah. And. You kind of see it in the senior living industry too. Yeah. That some of the people like, like that they

Steve: 22:16

don't mean to be rude, but they're being rude. Yeah. Yeah. That happens a lot. Or like they think they're complimenting you, but you don't need to be called sweet cheeks. As a young girl,

Stephen: 22:27

Yeah. Yeah. Now Georgia becomes the talk of the mountain when she goes snowboarding and lands on top of the mountain going down a black diamond run. But she ends up making Craig and look like a loser. DDA Reserves, Georgia, a special table, and Craig's group joins her, leaving Craig into himself, pouting, and he finally comes over to join them and they have DDA a's menu with no substitutions and eating like that. I loved it. Everyone loved it. Yes. And She also shows up Craig, and when he chickens out on base jumping and Georgia jumps off the dam and goes all in, I would go all in too, wouldn't you? I think I would have to like okay. Especially if I was dying, I would definitely do it. You know, my whole thing of like the free fall feeling and I don't like

23:20

it.

Steve: 23:20

Oh, I love it when my testicles go up in my throat.

Stephen: 23:24

like whenever we did that we were in not Ocala, Kasim. Yes. And it was. Place that had the zip line, rollercoaster. Rollercoaster. And they also had the panther plunge where you just jumped off a thing and it slowed you down right before you hit the ground. Yeah. And that was a good 80 foot free fall before it stopped you. It was so much fun and you did it immediately and it took me like two minutes to get the like courage to step off. Was he okay? Oh, I a five year

Steve: 23:59

old before we jumped. Just

Stephen: 24:00

fine.

Steve: 24:02

shut up. I love you

Stephen: 24:07

now son goes to look for Georgia and runs into her little. Who shows him the book of possibilities and Sean's ends up putting two and two together and figures out where Georgia has gone to the poop.

Steve: 24:20

Yes to the poop. And Georgia goes to the food and farmer's market with chef where he shops for food for the hotel. He sees a kindred spirit in her and tells her that the two of them know the secret of life

Stephen: 24:34

butter. I can partially agree with that. Like butter does make things better.

Steve: 24:41

Yes. And you can see that she's truly coming alive.

Stephen: 24:44

Yeah. The transformation in her is really amazing and it just makes your soul smile to watch it happen and how she's having a positive impact on all the people, whether it's the girl that checks in people at the front desk, who when Georgia was like, does that ceiling ever make you want to just cry? And until she's just

25:08

watching

Steve: 25:08

the ceiling crying later.

Stephen: 25:09

Yeah. And up until that point, she had never stopped to just appreciate it, appreciate her surroundings. And I think we do the, like sometimes, like, you know, we're in paradise down here. Yeah. And. You know, like what, everybody will stop at a really good sunset to watch, but sometimes you just have to appreciate it's just a gorgeous blue sky day type of thing.

Steve: 25:35

Yep. Meanwhile, at a charity casino night, she wins a small fortune by being willing to take risks, knowing she has nothing to lose. Winning against all mathematical and probable

Stephen: 25:45

odds over a hundred thousand dollars.

Steve: 25:47

Yes, Craig's group all bet with Georgia, but Craig and goes his own way and loses each. Pissing him off

Stephen: 25:54

even more. Yeah. And she goes for 17 black three times in a row. Yeah. And gets it ev they were doing roulette. Yeah. And she won every time. Now whenever they get back to the hotel, dills is hitting on Georgia and invites her to DC but she says that she can't get past the flashing for sale sign on his forehead and he needs to do more for the people back. and he says, having friends like Craig and is a necessity to get reelected. And it's a political reality. And Georgia says, I'm sorry, I only have time for reality realities. And it's funny that even turning him down dealings is even more impressed with her at that point.

Steve: 26:36

Yes. Now when Craigen bribes Ms. Gunther to pick up information about Georgia's background, she goes through a hotel suite and finds a letter Georgia has written, providing instructions for the disposition of her remains after her

Stephen: 26:50

death. If you're reading this letter, my disease has run its course enclosed. Just some money for my burial. I would like to be cremated. I spent my whole life in a box. I don't want to be buried in.

Steve: 27:03

Yes, move by the letter and realizing George's self-confidence and sunny optimism have touched everyone who has met her since her arrival. Ms. Ms. Gunther confesses to Georgia. She snooped through her belongings, found the letter, urging her to return home and spend her last days with those She loves

Stephen: 27:19

and it that's an interesting scene because finally, Why am I here? Bec and Gunter, even though she didn't like Georgia, really doesn't like Craig In's party. And she's like, you're there with those horrible people. Yeah. And Georgia. Being Georgia though, she's seeing good qualities. In most of the worst people. Yes. And

Steve: 27:46

then taking Ms. Gunther's advice, Georgia heads for the airport, but discovers an avalanche has blocked the road. Unbeknownst to her, Sean, having learned of Georgia's diagnosis and ready to acknowledge his long standing love for her, has flown to Europe and is in a taxi on the other side of the snow Drift blocking her from reaching her from the. So while she returns, he leaves this taxi to hike on snow by on foot, which is just wild

Stephen: 28:14

And then DDA invites Georgia to assist him in the hotel's kitchen that night, preparing an extravagant New Year's feast, and then thanks her publicly at the party. And you can tell that getting to cook with him is one of the highlights of her entire life, and it really shows even more that that's what she wants to do. If she had taken all the risks and everything, she would've opened up her own bistro style restaurant. Yes.

Steve: 28:44

And life is like a turnip babe. That's what D D A says. Yes. It's not how you start, it's how you

Stephen: 28:51

finish. Yep. And after she goes upstairs to prem and get ready for the party herself, she looks at herself in the mirror and says, next time you'll do things different. We'll laugh more. We'll love. We'll see the world and we just won't be so afraid. And that's just such good advice for everyone. Like, yes, that life can be difficult, but I mean, there's not a day where one of us doesn't make the other one laugh.

Steve: 29:24

Yes. Usually Just kidding. Every

Stephen: 29:28

day. And it, well, it was actually in your wedding vows to me that you promised to laugh.

Steve: 29:33

I have to, whether I want to or not.

Stephen: 29:35

Yeah. Some nights I'm like, oh, you're really pulling out some old material to get a laugh

Steve: 29:40

now. I know, but you love a good old fashioned joke. Later seated at dinner and incensed by the accolades and affection. Georgia has received Craig and tries to humiliate her to his companions by exposing her as a saleswoman in one of his stores. But Georgia confirms this and reveals her terminal illness. Craig In's companions disgusted by his insensitivity, embrace her and abandoned him, including one wife who's only line in the home movie is to call him an asshole.

Stephen: 30:10

The the congressman's wife is there throughout the whole movie and she doesn't say a word on screen other than to look at Craig and and go, asshole, asshole, asshole. Yep. Now, Ms. Burns is also dumping him. And he goes, where are you going? And she's like, well, first I'm going to find Georgia and then I'm going to go back to school and I'm going to get my business degree. And then one day when your wife finally decides to divorce you and take half of everything you have, I'll only be too happy to help her figure out exactly how much that should be.

Steve: 30:46

Yes. And not taking rejection. Well, Craig and goes to the upper floor of the hotel, sits on the ledge, contemplating. Georgia tries to dissuade this, suggesting if he were nicer and less driven by greed, he would be a happier person. Now,

Stephen: 31:00

this goes along with what Roger Ebert was talking about earlier, that a scene like this and a lesser movie with a different cast would've felt more contrived. But in this movie, it works and. Like it feels built up to this. Like, this man just keeps getting knocked down. He's so miserable. He's so mis and, but he was miserable without realizing it before. All of this. Yes.

Steve: 31:28

He even realizes they all want me to jump

Stephen: 31:30

and she says, Don't start people pleasing now. Yeah.

Steve: 31:34

Shawn arrives at the hotel just in time in Jones, Georgia on the ledge, making it a party. confessing his affection for her and admitting he's seen her scrapbook of possibilities and he wants to turn that into a reality. Whether he has five minutes, five days, or five lifetimes or something like that.

Stephen: 31:50

Yep. And in the lobby, Gunther finds a fax for Georgia from Dr. Gupta stating that she was misdiagnosed by a faulty CT scanner and does not have Lamping ten's disease after all. And so Guna runs up to the ledge and announces the good news. And George's like, I hope this doesn't change your. I thing you said earlier about the five minutes, five days or 50 years thing. Yeah.

Steve: 32:18

and Georgia and Sean returned to New Orleans as a couple where they open a restaurant, Georgia's joint, which is visited by Chef DDA and Emeril Lagasse.

Stephen: 32:29

And there's an epilogue sequence that shows Georgia changed her book of possibilities into a book of realities, and her friends from the hotel all lived better. Ms. Burns went to Spa Management School. Ms. Gunther opened a detective agency. Dr. Gupa Gupta started a spiritual retreat, and Matthew Craigen joined as his first initiate after Craig ands wife divorced him and Georgia and Sean got married while skydiving. Awesome.

Steve: 33:01

Yes. And Ebert was right. You know, describing the movie doesn't do it justice. Definitely go.

Stephen: 33:07

and you know, it doesn't matter exactly what D D A said as well. It doesn't matter where you came from, it's how you finish. And the joy in this movie is watching. Queen Latifa unfold into the person that you can tell she was always meant to be. Yes. I certainly love it. Yeah. And an interesting juxtaposition that I've always seen in this is, you know, Ms. Burns is the mistress. So she's supposed to be the conventionally attractive woman, and she is that a risk? And she is, she absolutely is. That a rich businessman would be drawn to. and, but Ms. Burns and Senator Dillings, some see that Georgia is sexy in a transcendent way just because of who she is. And I think that that's a really nice way of, you know, because Queen Latifa is beautiful in her own right. Yeah. But the way Queen Latifa presents herself and carries he. Makes her radiant and sexy even more.

Steve: 34:13

Agreed. You know, who's also radiant and sexy? Me? Yes. And our listeners All of them. All of them. So we would love to hear what you thought of this episode. You could do that by shooting us an email at Happy Life pod@gmail.com. Or

Stephen: 34:29

you can get in touch with us on all the socials, whether that is Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok. At Happy Life Pod and next month we are gonna be hitting up some of our favorites of 2022 as we're into 2023. Next month we're gonna be hitting up some of our favorite movies from 2022. And you'll just have to stay tuned to find out what they are. Yeah, I forgot we

Steve: 34:57

were doing that. So Cool. Beans Alright everyone, stay tuned. It's new for us all and until next time, stay happy.