Last Holiday

Last Holiday did not make a huge splash at the box office; but for me it's keeper. Maybe it'll become a cult classic.

Queen Latifah's character, Georgia Byrd, starts out as a self-depriving good girl from New Orleans. She rushes home from her job in a department store, making gourmet dishes while Emeril gives instructions on TV. Then she feeds them to her grateful teenage neighbor while she microwaves herself a diet dinner.

Pronounced terminally ill, Georgia cashes in her savings and flies off to a posh resort in the Alps, where others mistake her for a jet-setter. There she lives out her dreams, yet manages to keep her values and speak her truth, with some hilarious moments as a result. She gambles in a high-stakes casino, base-jumps, and shows such an appreciation for Chef Didier's cuisine that he invites her into the kitchen to cook with him.

Spoiler: the happy ending involves a realization of her dream to create beautiful food, in a way that affirms her local (hometown) community.

Summary: A fairly predictable vehicle for Queen Latifah - but so delightfully executed that I didn't care. Tellingly, the bad characters don't appreciate good food but only see dining as an extension of personal power.

Supporting Cast: Gerard Depardieu, LL Cool J, Timothy Hutton, and Susan Kellermann particularly sparkle.

Make Last Holiday a double-feature with another healthy food movie.