One Last Thing... (2006) R - 3½ Stars

It's hard to mark this movie with comedy as part of it's label, but parts of it are purposely funny. But there nothing funny about terminal cancer and the movie has a nice way of ending, for this unfortunate teen living with a fast moving clock. I thought it was a charming movie and Angarano's character was well written to show the frustrations of knowing your fate.

Dylan Jameison (Michael Angarano) 16, has two large tumors growing in his brain that have been listed as terminal. He and his widowed mother, Karen (Cynthia Nixon), are trying to keep their spirits up and live each day the best they can. The "United Wish Givers" grants hears about Dylan and selects him to pick a last wish of anything he chooses. Dylan and his father uses to go fishing all the time and Dylan decides he would like to go fishing with his all time favorite football hero, Jason O'Malley. The stage is set and Dylan will appear with Jason on a local television broadcast as he accepts granting Dylan's last wish. But as Dylan is thinking about what he would really really like, he changes his mind during the broadcast and asks for something typical from a 16 year old boy; to spend a weekend alone with his fantasy girl, supermodel Nikki Sinclair (Sunny Mabrey).

Nikki's agent gets word of Dylan's request and thinks it would be a good way to help Nikki get back on the charts. She's been drinking too much, showing up late, and not being hired by many. This might be just the thing to help her career.

To his surprise, Nikki shows up at his door step while Dylan's too best friends, hormonal overloaded Ricky (Matthew Bush), and slightly more responsible Slap (Gideon Glick), are visiting. But she's gone as fast as she came, and Dylan feels let down. However, Nikki does leave her phone number in New York so Dylan feels he must fly there if he's to be with her. Against the advice of his mother, and with donated funds from Jason O'Malley, Ricky, Slap and Dylan head to Manhattan in search of finding Dylan he last final wish.

HDNet Films, 2929 Productions, Magnolia Pictures
Director: Alex Steyermark
Writer: Barry Stringfellow
Producers: Joana Vicente, Susan Stover, Jason Kliot

I viewed 3/09