The Last Run

Year of Release: 2004
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Rating: Rated R for pervasive strong sexual content including dialogue and nudity and for language.
Director: Dana Lustig
Starring: Fred Savage, Steven Pasquale, Amy Adams, Andrea Bogart, Erinn Bartlett, Vyto Ruginis, Robert Romanus

Date Of Review: May 2008

Vulgar, crude and ultimately pointless, “The Last Run” is a tasteless, low-budget exploitation piece for a former child star to drown in. Full of coarse language, nudity and unnecessary sex scenes the film serves only one purpose, and that is to tarnish the clean cut image of Fred Savage, star of TV’s “The Wonder Years”. Yes, we see little Kevin Arnold in a rather debaucherus piece of dribble that does nothing more than stain his filmography. That’s not to say that Fred Savage is terrible in this film because he’s not, in fact he’s the only good thing about the film. Savage puts in a good performance but the character he plays is such a revolting mess that it’s a real slog to watch. Some of Fred’s scenes are literally “Savage” in this sleaze-fest that quickly degenerates into a film full of scenes designed only for one thing and that’s shock value.  Heck, we even get a 9-year-old school kid spouting profanities like they're going out of style. Actually, “The Last Run” reminded me a bit of the 2008 comedy “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” but that film had more heart and was much funnier.

Savage plays Steve Goodson an accountant who discovers that his trophy-model girlfriend is cheating on him. His foul-mouthed, sex-crazed best friend, Jack Manning (Steve Pasquale), convinces him that the only way to get over his lost love is to go on a “last run”, that is, sleep with as many women as possible.  With this ludicrous plot, the viewer is subjected to an onslaught of tasteless sequences which see Fred Savage sleep with nearly every girl in town; from loose women he picks up in bars to paying for time with bargain basement hookers. The more Savage delves into sex addiction the less we care about his character and ultimately when he does find the “right woman”, a kind hearted school teacher, it’s impossible to accept that he should even be with her. More or less we begin to root for the girl when she rejects Savage and that’s because his character, just like the film, degenerates into unlikeable depravity.    

Performance-wise, Savage proves that he does have what it takes to headline an A-list romantic comedy but it’s a real pity that he finds himself suffocating in this B-grade straight-to-DVD nasty. Steve Pasquale tries hard as the pathetic best friend but he plays such a revolting character that you just want to hit with a fire-hose. As for the contribution of “Enchanted” star Amy Adams, unfortunately she is entirely wasted in a disposable role as the fiancée of Savage’s best friend.  Amy gets very little screen and time and this film must have come along at that point in her career where she would take any work that was simply on offer. Also, former 1980s teen star Robert Romanus of “Foxes” and “Fast Times At Ridgemont High” fame pops up briefly as Savage’s boss but it’s a rather thankless supporting role that I suspect won’t do anything for his already floundering career.

“The Last Run” is a strange mix of comedy and drama that gets more and more depressing the lower it sinks. What starts out as a romantic comedy quickly turns into an utterly disgusting film about sex addiction, that’s right, it’s a dark, sordid little film riddled with smut that attempts to palm itself off as a romantic comedy. If you are a Fred Savage fan you might get something out of it, one thing is for sure, you will certainly see him in a different light. However, it’s a shame to see a decent actor in a dreadful film. I couldn’t give this film anymore than 1 ½ stars and that’s only because of Fred Savage’s watchable performance but as far as recommending it goes I just couldn’t and I really shouldn’t. “The Last Run” is the type of film that makes you want to have a nice long cold shower…. with plenty of soap.

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Other "Fred Savage" Films - Now Available on DVD:

Vice Versa (1988) [DVD]
What happens when strait-laced dad Judge Reinhold and fun-loving son Fred Savage exchange bodies? One hilarious mix-up after another, as the transposed pair must try to live each other's life. With Swoosie Kurtz, Corinne Bohrer, Jane Kaczmarek, David Proval. 99 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital Surround; Subtitles: English, Spanish.

The Wizard (1989) [DVD]
Fred Savage ("The Wonder Years") stars in this sweet-natured fable about a boy who rescues his younger, emotionally troubled brother from their broken family and begins a journey to California. They are joined by a feisty girl and eventually enter a $50,000 video game tournament. Christian Slater, Beau Bridges, and future Rilo Kiley lead singer Jenny Lewis co-star. 100 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo; Subtitles: English (SDH).

Little Monsters (1988) [DVD]
What's that lurking under Fred Savage's bed? Why, it's blue-skinned, horned creature Howie Mandel, who promptly takes his charge into his otherworldly home, where all manner of goblins and beasties live. Scarily funny comedy also stars Daniel Stern, Rick Ducommun. 103 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French; theatrical trailer.

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