Burt Reynolds provides wattage
There’s a wafer-thin line between life and art where “The Last Movie Star” is concerned — Adam Rifkin’s bittersweet, fictionalized portrait of a pro football hopeful turned stuntman turned 1970s box office sensation played by pro football hopeful turned stuntman turned 1970s box office sensation Burt Reynolds.
When we’re first introduced to Reynolds’ Vic Edwards, he has just put down his faithful canine companion, returning to an empty home decorated with memories of an all-too-distant past.
He’s offered a chance to revisit those glory days courtesy of a Nashville film festival honoring him with a lifetime achievement award, and he accepts after prodding from his buddy Sonny (Chevy Chase). Arriving to discover the festival is held in a pub and hosted by fanboy Doug McDougal (Clark Duke), Edwards is ready to bolt but ends up taking a lifeaffirming detour with McDougal’s feisty sister Lil (Ariel Winter).
Thanks to its star’s all-in commitment, the overtly maudlin film works better than it should, particularly sequences in which octogenarian Reynolds is dropped into “Smokey and the Bandit” and “Deliverance” and converses philosophically with his younger self.
Gimmicky to be sure, but those clips provide a valuable reminder of the undeniable charisma that made Edwards, er, Reynolds, such a bankable screen icon. “The Last Movie Star.” Rated: R, for some sexuality/ partial nudity. Running time: 1 hour, 36 minutes. Playing: Laemmle Royal Theatre, West L.A.; also on DirecTV.