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Parents' Guide to

The Last Station

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Mature Tolstoy biopic recounts his conflicted last days.

Movie R 2009 112 minutes
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What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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What's the Story?

Inspired by Jay Parini's novel, THE LAST STATION follows the great writer (and count) Leo Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer) through the final months of his life as he wars with his beloved wife, Countess Sofya Andreyevna (Helen Mirren), over his inclination to leave the copyright for his books to the Russian people. His trusted advisor, Vladimir Chertkov (Paul Giamatti) thinks he's doing the right thing, but Sofya is driven to protect her family's interests, too. Into the fray steps Valentin Bulgakov (James McAvoy), a young man who serves as Tolstoy's secretary and finds his belief in Tolstoy and the eponymous movement he inspired punctured by the realization that his idol is, above all else, human -- a man who struggles with the meaning of love, work, and life.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

First, the visuals: Gorgeous. Russia is verdant in spring, majestic in the winter. And then there's the acting. To watch The Last Station is to witness three superb thespians flexing their muscles: Plummer gives an accomplished turn as the legendary writer; Mirren is a riveting spitfire as Sofya, and McAvoy impresses as the spectator to their operatic fights and quietly moving moments as man and wife. Their combined talents are why we go to the movies in the first place. Nearly all of the other characters in this riveting historical drama are also written well, though Giamatti's Chertkov is a fuzzy rendering. He's made more villainous than necessary, perhaps for cinematic tension.

Though the arguments so painstakingly painted here sometimes reach daytime-drama levels -- plates are thrown, voices boom! -- The Last Station ultimately does succeed, primarily by re-emphasizing Tolstoy's enormous reach and profound gifts. In a world teeming with superficialities -- including writers who rely on trickery rather than wisdom and insight -- it's a welcome reminder.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what the movie is trying to say about marriage. What makes the romances in this film similar to or different to other Hollywood pairings?

  • Does Leo and Sofya's relationship seem realistic? How much of the movie do you think is based on fact, and what parts might the filmmakers have had to fill in? Why might filmmakers sometimes alter the truth for a movie?

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