The Last Word

Shirley MacClaine's character, Harriet, is a crotchety old woman disliked  universally by those who know her, even her only daughter.

When she sets about to have her own obituary written, she finds that a good obituary contains four ingredients--none of which she has.

When Harriet grows more pleasant (to live up to a worthy obit), she unearths some wisdom in herself that changes herself and the people around her.

"Don't tell me to have a good day!" she says on the speaker when she lands a job as a deejay.  "Tell me to have a meaningful day, a true day, an honest day--but not a good day."

And to her obituary writer who's afraid of making mistakes, she counsels her to make more, not fewer mistakes.  "We don't make mistakes," she says.  "Mistakes make us."