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Watching "The Last Station," I was reminded of the publisher Bennett Cerf's story about how he went to Europe to secure the rights to James Joyce's Ulysses.

"Nora, you have a brilliant husband," he told Joyce's wife. "You don't have to live with the bloody fool," she responded.

If Joyce was a drunk and a roisterer, how different was the Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy , who was a vegetarian and pacifist, and recommended (although did not practice) celibacy? "The Last Station" focuses also on his wife, Sofya, who after bearing his 13 children thought him a late arrival to celibacy and accused him of confusing himself with Christ. Yet it's because of the writing of Joyce and Tolstoy that we know about their wives at all. Well, the same is true of George Eliot's husband.

"The Last Station" focuses on the last year of Count Tolstoy ( Christopher Plummer ), a full-bearded Shakespearian figure presiding over a household of intrigues. The chief schemer is Chertkov ( Paul Giamatti ), his intense follower, who idealistically believes Tolstoy should leave his literary fortune to the Russian people. It's just the sort of idea that Tolstoy might seize upon in his utopian zeal. Sofya ( Helen Mirren ), on behalf of herself and her children, is livid.

Chertkov, the quasi-leader of Tolstoy's quasi-cult, hires a young man named Valentin ( James McAvoy ) to become the count's private secretary. In this capacity, he is to act as a double agent, observing moments between Leo and Sofya when Chertkov would not be welcome.

It might be hard for us to understand how seriously Tolstoy was taken at the time. To call him comparable in stature to Gandhi would not be an exaggeration, and indeed Gandhi adopted many of his ideas. Tolstoy in his 82nd year remained active and robust, but everyone knew his end might be approaching, and the Russian equivalent of paparazzi and gossips lurked in the neighborhood. Imagine Perez Hilton staking out J.D. Salinger.

Tolstoy was thought a great man and still is, but in a way his greatness distracts from how good he was as a writer. When I was young, the expression "reading War and Peace" was used as a synonym for idly wasting an immense chunk of time. Foolishly believing this, I read Dostoyevsky and Chekhov but not Tolstoy, and it was only when I came late to Anna Karenina that I realized he wrote page-turners. In Time magazine's compilation of 125 lists of the 10 greatest novels of all time, War and Peace and Anna Karenina placed first and third. (You didn't ask, but Madame Bovary was second; Lolita, fourth, and Huckleberry Finn, fifth.)

"The Last Station" has the look of a Merchant-Ivory film, with the pastoral setting, the dashing costumery, the meals taken on lawns. But did Merchant and Ivory ever deal with such a demonstrative family? If the British are known for suppressing their emotions, the Russians seem to bellow their whims. If a British woman in Merchant-Ivory land desires sex, she bestows a significant glance in the candlelight. Sofya clucks like a chicken to arouse old Leo's rooster.

The dramatic movement in the film takes place mostly within Valentin, who joins the household already an acolyte of Tolstoy. Young and handsome, he says he is celibate. Sofya has him pegged as gay, but Masha ( Kerry Condon ), a nubile Tolstoyian, pegs him otherwise. Valentin also takes note that Tolstoy, like many charismatic leaders, exempts himself from his own teachings. The 13 children provide a hint, and his private secretary cannot have avoided observing that although the count and countess fight over his will, a truce is observed at bedtime, and the enemies meet between the lines.

As the formidable patriarch, Christopher Plummer avoids any temptation (if he felt one) to play Tolstoy as a Great Man. He does what is more amusing; he plays him as a Man Who Knows He Is Considered Great. Helen Mirren plays a wife who knows his flaws, but has loved him since the day they met. To be fair, no man who wrote that fiction could be other than wise and warm about human nature.

Some women are simply sexy forever. Helen Mirren is a woman like that. She's 64. As she enters her 70s, we'll begin to develop a fondness for sexy septuagenarians.

Mirren and Plummer make Leo and Sofya Tolstoy more vital than you might expect in a historical picture. Giamatti has a specialty in seeming to be up to something, and McAvoy and Condon take on a glow from feeling noble while sinning. In real life, I learn, Tolstoy provided Sofya with more unpleasant sunset years, but could we stand to see Helen Mirren treated like that?

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film credits.

The Last Station (2010)

Rated R for a scene of sexuality/nudity

112 minutes

Christopher Plummer as Tolstoy

Helen Mirren as Sofya

Paul Giamatti as Chertkov

Kerry Condon as Masha

James McAvoy as Valentin

Directed and written by

Michael Hoffman

Based on the novel by

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Movie Review | 'The Last Station'

Following the Master to the End of the Line

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By A.O. Scott

Dec. 3, 2009

Leo Tolstoy wrote enormous novels that reached the very pinnacle of literary art. He was a master of both quality and quantity, which may be why “The Last Station,” a new movie about the end of Tolstoy’s life, confuses the two. You will certainly see better acting in a great many motion pictures (including from the cast of this one), but it is unlikely you will see more. To say that the actors Helen Mirren, James McAvoy, Christopher Plummer and Paul Giamatti, among others overdo it would be an understatement. I can’t handicap their Oscar chances, but isn’t there a scenery-eating contest every summer out on Coney Island?

Mr. Plummer plays Tolstoy as a kind of volatile Russian Santa Claus. When he laughs, it is a great, lusty laugh. When he shouts, it is a deep, abdominal bellow. And when he capers around his bedroom clucking like a chicken, you can be sure you are witnessing a world-historical feat of poultry impersonation. Ms. Mirren, as Sofya Tolstoy, the great man’s wife, matches Mr. Plummer howl for howl. She smashes crockery, enters rooms in a state of operatic dishevelment or regal calm and seems determined to restore literal meaning to the word henpecked. Not to be outdone, Mr. Giamatti twirls his moustache to denote his character’s villainy, and Mr. McAvoy does what he usually does, which is mime wet-eyed, stricken, lovable innocence, but this time in a more Russian way than he has before.

Mr. McAvoy plays Valentin, a nervous young man hired to be Tolstoy’s secretary. In the twilight of his life the writer has ascended from man of letters to spiritual guru, attracting disciples to a vaguely defined movement led by Vladimir Chertkov (Mr. Giamatti). This utopian project, which includes a commune of sorts not far from Yasnaya Polyana, Tolstoy’s estate, has alienated Sofya. She complains, not without reason, that Chertkov and his flunkies are trying to marginalize her and manipulate her husband into changing the terms of his will.

Valentin manages to gain the confidence of both Tolstoys. Leo flatters the young man by inquiring after the progress of his work, while Sofya quizzes him on the state of his love life. This centers on Masha (Kerry Condon), a fresh-faced Tolstoyan who brings tea to Valentin’s bedroom at the commune and returns later to bestow other favors, in spite of the supposed Tolstoyan commitment to celibacy.

All well and good, but “The Last Station,” written and directed by Michael Hoffman (“The Emperor’s Club”) and based on a novel by Jay Parini, is the kind of movie that gives literature a bad name. Not because it undermines the dignity of a great writer and his work, but because it is so self-consciously eager to flaunt its own gravity and good taste. The humor is mirthless, the pathos is daubed on like jam on a blini, and the shuffling of books and papers substitutes for real intellectual energy. Mr. Hoffman has, in press materials, invoked the spirit of Chekhov, but instead of the stringent, sympathetic intelligence that Chekhov would have brought to this material, there is bombast and grandiosity.

Which is a pity, because a rich and peculiar story lies underneath the histrionics. Tolstoy’s fame was an early form of modern celebrity, with proto-paparazzi ranged around the gates of Yasnaya Polyana and the rural train depot that gives the film its title. His marriage could have been a novel in its own right, an epic of loyalty and betrayal. His temperament as grand and paradoxical as any in the annals of literature. All grist for a fascinating movie, for sure. But this isn’t it.

“The Last Station” is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian) for sex.

THE LAST STATION

Opens on Friday in New York and Los Angeles.

Written and directed by Michael Hoffman; director of photography, Sebastian Edschmid; edited by Patricia Rommel; music by Sergey Yevtushenko; production designer, Patrizia von Brandenstein; produced by Chris Curling, Jens Meurer and Bonnie Arnold; released by Sony Pictures Classics. Running time: 1 hour 52 minutes.

WITH: Helen Mirren (Sofya Tolstoy), Christopher Plummer (Leo Tolstoy), Paul Giamatti (Vladimir Chertkov), Anne-Marie Duff (Sasha Tolstoy), Kerry Condon (Masha) and James McAvoy (Valentin Bulgakov).

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The Last Station Reviews

A lavish costume drama about the final months in the life of Leo Tolstoy, The Last Station treats the author's end as a tragi-comedy, with the emphasis more on boisterous comedy than sombre tragedy.

Full Review | Nov 28, 2020

The kind of film that commands you to visit your local arthouse theatre and watch true acting greats at work.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4.0 | Sep 13, 2020

The Last Station is a film that lives and dies on its performances, and director Michael Hoffman has assembled an inspired cast.

Full Review | Jan 23, 2020

Technically the film is masterful.

Full Review | Nov 15, 2019

The very definition of a character piece, The Last Station is a stunning example of a group of accomplished actors at the very top of their game.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Oct 24, 2019

The moral lines are drawn so schematically that the characters become puppets of the script, despite the actors' best efforts.

Full Review | Jul 26, 2019

The bulk of The Last Station acts, much like Tolstoy's Anna Karenina, as a cautionary tale about the tragic consequences of serving self over others, particularly within marriage.

Full Review | Oct 3, 2018

By turns sorrowful, sardonic and histrionic, Mirren's Sofya is always wonderfully, sloppily human.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Aug 15, 2018

With all of its faults, The Last Station will satisfy even those only slightly familiar with the works of Leo Tolstoy and the time in which he lived

Full Review | Jan 13, 2018

Mature Tolstoy biopic recounts his conflicted last days.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Dec 31, 2010

The Last Station is the kind of adult drama that I'm just thankful is still being made. Therefore, I was ecstatic to also find it to be rather good.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Oct 21, 2010

full review at Movies for the Masses

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/5 | Jul 29, 2010

Feels akin to using Tolstoy's life to write a greeting card.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/10 | Jul 8, 2010

La película es un placer de principio a fin, no sólo por su valor testimonial y su estupenda reconstrucción de época, sino sobre todo por un notable elenco donde se lucen particularmente Helen Mirren y Christopher Plummer.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 4, 2010

All of the performances are universally stellar, making this not unlike last year's Doubt %u2014 a solid, if otherwise unremarkable film that provides a playground for performers of prodigious talents.

Full Review | Original Score: 6.4/10 | Jul 4, 2010

Plummer as the alleged Tolstoy in question, is a grumpy elder aristocrat presiding over a kinky retro-hippie spiritual commune, where worshipful 19th century Russian groupies of the carnal variety frolic free love style in the Eastern European wilderness.

Full Review | Jun 11, 2010

A charming and compelling account of Tolstoy's last year.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jun 9, 2010

Despite its strong performances The Last Station is a bland and middle-of-the-road period film with faint literary pretensions.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Apr 10, 2010

This handsome, well-tuned adaptation of Jay Parini's Tolstoy biography avoids being a dour subtitled slog by its strong casting, layered contrasts of love and duty, and admirable air of enthusiasm.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Apr 8, 2010

The acting is excellent by this very capable cast, and the story is interesting. The cinematography, by Sebastian Edschmid (Adam Resurrected) is also excellent. The outdoor scenes are lush and gorgeous.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Apr 4, 2010

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The Last Station: movie review

In 'The Last Station,' Leo Tolstoy's domestic life and epic marriage is the story.

By Peter Rainer Film critic

January 15, 2010

One of the most difficult achievements for an actor is to realistically portray genius. Too often in the movies we are subjected to great writers or artists in the hammy throes of inspiration. Great artists are regular, plodding people, too. What’s more, their greatness is often missed in their own time.

It’s certainly not true that Count Leo Tolstoy was unrecognized in his day – he was revered as Russia ’s greatest writer – but one of the terrific things about writer-director Michael Hoffman ’s “ The Last Station ” is that, as Christopher Plummer plays him, the old master is, of all things, a recognizable human being. He’s not an icon, at least not to himself and his adoring, long-suffering wife, Sofya, played with ravenous theatricality by Helen Mirren . The film is about many things – including the rise of quasi-socialist communes devoted to passive resistance that sprang up around Tolstoy in his final days – but it’s finally, and most successfully, about the amorous battle between the count and countess. Married 48 years, these two haul around so much history together that they’re practically an epic novel all on their own. They’re waging a war that seems right out of a novel by, well, Tolstoy.

The ostensible conflict in “The Last Station,” based on a novel by Jay Parini , is between Sofya and Chertkov ( Paul Giamatti ), Tolstoy’s chief disciple, who believes that the master’s works rightfully belong to the Russian people. Over Sofya’s hot-eyed objections, he wants Tolstoy to sign over his writings into the public domain, and, to grease this agenda, he arranges for a young acolyte, Valentin Bulgakov ( James McAvoy ), to become Tolstoy’s assistant. Bulgakov is supposed to be acting as Chertkov’s spy, but most of the time he’s too gaga to provide much useful intelligence. The self-denial implicit in Tolstoy’s neo-Christian, neomystical agrarianism doesn’t jibe with the sensuous world he’s surrounded by – especially in the form of Masha ( Kerry Condon ), another acolyte with a rather loose sense of self-abnegation.

This Bulgakov-Chertkov narrative is entertaining but also somewhat callow. McAvoy is never entirely convincing – he seems too coltish and contemporaneous to be a true believer circa 1910 – and Giamatti lets his moustache do much of his acting for him. (He’s one of the few actors who is still worth watching even when he’s overdoing it – Nicolas Cage is another – but Hoffman could still have brought him down a notch.) Even if these scenes were better, they wouldn’t stand up to the Plummer-Mirren grand opera. Every time we are taken away from these two, a terrific movie plummets into OK-ness. (It’s how I felt watching “Julie & Julia” every time we switched to Julie.)

Plummer’s Tolstoy, with his big beard and big rheumy eyes, is still startlingly alive in his 80s. The funniest, and truest, joke in the movie is that Tolstoy, despite his philosophical revulsion for worldly things, is irreducibly grounded in earthy pleasures. He’s as imposing a physical presence as the stout trees that cleave the grounds of his estate.

In her own way, Sofya matches him pound for pound (and line for line). This is a woman who, after all, gave her husband 13 children and, perhaps even more impressive, copied out “War and Peace” for him six times. Whether she is staging fainting spells or throwing herself into ponds, Sofya is always intensely aware of the effect she is having on Tolstoy. When he makes his break with her and she follows him, against Chertkov’s admonitions, to his death bed, we can see in their eyes how much love/hate has coursed between them. “The Last Station” isn’t all that it should be, but whenever these two actors are onscreen, it’s like a great night at the theater. Grade: A- (Rated R for a scene of sexuality/nudity.)

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The Last Station (2009)

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Movie Review: The Last Station (2009)

Colin Harris
Movie Reviews
One response
--> June 25, 2010

It is 1910, the last year of Count Lev Nikolayevitch (Leo) Tolstoy’s life. He is 82 years old and his writing days are behind him. His work was so popular that he gained followers — nowadays they’d be called fanboys — who were known as Tolstoyans. One of the main tenets of the Tolstoyans was to shun private wealth, and it is on that principle that The Last Station is based. Tolstoy was guided and influenced, in his later years, by Vladimir Chertkov, a devout follower determined to follow the tenet to the letter, and Chertkov wants the great author to change his will to benefit the commune: Currently Tolstoy’s houses, wealth and copyrights are to be handed to his wife of forty-eight years, Sofya. Sofya has borne Tolstoy thirteen children and feels — with some justification, I reckon — that she and her family are entitled.

Chertkov (Paul Giamatti) hires a PA, basically, to work for Tolstoy, but also to keep a diary. The Countess, he explains, is a very dangerous lady, and Chertkov wants the skinny at all times. The secretary, Valentin Bulgakov, is a devout Tolstoyan himself and is thrilled to enter the Tolstoy family circle. However, Sofya then requests that Bulgakov keep a diary for her too, because she trusts Chertkov about as far as she can throw him.

And so begins a beautifully-shot, well-acted but ultimately meaningless movie. Christopher Plummer, as Leo, and Helen Mirren as the Countess seize the opportunity to parade their acting chops and do so in fine style. Perfectly at ease with each other (as you would expect from a couple married for nearly half a century), the aging couple are a joy to watch, and almost distract the viewer from the realization that an awful lot nothing is going on. James McEvoy plays Bulgakov well enough, but still struggles with the English accent at times — the ‘oo’ phoneme does rather betray his Glaswegian roots. However, he does get to share a bed with Tolstoyan commune inhabitant Masha (Kerry Condon) in a completely pointless side-story. Talk about a whirlwind courtship: They meet one day, they argue the next, by the third day she’s in bed with him, and before the week is out they’re both hopelessly in love. Too bad for them, since Tolstoyism rejects carnal desires. As luck would have it, though, there’s enough melodrama occurring elsewhere that a mere bending of one of the movement’s main principles can apparently be glossed over.

The Last Station does a lot of glossing over, actually. In truth, there were actually six diarists documenting Tolstoy’s life at this time, and it is through those six that Jay Parini’s novel came to life. Because these actions were captured on paper, it seems to me that director Michael Hoffman thought that he had carte blanche to take liberties with the re-telling of them. Instead, we are left to scratch our heads at the deeds and actions of the characters. Continuity, too, had me wondering if I’d imagined things — was Bulgakov able to traverse the country by train at dizzying speeds, faster even than his whirlwind courtship?

As I’ve already mentioned, The Last Station looks beautiful, with truly stunning landscapes and exceptional mises-en-scene, the best I’ve seen for some time. A great deal of credit should go to the German art production team for their perfect recreation of the period. Sadly their efforts, and those of two exceptional lead actors, do not save this from being a rather beautiful yet empty vessel.

Owner of the Pick 'n' Mix movie review website . Stop by after you've finished here for mostly smaller budget and harder to find movies. Thanks.

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'Movie Review: The Last Station (2009)' has 1 comment

July 1, 2010 @ 9:49 pm Frank R.

That stinks, this looked really good. May check it out anyways. Nice review.

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The Last Station

B ased on a novel by Jay Parini, The Last Station deals with the somewhat unedifying last months of the 82-year-old Leo Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer) that concluded with his public death at the remote southern Russia railway station of Astapovo in 1910, the end of the line and the last station of the cross. During this time his wife Sofya (Helen Mirren) battles for his soul and the copyright of his valuable works with the writer's manipulative disciple Vladimir Chertkov (Paul Giamatti), who regards himself as the guardian of the great man's reputation and wants the money from War and Peace to be used to advance the cause of universal love and passive resistance. Their battles are observed and recorded by Tolstoy's new secretary, Valentin Bulgakov, played by James McAvoy with the same amiable diffidence he brought to the role of Idi Amin's confidant in The Last King of Scotland .

The events were documented in copious diaries kept by the participants and by newsreel cameramen from all over the world, and the film is well acted, handsomely designed and bizarrely comic in a manner more Chekhovian than Tolstoyan. The opening titles tell us that Tolstoy was the world's most famous novelist and widely regarded as a living saint, and it is just as well to be reminded, because he comes over as a rather ludicrous Lear-like fool: pompous, ill-tempered, insensitive, constantly talking of love but rarely practising it.

Period and historical films
The Observer
Drama films
Helen Mirren
Paul Giamatti
James McAvoy

The Last Station Review

19 Feb 2010

110 minutes

Last Station, The

Tolstoy’s War And peace contains the famous line, “Everything that I know, I know only because I love.” Evidently he knew quite a lot himself, especially that love may be many-splendoured but also maddening. On his country estate in 1910, the ailing Tolstoy’s long and tempestuous marriage entered its final crisis, avidly — and contradictorily — chronicled by at least six of the principals and on-lookers.

Tolstoy founded a movement espousing passive resistance, celibacy and abolishing private property. The film observes the bitter power struggle between his wife and disciples, the Tolstoyans (led by Paul Giamatti, conniving with sanctimonious ruthlessness as Vladimir Chertkov), who want the copyright to Tolstoy’s works bequeathed to them for their cause. Countess Sofya, who bore ‘Lev’ 13 children and copied out six drafts of War And Peace by hand, is not going to surrender her inheritance to the betterment of humanity quietly.

In this charged, beautifully nuanced situation, writer-director Michael Hoffman engagingly appoints as our eyes and ears Tolstoyan acolyte Valentin Bulgakov, an innocent prig who sneezes when he’s nervous. James McAvoy is enchanting, the bright-eyed enthusiast overwhelmed by his hero. His joy is bridled when Chertkov and his enemy, Sofya, each give Valentin diaries, with instructions to spy on the other and record everything. Taking flight from the domestic tribulations, Tolstoy gets as far as the remote railway station at Astapovo before rival factions for his favour and his soul catch up with him and the world’s media gather for the show.

Valentin’s progress is a pleasure. But for anyone who loves great acting, it’s the most delicious treat to watch Mirren and Plummer going at each other with all they’ve got, alternating fits of loathing and lust with cruelty, tenderness and supremely amusing repartee. Mirren’s Russian blood must have thrilled to a script that provides her ample opportunity to display imperious bearing, an operatic range of emotions and feminine wiles. Hers is the showpiece, but Plummer is also awesome, just less noisily so.

Movies | 10 02 2010

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The last station, common sense media reviewers.

Mature Tolstoy biopic recounts his conflicted last days.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

This romantic period film delves into serious ques

Tolstoy is almost saintly here, though only just.

Lots of loud quarrels between a husband and his wi

A woman propositions a man she barely knows; later

Nothing stronger than “tighta--,“ &ldq

Positive Messages

This romantic period film delves into serious questions about loyalty to family, country, and self; there’s also much discussion about the importance of loving and being loved and how that may be the path to salvation.

Positive Role Models

Tolstoy is almost saintly here, though only just. Though his love for his wife -- and vice versa -- is unwavering, he wrestles with larger questions that may supersede his family, much to his wife’s chagrin. Though she seems quarrelsome, it’s apparent that she acts out of concern and love for him. Valentin is the prism through which Tolstoy’s life and works are viewed, and his struggle to comprehend them is understandable and commendable.

Violence & Scariness

Lots of loud quarrels between a husband and his wife -- they adore each other, but they can’t seem to agree on what to do about one major decision. A despondent woman attempts to drown herself in a lake.

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Sex, Romance & Nudity

A woman propositions a man she barely knows; later, they have sex (only her breasts are visible). Some candid conversations about sex and marriage and celibacy. The Tolstoys seduce each other with sexual banter.

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Nothing stronger than “tighta--,“ “bitch,” and “moron.”

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Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this period drama recounting Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy's last months, while powerful and well acted, isn't too likely to appeal to kids. It has moments of both intense squabbling and gentle loving between the writer and his wife. Many of their fights are loud and painfully honest (though not venomous), and younger teens may find them disturbing. There's also a sex scene with partial nudity (a woman's breasts) and a little swearing (though "bitch" is about as strong as it gets). To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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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?

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?

Movie Details

In theaters : December 4, 2009
On DVD or streaming : June 22, 2010
Cast : Christopher Plummer , Helen Mirren , James McAvoy
Director : Michael Hoffman
Inclusion Information : Female actors
Studio : Sony Pictures Classics
Genre : Drama
Run time : 112 minutes
MPAA rating : R
MPAA explanation : a scene of sexuality/nudity
Last updated : April 16, 2024

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Michael Phillips, At the Movies : It just feel like a lifeless costume drama. Read more

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel : The Last Station is a moving, fictionalized account of a piece of real Russian history, a tour de force for an actor who's in his prime in his 70s and 80s, and a real return to form for a director most at home in period pieces. Read more

David Edelstein, New York Magazine/Vulture : The movie has its evocative moments, but it's so rigged on the side of anti-intellectualism that you'd never guess that Tolstoy's late work inspired Gandhi and Martin Luther King. Read more

Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal : A lovely quicksilver version of literary history, with the accent on young love that emerges unbidden, and old love that endures. Read more

Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times : Acted beautifully by a cast you never want to take your eyes off, so as not to miss a tiny nuance. Read more

Jonathan F. Richards, Film.com : Some critics have derided the central performances as scenery-chewing excess, but these Tolstoys are characters who demand histrionics, and Mirren and Plummer are magnificent in delivering on those demands. Read more

Sam Adams, AV Club : Little more than a gilded trifle, though it offers its share of light enjoyments. Read more

Ty Burr, Boston Globe : The movie's a chocolate box of nougaty performances, from Christopher Plummer's delightful depiction of Tolstoy as a ribald old naif to Paul Giamatti twirling his waxed mustache and playing to the gallery as Vladimir Chertkov... Read more

Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times : For those who enjoy actors who can play it up without ever overplaying their hands, The Last Station is the destination of choice. Read more

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader : If you come to this expecting the philosophical depth and psychological detail of Tolstoy's work you're sure to be disappointed, but as an actors' romp it's delectable. Read more

Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor : Isn't all that it should be, but whenever these two actors are onscreen, it's like a great night at the theater. Read more

Tom Long, Detroit News : Director and writer Michael Hoffman, adapting Jay Parini's novel, lets the history play out, and this little-known chapter plays out nicely indeed. Read more

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly : Based on the equally entertaining, erudite novel by Jay Parini and adapted and directed by Michael Hoffman, the movie is at once a hot marital showdown and a cool political debate, a domestic War and Peace. Read more

Amy Nicholson, I.E. Weekly : Though the cast is fantastic, this won't be the definitive take of the Tolstoys' marriage - but whose could ever be? Read more

Jake Coyle, Associated Press : The message is clear, if you didn't get it from the rich acting: This is a film to celebrate nature and life. Read more

David Ansen, Newsweek : The Last Station slides gracefully between comedy and pathos (it aims for tragedy, but doesn't quite get there). Read more

David Denby, New Yorker : It's the most emotionally naked work of Mirren's movie career; she gives poetic form to the madness and the violence of commonplace jealousy. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News : Though all the actors try to expand their underwritten roles, Mirren is most successful. Read more

Lou Lumenick, New York Post : Helen Mirren outdoes even her Oscar-winning performance in The Queen. Read more

Rex Reed, New York Observer : The arrival of a movie with as much intelligence and artistry as The Last Station should also be accompanied by the sound of trumpets. Read more

Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer : Michael Hoffman's adaptation of the Jay Parini novel is a most affecting look at the twilight of a marriage and how its parties adapt to the dawn of a new era. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews : Tansforms Tolstoy's waning days into material worthy of one of his tragedies while simultaneously making a biting statement about how the politics of a "movement" often warp the underlying philosophy which caused it to develop. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times : Mirren and Plummer make Leo and Sofya Tolstoy more vital than you might expect in a historical picture. Read more

Peter Travers, Rolling Stone : Helen Mirren is a lusty, roaring wonder playing, of all things, the long-suffering wife of Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer in peak form). Read more

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle : An actor can be 80 years old, but give him fake whiskers and a pair of heavy boots, and he'll stomp through a two-hour movie like a happy kid. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune : A fun, sexy romp about the last days of Leo Tolstoy? Believe it. Read more

Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch : It's rewarding for a film to render rarefied ideas so concretely, but The Last Station works best as a battle of wills between husband and wife. Read more

Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail : Despite its literary pedigree, this stagy production mixes ribaldry and campy overacting. Read more

Linda Barnard, Toronto Star : The story's a bit of a bore, but the cast is terrific. Read more

Nick Schager, Time Out : Michael Hoffman's biopic of Leo Tolstoy's final year filters its historical drama through a turgid coming-of-age experience. Read more

Trevor Johnston, Time Out : Engaging performers all, but the movie's superficial flummery is slightly exasperating when the true-life events would have provided an even richer palette of ideas. Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today : Every second Helen Mirren is on-screen in The Last Station is a study in peerless talent. Read more

Ella Taylor, Village Voice : This workmanlike adaptation of Jay Parini's novel about Tolstoy's last days, adapted and directed by Michael Hoffman, settles into a lushly scenic television drama, though with dialogue strangely located somewhere in the 1950s. Read more

Ann Hornaday, Washington Post : If the operatic emotional pitch ultimately proves unsustainable (not to mention tiresome), the film is full of captivating details. Read more

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The Last Station

In the year leading up to Leo Tolstoy's death in Astapovo in 1910, a nonstop battle waged between the legendary Russian writer/philosopher's wife of 48 years and his worshipping disciples, led by his publisher, Chertkov. This overheated finale was the basis of Jay Parini's acclaimed 1990 novel "The Last Station," which has now been adapted for the stage by Blake Robison and Connan Morrissey.

By Markland Taylor

Markland Taylor

The Good German 21 years ago
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In the year leading up to Leo Tolstoy ‘s death in Astapovo in 1910, a nonstop battle waged between the legendary Russian writer/philosopher’s wife of 48 years and his worshipping disciples, led by his publisher, Chertkov. This overheated finale was the basis of Jay Parini’s acclaimed 1990 novel “ The Last Station ,” which has now been adapted for the stage by Blake Robison and Connan Morrissey.

Popular on Variety

There’s more depth in Parini’s novel, which is based on thorough research into the writings, diaries and notebooks of Tolstoy, material that might have been worked into the play to give it more flesh and substance.

As far as they’ve gone, Robison and Morrissey have created a deft chamber sextet for six actors that is directed and performed with considerable skill. For the production, Jeff Modereger has planted a grove of bare birch trunks at the rear of the Royall Tyler Theater’s thrust stage and then placed 10 or so chairs among the trees and on the bare stage in front of them. The cast members move the chairs into different positions, scene by scene.

The vibrating roar of an approaching train prefaces the play, then the lights go up on the six actors, each standing in a pool of light, with Tolstoy (Jerome Kilty) among the trees at the rear. He remains silent as the other five begin to speak, solo or in unison.

The play unfolds through a series of monologues delivered to the audience and scenes in which two or more characters interact.

Tolstoy’s wife Sofya (Sybil Lines) is the most wildly emotional character, firmly believing that the others are convincing her husband to change his will at her and her children’s expense, accusing him of having homosexual inclinations, and running the gamut between love and hate (the Tolstoys’ marriage is generally believed to have been an infamous mismatch). Lines is not afraid to make the countess an impossible woman, though she does sometimes teeter on the brink of too much theatricality.

As Tolstoy, perhaps because there is too little in his role for him to dig into, Kilty is too sweet, too fussy and at times too vigorous for an ill 82 -year-old. He does, however, dierather well.

Ray Dooley and Bill Gorman offer technically adept personifications of Tolstoy’s publisher and doctor, respectively, and Jenny Langsam is brisk and likable as Tolstoy acolyte Masha. But the 24-year-old Bulgakov (Kevin Cristaldi) is the play’s most sympathetic and understandable character, partly because Kevin Cristaldi plays him so affectionately.

Despite the able performances, this stage version of “The Last Station” doesn’t make enough good use of its rich source material.

(DRAMA; ROYALL TYLER THEATER; 295 SEATS; $ 19 TOP)

Production: BURLINGTON, Vt. A Vermont Stage Co./Green Mountain Theater Festival presentation of a play in one act by Blake Robison and Connan Morrissey, based on the novel by Jay Parini. Directed by Robison.
Crew: Set, Jeff Modereger; costumes, Jennifer Noe Adkins; lighting, Kenton Yeager; production stage manager, Heather E. Skeels. Vermont Stage Co. artistic director, Robison. Opened June 30, 1999. Reviewed July 8. Running time: 1 HOUR, 30 MIN.
With: Tolstoy ..... Jerome Kilty Sofya Andreyevna, his wife ..... Sybil Lines Chertkov, his publisher ..... Ray Dooley Bulgakov, his new secretary.....Kevin Cristaldi Makovitsky, his physician ..... Bill Gorman Masha, a young Tolstoyan .....Jenny Langsam

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The Last Station

When Sofya then discovers that Tolstoy�s trusted disciple, Chertkov (Paul Giamatti)�whom she despises�may have secretly convinced her husband to sign a new will, leaving the rights to his iconic novels to the Russian people rather than his very own family, she is consumed by righteous outrage. This is the last straw. Using every bit of cunning, every trick of seduction in her considerable arsenal, she fights fiercely for what she believes is rightfully hers. The more extreme her behavior becomes, however, the more easily Chertkov is able to persuade Tolstoy of the damage she will do to his glorious legacy.

Into this minefield wanders Tolstoy�s worshipful new assistant, the young, gullible Valentin (James McAvoy). In no time, he becomes a pawn, first of the scheming Chertkov and then of the wounded, vengeful Sofya as each plots to undermine the other�s gains. Complicating Valentin�s life even further is the overwhelming passion he feels for the beautiful, spirited Masha (Kerry Condon), a free thinking adherent of Tolstoy�s new religion whose unconventional attitudes about sex and love both compel and confuse him. Infatuated with Tolstoy�s notions of ideal love, but mystified by the Tolstoys� rich and turbulent marriage, Valentin is ill equipped to deal with the complications of love in the real world.

A tale of two romances, one beginning, one near its end, The Last Station is a complex, funny, rich and emotional story about the difficulty of living with love and the impossibility of living without it.

People Movie Review The Last Station

CRITICS REVIEWS & SCORES

Last Station, The (Germany/Russia/United Kingdom, 2009)

Leo Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer), or - more properly - Lev Tolstoy, is one of the two best-known 19th century Russian authors. His masterpieces, War and Peace and Anna Karenina , are required reading in many high school and college literature classes, and both have received multiple screen adaptations. For the casual reader, however, less is known about the author than his projects. The Last Station seeks to rectify that, at least insofar as the writer's final year is concerned. Based on Jay Parini's semi-fictional novel of the same name, The Last Station transformers Tolstoy's waning days into material worthy of one of his tragedies while simultaneously making a biting statement about how the politics of a "movement" often warp the underlying philosophy which caused it to develop.

It's 1910 and Tolstoy's health is in decline. His relationship with his wife, Sofya (Helen Mirren), is rocky. She resents his growing distaste for wealth and is alarmed that he's considering re-writing his will to grant free license to his works after his death. She blames Vladimir Chertkov (Paul Giamatti), the guiding force behind the "Tolstoyians," a small group of Christian anarchists, for turning her husband against her. For his part, Tolstoy readily acknowledges that he may be better at preaching than practicing his philosophy, which embraces passive resistance and chastity and opposes the ownership of private property. Chertkov's opposition to Sofya is shared by Tolstoy's daughter, Sasha (Anne-Marie Duff), who is a devout Tolstoyian.

The film's main character is Valentin Bulakov (James McAvoy), who is brought in by Chertkov for the dual purpose of serving as Tolstoy's secretary and proving a detailed account of everything said and done by Sofya. Valentin becomes one of the author's confidants, and he witnesses not only the friction in his marriage but also learns that power plays and politics have already diluted the "purity" of Tolstoyian philosophy. Valentin's personal devotion to Tolstoyian principles is tested when he falls in love with Masha (Kerry Condon), who values physical intimacy over chastity.

The Last Station derives much of its strength and energy from the performances of its two most celebrated stars. Both Christopher Plummer and Helen Mirren are in top form. Scenes in which they appear, either which each other or in the company of other actors, are often electrifying. No one else is nearly as compelling. Especially disappointing is James McAvoy. The up-and-coming performer, who has appeared in such high-profile Oscar bait as The Last King of Scotland and Atonement , is unable to develop much of a presence. Part of the problem is the character. Valentin is a passive observer. He rarely acts , and is reduced to reacting . McAvoy's best scenes are those he shares with Kerry Condon, with whom he enjoys a sultry chemistry, but since the thrust of the movie is on Valentin's interaction with the Tolstoys, his relationship with Masha never develops into anything more substantive than a subplot.

Writer/director Michael Hoffman does a workmanlike job establishing time, place, and mood. His Russia feels like the Russia we have read about in books and seen in movies: a hard, unforgiving climate with warm summers and brutally cold winters. The events transpire only a few years before the Russian Revolution and there is evidence, especially in scenes featuring the peasants in Chertkov's commune, of growing unrest among the working class - an unrest that would soon remove the Czar in favor of the Marxists. During the closing credits, Hoffman provides grainy, silent footage of the real Tolstoy in clips taken shortly before his death.

The Last Station will draw its strongest support from those with a fondness for Russian literature and a desire to learn a little about Tolstoy, his background, and his marriage. (Although, by the time the movie begins, Tolstoy had already voiced dissatisfaction with elements of his great novels.) It's fascinating to see how life imitates art; the closing months of Tolstoy's life read like something he might have penned. One need not be familiar with War and Peace , Anna Karenina , or anything else written by the Russian great to appreciate the movie, however. The story is compelling enough to stand on its own, although it is hampered by a sluggish start and ramp-up. Mirren and Plummer slice their way through the rough spots so that on those occasions when Hoffman's mostly sure-handed direction sputters, the proceedings never stall. The Last Station has received some Oscar buzz, mostly for the performances of Mirren and Plummer (both of whom were nominated), but it's unclear whether Sony Classics' inept platform release of the film will bury it in an obscurity that will disallow any serious awards consideration.

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Rotten Tomatoes® Score

A lavish costume drama about the final months in the life of Leo Tolstoy, The Last Station treats the author's end as a tragi-comedy, with the emphasis more on boisterous comedy than sombre tragedy.

The kind of film that commands you to visit your local arthouse theatre and watch true acting greats at work.

The Last Station is a film that lives and dies on its performances, and director Michael Hoffman has assembled an inspired cast.

Technically the film is masterful.

The very definition of a character piece, The Last Station is a stunning example of a group of accomplished actors at the very top of their game.

The moral lines are drawn so schematically that the characters become puppets of the script, despite the actors' best efforts.

The bulk of The Last Station acts, much like Tolstoy's Anna Karenina, as a cautionary tale about the tragic consequences of serving self over others, particularly within marriage.

By turns sorrowful, sardonic and histrionic, Mirren's Sofya is always wonderfully, sloppily human.

With all of its faults, The Last Station will satisfy even those only slightly familiar with the works of Leo Tolstoy and the time in which he lived

Mature Tolstoy biopic recounts his conflicted last days.

Additional Info

Genre : Drama
Release Date : December 4, 2009
Languages : English
Captions : English
Audio Format : 5.1

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Station Eleven

A post apocalyptic saga spanning multiple timelines, telling the stories of survivors of a devastating flu as they attempt to rebuild and reimagine the world anew while holding on to the best of what's been lost.

Station 19 Season 7 Ending & Recap: Who Dies in the Finale?

By Tamal Kundu

Station 19 Season 7’s finale drew the series to a close, and viewers want to know how it ends and who dies in it . Stacy McKee created the series for ABC as a spin-off to Grey’s Anatomy. It premiered on March 22, 2018, and enjoyed considerable popularity throughout its run. The members of Seattle’s named fire station lead separate and busy lives, which are essential to the storyline. Many fans are curious as to what happens in the Season 19 finale to Barrett Doss’ Vic, Jaina Lee Ortiz’s Andy, and the others.

So, here is everything you need to know about what happens in Station 19 Season 7 finale .

What happened at the end and who dies in the Station 19 Season 7 finale?

Kate Powell (Kiele Sanchez) dies in the Station 19 Season 7 finale after being pulled into a fire tornado. The character was introduced in season 6 as a new member of the team.

The episode begins as the team continues their fight against a quickly-spreading wildfire. They are aware that time is of the essence since the fire will cause irreparable harm to both property and human life if it spreads to Seattle’s metropolitan districts. As the episode progresses, and the wildfire turns into a raging inferno, the characters experience visions of their hopeful futures.

In the end, every member of Station 19 except Kate survives the fire and the series finale. The station captain, Andy, risks all to make sure her staff is safe. She ends up in a hospital after getting some burns on her neck, but otherwise, she seems to be doing fine. When a tree falls on Theo (Carlos Miranda), he narrowly survives and ends up at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital due to his injuries.

In the finale, Carina (Stefania Spampinato) finally tells Maya (Danielle Savre) about her pregnancy, and like most of her teammates, the latter escapes the fire alive. Vic relocates to Washington, D.C., and Travis (Jay Hayden) goes with her. Ben decides that it’s time to leave firefighting and complete his surgical residency.

There is a time skip of a few years toward the end of the episode, after which Andy becomes the fire chief, with Maya now serving as the chief of Station 19. Additionally, Pruitt Arike Miller, or “Prue,” joins the squad as a recruit.

A student of cinema, Tamal has written on a wide range of topics over the years — from entertainment to literature to pop culture. At ComingSoon, he is an SEO Contributing Writer developing content on films, TV, and anime.

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"Station 19" Just Ended After 105 Episodes — Here's What Happened To Everyone, Plus The Best Reactions From Fans

"My life is wherever you are."

BuzzFeed Staff

🚨 There are obviously MASSIVE spoilers ahead for Station 19 Season 7, Episode 10, aka the series finale! 🚨

It's the end of another TV era — after seven brilliant, emotional, and memorable seasons, Station 19 has sadly come to an end.

Top image: Jaina Lee Ortiz, Jason George, Barrett Doss, Jay Hayden, and Danielle Savre, in firefighting gear, lying down. Bottom image: Full cast in firefighting gear lying down

The series finale, titled "One Last Time," was directed by Peter Paige and written by Zoanne Clack, Jose Diaz, and Miriam Arghandiwal.

So, here's what happened to everyone at 19 at the end of the series, plus what fans thought about the final moments for each of them:

Andy herrera.

Andy in a firefighter uniform vs. Andy in the future as Captain

As Station 19 battled the wildfire approaching Seattle, Andy, of course, took charge as the captain. When it looked like the team might not make it out alive, Andy endangered herself to save everyone, which landed her at Grey Sloan with some burns but no major injuries. In the future, it's revealed that Andy becomes chief of the Seattle Fire Department, and she returns to 19 to meet the new recruits.

Ben telling Andy, "What you've made 19 into, it's beautiful. You are your father's wildest dreams"

During the wildfire, Ben accompanied Carina to the scene of the wildfire where they helped a woman who was in labor. Throughout the final season, Ben was struggling with injuries he'd sustained and feeling like he might not be up for continuing as a firefighter anymore. So, in the series finale, Ben tells Andy that he's decided to go back to his surgical residence, which is honestly great for Bailey, who has been a nervous wreck thinking about him getting injured in the field. I'm assuming Ben will be back on Grey's Anatomy next season, too.

Vic Hughes and Travis Montgomery

Travis telling Vic at the airport, "So, as it turns out, my life is wherever you are"

After it was announced that Crisis One was going national, Vic decided to accept the job offer to run the program in Washington, DC, thus leaving Station 19 and Seattle. In Vic's dream of the future, Crisis One has become successful, and we even get a glimpse of her thinking of Dean Miller saying he's proud of her — Okieriete Onaodowan returning as Miller and saying he's proud of Hughie made me cry.

As for Travis, he initially turns down Vic's offer to join her in DC and help run Crisis One. However, by the end of the series finale, Travis surprises Vic at the airport after realizing he wants to be wherever his best friend is. He also decides he'll try to make his relationship with Dom work long distance.

Maya Bishop and Carina DeLuca

Carina telling Maya that she was scared that she would end up a single mom of two babies, and Maya smiling and kissing Carina

In the penultimate episode, Maya was trapped as the wildfire surrounded her. Meanwhile, Carina found out she was pregnant. Maya wasn't in danger for too long and was back to helping 19 fight the wildfire in no time, while Carina was in the field with Ben and delivered a baby as the wildfire approached them.

Eventually, Maya and Carina reunited at Grey Sloan, and Carina was able to tell Maya she was pregnant in the same spot where they first met. In their possible future, Carina and Maya have three children together: Liam, Andrea, and Gianna. Then, in the actual future, Maya is now chief at Station 19 as she looks on while Andy meets with her team.

Robert Sullivan and Natasha Ross

Robert and Natasha getting married vs. Robert speaking at a veterans event

Like the others in 19, Robert and Natasha fought the wildfire and tried desperately to rescue a woman's husband who they'd found. Alongside Vic, Maya, Andy, and Travis, they help contain the wildfire and stop it from engulfing Seattle. In their possible futures, Robert and Natasha finally get married, with Ben officiating, and they finally create a program for veterans in the fire department.

Jack Gibson

Jack saying, "I can't imagine my life without Andy"

After Season 6, when Jack was injured and unable to be a firefighter anymore, he became a dispatcher and was able to help 19 in that way. After Andy gets seriously injured fighting the wildfire, he realizes that his life is only as great as it is because Andy is with him. In Jack's dream for the future, he and Andy are back together, just like how they were in the beginning of the series.

Two photos of Theo, one of him in the hospital vs him at Station 19 in his uniform

In the penultimate episode, Theo was crushed under a massive tree branch while out in the field. He's in a pretty rough spot and is rushed to Grey Sloan and into surgery. Theo's storyline was more part of the Grey's Anatomy Season 20 finale, but in his dream for the future, we see him back at 19, and he has a wife and child. During Vic's going away party, Andy insists that Theo rejoin Station 19.

Sean Beckett

Two photos of Beckett, one with him fighting a wildfire vs. him and Jinny kissing

Like the rest of 19, Beckett helps contain and fight the wildfires encroaching on Seattle. In his dream future, he envisions himself with Natasha's sister, Jinny. Also, he's Sullivan's best man at his wedding with Natasha.

Pruitt Miller-Warren

Pru might have had one of my favorite storylines in the series finale. In the future, we learn that Pru becomes a firefighter, just like Dean and Ben, and she joins Station 19. She's a member of the team under Captain Maya DeLuca-Bishop.

As you can imagine, fans — like myself — took to X, formerly Twitter, to share their appreciation for Station 19 and share their thoughts on the series finale. Here are some of the best reactions:

If you love what you read, give your favorite tweets a like and a retweet, and the users a follow, to make your timeline a more fun place to be.

From the perfect start to the finish line #station19 pic.twitter.com/f4N23VCcCH — Malien 🐼 (@spampiespresso) May 31, 2024

strangers. girlfriends. wives. mothers. that’s a wrap on maya and carina ❤️ pic.twitter.com/fUyycyvNGo — sawyer 🚒 (@MARINASPALADIN) May 31, 2024

DOCTOR CARINA DELUCA IN THE WILDFIRE GEAR I AM SO GAY #station19 pic.twitter.com/LMoPv9sgGP — han (@sunshinespampi) May 31, 2024

maya kathleen deluca bishop, i am so proud of you. what a character arc. thank you #station19 writers, and thank you danielle savre for everything pic.twitter.com/jpmARgxqo2 — Nora Dominick (@noradominick) May 30, 2024

😭😭😭this is actually a lot right now #station19 pic.twitter.com/85Goz1QiU2 — d🧚‍♀️ capt. andy herrera lover (@allforsurrera) May 31, 2024

"my life is wherever you are" ❤️‍🩹 #Station19 pic.twitter.com/eRsBYge5vm — marti ceo of paul rudd ⁷✪🧯 | the rookie (@IR0NLANG) May 31, 2024

the fact that carina dreamed of them having even more children in the future 😭 #station19 pic.twitter.com/jmFmdrUbCp — sofia (@spampsavree) May 31, 2024

MAYA AND ANDY RUNNING SFD LIKE THEY ALWAYS WANTED TO #Station19 pic.twitter.com/DuZA4zMa3E — cc ౨ৎ ⊹ ࣪ ˖ (@savrefilmss) May 31, 2024

Crying on a pain tears #station19 pic.twitter.com/5BI9eggGgq — Carla 🚒 • (@QueerBishop) May 31, 2024

PRUIT ARIKE MILLER-WARREN THE LEGACY THAT YOU CARRY ON IS INSANE🤎 she literally was raised by 19. pic.twitter.com/ZmQ6EvyXrY — diar’🥷🏾 (@sweetbrokenmaya) May 31, 2024

Maya went from helping deliver Pru to being her captain and teaching her about fire. 😭❤️‍🩹 #SaveStation19 #Station19 pic.twitter.com/fBHqRfUJGw — Bailey (@delucabishopss2) May 31, 2024

Love this development!!!! #SaveStation19 #Station19 pic.twitter.com/J5Fe7W7dLX — Yara (@19sadcake) May 31, 2024

THE PARALLEL WITH THE MARRIAGE PROPOSAL, I’M IN TEARS #station19 pic.twitter.com/u4E8r8B5j6 — sofia (@spampsavree) May 31, 2024

just lost my family. #Station19 pic.twitter.com/7TCvamlbcU — cc ౨ৎ ⊹ ࣪ ˖ (@savrefilmss) May 31, 2024

no more firefighters cheering "nineteen!!" no more travis and vic making little jokes at the wrong time no more carina calling maya "bambina" no more maya looking at here wife as if the starriest sky was in front of her no more marina no more station 19 pic.twitter.com/t5y8xkt6m2 — larissa (@goddesspampi) May 31, 2024

In conclusion: "NINETEEN!" 😭

Family forever. #station19 pic.twitter.com/bfKeDwaBcO — Merle Dandridge (@MerleDandridge) May 31, 2024

What did you think of the Station 19 series finale? Are you hoping more characters make their way to Grey's Anatomy for Season 21? Tell us in the comments below!

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Station 19 Bosses Break Down That Emotional Series Finale, Its 3 Lasting Love Stories and Andy's Fate (Exclusive)

The 'Grey's Anatomy' spinoff said farewell in a blaze of glory (pun very much intended)

Disney/Chris Haston

This article contains spoilers from the series finale of Station 19.

Grey's Anatomy spinoff Station 19 has signed off for good — and two more of its beloved original characters have signed the underside of the Beanery table.

The finale picked up where the penultimate episode left off: with the team midway through fighting an aggressive wildfire threatening to reach urban Seattle. And the scenario certainly grew more dire, each character coped with the stress by considering the possible futures — and people — they were fighting for.

Eventually, Andy Herrera ( Jaina Lee Ortiz ) risked her life to save the group. It worked but wasn't without consequences. She collapsed and wound up in the hospital — and, later, had scars on her neck from the burns she endured. Only Kate Powell (Kiele Sanchez) perished in the fire, and Theo Ruiz (Carlos Miranda) was badly injured but healing. Once the group survived, it became clear that each character was taking steps toward that imagined future: Travis Montgomery ( Jay Hayden ) and Victoria Hughes (Barrett Doss) headed to Washington, D.C., to take Crisis One national; Maya Bishop ( Danielle Savre ) and Carina DeLuca (Stefania Spampinato) were expecting a second child; Natasha Ross (Merle Dandridge) and Robert Sullivan ( Boris Kodjoe ) were wedding-bound; and Ben Warren (Jason George) was ready to head back to the O.R. (hopefully at Grey Sloan!).

Disney/James Clark

Here, PEOPLE caught up with showrunners Zoanne Clack and Peter Paige to break down all the Easter eggs, all the tearful moments and more — and, of course, to see if this really is the end for Station 19 .

PEOPLE: Congratulations on an incredible last season and a beautiful finale. When you learned that you were going to have to wrap up the series with this episode, where did you start?

ZOANNE CLACK: I think we started with the last moment: What did we want to see? What do we want from these characters? Then we worked backward from there.

Were any of those answers easy?

CLACK: We knew we were going to make Andy Chief. How we were going to do it, we weren't sure.

PETER PAIGE: We had actually planned to do this two-part wildfire pre-cancellation. That was always on the books as our big season-ender. But then it felt right, like, "Oh, it's an opportunity for our firefighters to show all the firefighting lessons they've learned inside this massive cataclysmic event." But then we started talking about what is it we want to leave the fans with? What is it we want to be the thing that stays in the air after all is said and done? And thematically Andy's last speech really is the thing we wanted to say: 19 is not over. Just because we're not making the show anymore doesn't mean that the values, the themes, the principles that we've espoused for seven seasons has to stop. You, the fans, get to carry that into your life. You get to carry that into action in your communities. If you love this show, honor us by carrying it forward.

Disney/Eric McCandless

Speaking of the fans, there were a lot of Easter eggs for them to find in this finale.

CLACK: A lot of Easter eggs in 9 and 10. We put the voiceover back in, because it was in the first two seasons. We were really talking about honoring the past by going into the future, which is interesting because in Sullivan's flash forward, his place is called "Sankofa," which is a Ghanaian term for reaching back to the past to move towards the future. The character is half Ghanaian, so it actually is really full circle with what we were trying to do with the last voiceover, the last moments, and honoring the past of the show.

And you brought Dean Miller (Okieriete Onaodowan) back!

PAIGE: It was amazing.

CLACK: He was so in and so willing to play. I think it just was such a beautiful, again, past coming back to bring us to the future. It was just perfect for what we were trying to do.

Hughes had such a powerful arc this season and ultimately got to wrap the bulk of Vic's story a little earlier in the season.

PAIGE: She inspired her big arc this season, honestly. She called me one night during the middle of season 6. She'd had a lot of great scenes, a lot of great work to do, but it had all been about taking care of other characters, and she was feeling the weight of that. I was like, "I hear you and you're right." It is so often what we demand of Black women in our culture, and I was like, "I have a very strong feeling that Zoanne Clack is going to relate to this." We brought it back to the room and we constructed her whole arc around that idea basically that it is impossible to always and only be called upon to care for everyone else. It is an impossible ask of anyone. That was really fun and really satisfying. Barrett, of course, killed it.

CLACK: Killed it.

PAIGE: I love her breakthrough episode. I just think it's so powerful and Boris did an incredible job directing. Then we got to write a beautiful platon-com. I'm so proud that the three great love stories that end this show—there's kind of four—but the three primary ones are a Black couple in power finding their softness through each other, finding their joy and their humor through each other; a queer couple, two women who overcome a lot of damage that has been foisted upon them to find each other; and then two best friends who choose each other above all else. Those, to me, are such beautiful, beautiful things. And Andy and Jack was the classic kind of...

Are we really to take it that Andy and Jack (Grey Damon) wind up together? Because maybe that was just a possible future that helped her survive...

CLACK: Exactly, yes. I think that they lean on each other and they know that they are there for each other, and we took it to the relationship progressing, but it could be pretty much anything.

What story did you not get to tell that you wish you could have?

PAIGE: There were so many. We were going to fold Carina into the firehouse more.

CLACK: The whole lawsuit thing was supposed to be to get her to think about alternatives and that maybe she was going to do an emergency medicine fellowship. That moment that we have of her getting dressed and ready to go out there was something that we had wanted to do on a bigger level.

I have to ask, have you heard any whispers of a possible pickup? Or do you feel like, at this point, you've wrapped it up and it would be hard to undo the bow?

PAIGE: I think we'd happily go back into these waters. There was one moment when it felt like there was a realistic possibility someone was going to come step in, and then that went away. Then it felt like, "Okay, we need to honor what is here to be honored." If somebody comes up and says, "Let's do it," we will figure out a way. Those futures, they're just their hopes and dreams, so we can go back and watch them strive for those same things.

What was the scene in the finale that had everyone falling apart the most?

CLACK: I think the scene under the table.

PAIGE: Yeah, that was the last scene for most of the cast.

CLACK: We had a mini celebration because most of the cast was wrapped at that moment.

PAIGE: We wrapped almost everybody in the cast, except for Andy. She had to go get aged for the very last shot of the show. She went to hair and makeup while we all laughed and cried and talked, and then she came back and we shot the last moment of the series with everyone gathered together around the monitors, all of us together.

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Station 19 is available to stream on Hulu.

‘Station 19’ Showrunners Break Down ‘Exquisitely Painful’ Series Finale

Peter Paige and Zoanne Clack tell TheWrap how they approached ending the “Grey’s Anatomy” firefighter spin-off, and their message to its loyal fanbase

Note: This story contains spoilers from the “Station 19” series finale.

“Station 19” tamed one last epic fire in its emotional series finale, while also giving hopeful glimpses into each of its beloved firefighters’ futures — and setting the stage for at least one of them moving to “Grey’s Anatomy.”

Appropriately titled “One Last Time,” the finale followed as the crew fought a devastating wildfire threatening to reach Seattle. As the firefighters fought to keep both the city and themselves alive through the blaze, viewers saw montages of each of the characters’ futures, which both celebrated their journeys throughout the show’s seven-season history and offered a peek into what their lives could look like moving forward as we bid farewell.

Though there were close calls with several of the team members — including Theo (Carlos Miranda), Vic (Barrett Doss) and Andy (Jaina Lee Ortiz) — the core 19 cast survived the arduous rescue mission and were able to stop the wildfire from reaching the city. Big change followed after the danger passed: Vic confirmed her move to Washington D.C. to take the Crisis One initiative national, with Travis (Jay Hayden) in tow; Maya (Danielle Savre) and Carina (Stefania Spampinato) the latter’s pregnancy after years of trying; and Ben (Jason Winston George) gave Andy his notice as he decided to leave 19 to go back to being a surgeon. The show’s final scene flashed forward a few decades to Maya reigning as captain of Station 19, as Andy rose to fire chief as she had always dreamed of doing.

The finale culminates the tenure of showrunners Peter Paige and Zoanne Clack on the ABC firefighter drama, which benefited from renewed passion from fans hoping to save it from cancellation, and continued praise for its strong writing.

“It was exquisitely painful, and I mean those words quite literally,” Paige told TheWrap of filming the show’s final scene. “It’s a day I’ll never forget. (Working on) this whole season, I’ll never forget. It was a really incredible experience on so many levels.”

TheWrap spoke with Paige and Clack about how they approached ending the series, giving everyone a hopeful happy ending and their message to fans.

TheWrap: Congratulations on a fantastic series finale. How did you approach crafting this pivotal farewell episode?

Clack: I watched many, many series finales and tried to see what other shows did. I really honed into wanting to see the characters in the future, but I didn’t want to have it all in the end. So we really wanted to try to figure out how to capture little bits of them as they will be or could be in the future.

And I also had this idea of showing these fire shelters. It was really fascinating to me that fires could completely pass over people in these little, like baked potato-looking shelters. I looked at a lot of videos of firefighters that have been through it, aand all of the angst that they go through and I thought it would be the perfect way like push the characters into picturing the future they’re living for. What what is motivating them to keep the faith and push forward. It seemed to really integrate nicely into the story that we wanted to tell, and the futures that we wanted them to have.

Peter Paige: We had some talks about what it was that we wanted to leave the audience with at the end of the day. The wildfire was going to be the season finale even before (the cancellation) and we thought, well, that still works. It’s still big and high-stakes and an opportunity for them to explore all the lessons they’ve learned about firefighting along with the lessons they’ve learned about being there for the community and for each other.

greys-anatomy-station-19-ellen-pompeo-jaina-lee-ortiz-abc

As you mentioned, we got to see glimpses of each of the firefighters’ future — or maybe wishful thinking about their futures — throughout the finale. Why include them in the midst of the big wildfire, and how canon are they to the actual future of these characters?

Clack: The accuracy to these characters is whatever we want it to be right? Unless we get to tell more stories, so we were looking for a satisfying ending. Not everyone will be happy with everything that we did, but between the actors who’ve played these roles for seven seasons, the writers, the crew, the production team, we all felt very satisfied with the way we’re moving forward and these potential futures for the characters.

We also had a lot of really great surprises, from Beckett ending up with Natasha’s sister to Dom and Travis ending up together with Vic in tow, both Maya and Carina getting pregnant and Prue becoming a firefighter herself. How did you go about crafting all of those little happy endings?

Clack: We toyed around with them. Here’s a little behind-the-scenes thing. The first script that we read in the preview event (hosted before filming) had two flashes. One personal and one professional. Obviously, we barely had time to tell the one flash, so we had to cut back a lot…

We wanted to go for what would be the most heartfelt, soul wrenching, the most true glimpses. The things that pay off all the things that we’ve gone through seven seasons. It pays off what we think about the growth that they’ve had, especially over this season. We really had to collaborate and go through what we could show. And there’s a lot of things when I was writing it, I was like, OK I know a lot of this will change. And we ended up not changing it too much, but there was some back-and-forth and we had to meet somewhere in the middle.

After the whole team tames the wildfire and Andy survives her injuries, Ben decides to act on thoughts he had been wrestling with all season and leaves 19 to go back to being a surgeon. Was that a Shondaland mandate so he can now go back to “Grey’s?”

Clack: We wanted to give options. We don’t have any kind of crystal ball about what’s going to happen, but we don’t want to lock in someone that didn’t necessarily need to be locked in. We could have killed Ben off in Episode 5… but I think we’ve set up well that everyone is moving on or moving up, and that seemed to be just the next place to take him. Yeah. Whether or not they take him back is up to “Grey’s.”

greys-anatomy-ellen-pompeo-season-20-finale-disney

The final scene shows that Maya becomes captain of 19 once again, with little Pru and some of the probies as her crew, and Andy rises to become fire chief (and ends up with Jack too?). Why end the show there?

Paige: It felt really important for these two women, whose friendship was at the core of the very beginning of the show, to see their dreams come to fruition. That felt like one of the things we wanted to resonate as the show came to a close. As for Andy and Jack? Look, Andy has a vision. She realizes Jack has always been right there beside her… You see these little moments of casual intimacy with them at Vic’s going away party.

So do with that what you will. Whether they become a conventional couple I don’t know. But are they deeply connected? 100%.

Clack: As far as the last ending moments, when we heard about the cancellation, we immediately started talking about how we wanted to see the ending, and we always wanted Andy to become chief, because that’s where she was always going.

The fandom’s passion remains vibrant, as folks planned big gatherings of support in LA and other cities today, billboards and other things to commemorate the end of the show. What is your message to the fans who haven’t stopped fighting for Station 19 all season?

Paige: One of the things we talked a lot about was like, what is it we want to say about the show and what do we want to say to the fans. Where we landed was sort of, thematically, yes, the show may be over, but it doesn’t have to end. You get to take everything that you loved and valued about “Station 19” carry it forward into your lives, into your community, into your relationships.

So yes, we may not be making any more new episodes, but let the show inspire you, let it drive you, let it guide you as you move forward in the world. That would be the greatest compliment you could pay us.

All episodes of “Station 19” are available to stream on Hulu.

The Last Movie

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A film crew shooting “Billy the Kid” departs from a remote Peruvian village, leaving behind a lasting impact as locals begin to reenact the violent scenes they witnessed, blurring the lines between reality and cinema.

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LAST SENTINEL (2023)
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The Last Station movie review (2010)
"The Last Station" focuses on the last year of Count Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer), a full-bearded Shakespearian figure presiding over a household of intrigues.The chief schemer is Chertkov (Paul Giamatti), his intense follower, who idealistically believes Tolstoy should leave his literary fortune to the Russian people.It's just the sort of idea that Tolstoy might seize upon in his utopian zeal.
The Last Station
Rated: 3.5/5 Apr 1, 2010 Full Review Jason Best Movie Talk A lavish costume drama about the final months in the life of Leo Tolstoy, The Last Station treats the author's end as a tragi-comedy ...
Following the Master to the End of the Line
Mr. Plummer plays Tolstoy as a kind of volatile Russian Santa Claus. When he laughs, it is a great, lusty laugh. When he shouts, it is a deep, abdominal bellow. And when he capers around his ...
The Last Station (2009)
The Last Station: Directed by Michael Hoffman. With Helen Mirren, Christopher Plummer, Paul Giamatti, James McAvoy. A historical drama that illustrates Russian author Leo Tolstoy's (Christopher Plummer's) struggle to balance fame and wealth with his commitment to a life devoid of material things.
The Last Station
Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4.0 | Sep 13, 2020. Felicia Feaster Charleston City Paper. The Last Station is a film that lives and dies on its performances, and director Michael Hoffman has ...
The Last Station
Box office. $20.6 million [1] The Last Station is a 2009 internationally-produced English-language biographical drama film written and directed by Michael Hoffman, and based on Jay Parini 's 1990 biographical novel of the same name, which chronicled the final months of Leo Tolstoy 's life. [5] The film stars Christopher Plummer as Tolstoy and ...
The Last Station: movie review
The Last Station: movie review ( R ) ( Monitor Movie Guide) In 'The Last Station,' Leo Tolstoy's domestic life and epic marriage is the story. | Stephan Rabold/Sony Pictures Classics/AP.
The Last Station (2009)
The American director Michael Hoffman, in adapting Jay Prini's semi-factual novel about the last year in the life of the great 19th century Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, makes as his central character not the famous author but his wet behind the ears 23 year old secretary Valentin who is hired by Count Tolstoy's devout admirer Vladimir Chertkoff to both work for Tolstoy and spy on the countess ...
Movie Review: The Last Station (2009)
Movie review of The Last Station (2009) by The Critical Movie Critics. Become a Critical Movie Critic; Contact; Movie Review Archives; Home; Movie Reviews; Movie Trailers; Top 10 Lists; ... 'Movie Review: The Last Station (2009)' has 1 comment. July 1, 2010 @ 9:49 pm Frank R. That stinks, this looked really good. May check it out anyways. Nice ...
The Last Station
Sat 20 Feb 2010 19.06 EST. B ased on a novel by Jay Parini, The Last Station deals with the somewhat unedifying last months of the 82-year-old Leo Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer) that concluded with ...
The Last Station Review
15. Original Title: Last Station, The. Tolstoy's War And peace contains the famous line, "Everything that I know, I know only because I love.". Evidently he knew quite a lot himself ...
The Last Station Movie Review
Our review: Parents say: Not yet rated Rate movie. Kids say: Not yet rated Rate movie. 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 ...
The Last Station
After almost fifty years of marriage, the Countess Sofya, Leo Tolstoy's devoted wife, passionate lover, muse and secretary—she's copied out War and Peace six times…by hand!—suddenly finds her entire world turned upside down. In the name of his newly created religion, the great Russian novelist has renounced his noble title, his property and even his family in favor of poverty ...
The Last Station (2009) movie reviews
Reviews for The Last Station (2009). Average score: 71/100. Synopsis: A historical drama that illustrates Russian author Leo Tolstoy's struggle to balance fame and wealth with his commitment to a life devoid of material things. The Countess Sofya, wife and muse to Leo Tolstoy, uses every trick of seduction on her husband's loyal disciple, whom she believes was the person responsible for ...
The Last Station
In the year leading up to Leo Tolstoy's death in Astapovo in 1910, a nonstop battle waged between the legendary Russian writer/philosopher's wife of 48 years and his worshipping disciples, led by ...
The Last Station Movie Review
The Last Station 79 After almost fifty years of marriage, the Countess Sofya (Helen Mirren), Leo Tolstoy's (Christopher Plummer) devoted wife, passionate lover, muse and secretary—she's copied out War and Peace six times…by hand!—suddenly finds her entire world turned upside down.
Last Station, The
The Last Station derives much of its strength and energy from the performances of its two most celebrated stars. Both Christopher Plummer and Helen Mirren are in top form. Scenes in which they appear, either which each other or in the company of other actors, are often electrifying. No one else is nearly as compelling.
The Last Station Movie Review
The Last Station isn't a broad, revealing biopic of the great Russian author Tolstoy. In fact it isn't really much about the guy himself at all. More focussed on the notion of preaching what you don't practice, or the consequences of practicing what somebody else preaches, even the titular 'last station' is fairly unnecessary to the plot.
The Last Station
After almost fifty years of marriage, the Countess Sofya (Helen Mirren), Leo Tolstoy's (Christopher Plummer) devoted wife, passionate lover, muse and secretary — she's copied out War and Peace six times...by hand! - suddenly finds her entire world turned upside down. In the name of his newly created religion, the great Russian novelist has renounced his noble title, his property and even his ...
The Last Station
The Last Station is a film about the difficulty of living with love and the impossibility of living without it. An all-star cast including Helen Mirren, James McAvoy, Christopher Plummer, Paul Giamatti, Anne-Marie Duff and Kerry Condon feature in this sumptuous period love story set in the last year of the life of legendary writer Leo Tolstoy.
The Last Station
Purchase The Last Station on digital and stream instantly or download offline. Academy Award® winner Helen Mirren (Best Actress, The Queen, 2006) and Christopher Plummer star in this compelling look at the final days of literary icon Leo Tolstoy. Having renounced his title and property, Tolstoy makes plans to donate his royalties to the Russian people, supported by his trusted disciple ...
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The Last Movie
1971. R. 1 HOUR 48 MINS. Drama. A film crew shooting "Billy the Kid" departs from a remote Peruvian village, leaving behind a lasting impact as locals begin to reenact the violent scenes they ...

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