He has lunch with his friend Sonny and mentions he has been invited to get a lifetime achievement award at a film festival in Tennessee.

Sonny tells him that this film festival has a great reputation, Clint Eastwood was a recent recipient, and encourages him to go.

Thinking it might improve his mood, Vic agrees, but is unpleasantly surprised at the airport that his seat isn't in first class but in coach.

Vic begins drinking heavily, and although the 30 to 40 people attending are in awe of him, he replies to their questions with contempt, and shortly walks out.

The next day when Lil arrives at the motel to drive him to the festival, Vic insists on being driven to his home town, several hours away in Knoxville, Tennessee.

In the last game, with time running out and his team losing, he scores the winning touchdown but is injured and never able to play again.

The next morning, they take her from the nursing home to the riverside where Vic apologizes and re-enacts his marriage proposal.

[9] Shortly thereafter, the film's title was changed from Dog Years to The Last Movie Star in a mutual decision between the filmmakers and A24 (who made the suggestion).

[13] A red carpet premiere at the Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville happened a day earlier, on March 29.

The website's critics consensus reads, "The Last Movie Star has a few poignant moments thanks to Burt Reynolds and Ariel Winter, but their performances are stranded in a middling drama unworthy of their efforts.

[17] In a mixed review for NPR, Scott Tobias stated "Though Rifkin's heart is in the right place, there's not a moment in the film that isn't overplayed" and that, "Had Rifkin been willing to dial down the soppiness even a little, there's potential for The Last Movie Star to double as a tribute to Reynolds and a cautionary tale on the perils of fame.

Referring to Reynolds's performance, a review in the Los Angeles Times stated, "Thanks to its star’s all-in commitment, the overtly maudlin film works better than it should," while a review from Nerd Reactor stated "The Last Movie Star shows us why Burt Reynolds is a legendary actor.