The End of the Tour
Common Sense says
- R
- 2015
- 106 minutes
Parents say
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that The End of the Tour is a superb, mature drama based on a 1996 interview between reporter David Lipsky (Jesse Eisenberg) and author David Foster Wallace (Jason Segel). There's a reference to suicide and some very strong language ("f--k," "s--t," etc.), plus several sexual references (to masturbation, anonymous sex, oral sex, etc.), though no actual sex is shown. Characters smoke a lot of cigarettes and drink socially; cocaine, heroin, and other drugs are also referenced but not shown. Though the movie is talky, it's also intelligent, subtle, and profound, touching on topics like celebrity, journalism, writing, friendship, and loyalty (as wel as, briefly, issues like addiction and suicide). Teens interested in pursuing writing as a career will find plenty to think about here.
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What's the story?
In 2008, Rolling Stone reporter David Lipsky (Jesse Eisenberg) hears about the suicide of author David Foster Wallace (Jason Segel). He remembers back to 1996, when he stumbled upon Wallace's game-changing novel, Infinite Jest, and convinced his editor to let him write a cover story on its author. The two men spent five days together at the end of Wallace's book tour, covering topics ranging from fame and literature to fast food and Alanis Morrisette. In their time together, they seem to grow closer, but the business of the interview always intrudes. Perhaps in other circumstances, they could have been close friends, but for now it's up to Lipsky to decide how to portray this fascinating, complex artist.
Is it any good?
An expert at potent, intimate character dramas, director James Ponsoldt tops himself with this brilliant, intuitive examination of a unique working friendship. Working from an adapted screenplay by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Donald Margulies, THE END OF THE TOUR creates uncanny intimacy and subtle tension between two men, both writers but hardly equals.
Scenes of direct questioning can be revealing, but the downtimes -- i.e. talking about food or smoking -- are especially powerful. Other scenes deconstruct the interview process and the strange dynamic between an interviewer and his subject. Though Segel has the showier role, he and Eisenberg are evenly matched -- and exemplary (with a hilarious Joan Cusack in a small role). The movie's situation may not be familiar to many moviegoers, but these two actors explore complex connections, making the experience a profoundly human one. It's a great journalism movie -- and a great movie, period.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about the characters' heavy smoking. Does it make them cooler? Deeper? Is it any more acceptable because the movie takes place in a different time?
How does the movie portray fame and celebrity? Does it look appealing or unappealing -- or is it more complex than that?
How does the movie depict journalism? Does it look like a fun job? An important job?
Do the characters become friends in the end, or is their relationship too complicated? Do you have "complex" relationships with certain friends?
Movie details
- In theaters: July 31, 2015
- On DVD or streaming: November 3, 2015
- Cast: Jason Segel, Jesse Eisenberg, Joan Cusack
- Director: James Ponsoldt
- Studio: A24
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: Friendship
- Run time: 106 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: language including some sexual references
- Last updated: September 20, 2019
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