Parents' Guide to

The Tomorrow Man

By Tara McNamara, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Quirky romance likely won't appeal to kids; language, sex.

Movie PG-13 2019 95 minutes
The Tomorrow Man Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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What's the Story?

In THE TOMORROW MAN, Ed Hemsler (John Lithgow) spends his retirement as a doomsday prepper, lonely except for his chatroom friends, who cheer him on. When he sees Ronnie Meisner (Blythe Danner), Ed is sure that he's found his soul mate. The two timidly enter a relationship, each not sure whether the other will accept their secret hobbies.

Is It Any Good?

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

This romance is more of a character piece than a film, and two very quirky characters make for one quirky film. Ed seems like your typical small-town senior citizen: He drinks out of an American flag coffee cup, proudly drives an old Ford truck, and pays for his groceries by check. But he's also a survivalist who's constantly readying himself for what he believes is an inevitable apocalypse. As Ed, Lithgow is more Third Rock from the Sun than Footloose -- he's goofy and a little pathetic. Danner, meanwhile, plays Ronnie as a charmless, low-talking widow who loves war documentaries but faints at the sight of a deer carcass. It's tough to see what attracts these two, but loneliness is known to create odd couples.

As far as older-skewing romances go, The Tomorrow Man is lacking. It's not as naughty or as fun as It's Complicated or Something's Gotta Give. In some ways, it's more like a buddy film with a sex scene, and the sweetness is kind of delightful when the two decide they're BFFs (only after they ask the grandkid what that means, of course). Some themes may resonate more with older crowds: the high cost of prescription drugs, answering to a much younger boss, or just wanting people to accept you for who you are. On the other hand, very little will relate to younger audiences, other than the teen granddaughter (Sophie Thatcher) who knows how to push her dad's buttons. While Ed is trying to delay his world coming to an end, antsy teens will be welcoming it.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Ed and Ronnie's obsessions in The Tomorrow Man. Why do you think they developed? Ed's son says that if something makes someone happy and it's not hurting anyone, then there's nothing wrong with it. Do you think that's the case with both Ed and Ronnie -- or should someone intervene?

  • Someone reflects on great advice they were given: "Sometimes it can feel like you're losing everything, but you're not losing, you're gaining." How does that pertain to the movie? How do you think it's applicable to real life?

  • What audience do you think this movie is aimed at? How can you tell?

Movie Details

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