The End of the Tour
Description
The year was 1996, and David Foster Wallace (Jason Segel) was the toast of the literary world, thanks to his monolithic postmodern masterpiece Infinite Jest. Driven by personal admiration—and more than a little professional jealousy—Rolling Stone journalist David Lipsky (Jesse Eisenberg) pitches his editors on a long-form piece on the hot young author of the moment. The reporter flies out to Bloomington, Indiana, to meet up with Wallace and accompany him on the last leg of a long book tour. Over the next five days, the two writers hit the road, subsisting on junk food, an endless supply of cigarettes and even more endless supply of argumentative philosophical conversation. By the end of the trip, both men seem unsure of whether a tentative friendship has formed or not—and both men know that their lives have been changed forever. Part dual character study and part passive-aggressive buddy comedy, James Ponsoldt’s adaptation of Lipsky’s 2008 book on the experience details the duo’s time together with wit, insight and a profound sense of ambivalence about the price of fame. Anchored by a quietly affecting portrayal of Wallace by Jason Segel, James Ponsoldt’s moody chamber piece is a thoughtful and moving exploration of the complications of craft, ambition, creativity and friendship. —David Fear
A native of Athens, Georgia, and a graduate of Yale and Colombia Universities, James Ponsoldt quickly made a name for himself as an actor’s director thanks to his first two features, Off the Black (2006), starring Nick Nolte, and his drama about an off-the-rails alcoholic, Smashed (2012), starring Mary Elisabeth Winstead. His stunning take on the coming-of-age movie, The Spectacular Now (2013), made a majority of critics’ year-end lists and won its leads, Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley, a Special Jury Prize at Sundance.
Film Details
Language English
Year 2015
Runtime 106
Country USA
Director James Ponsoldt
Producer David Kanter, Matt DeRoss, James Dahl, Mark Manuel, Ted O'Neal
Writer Donald Margulies
Editor Darrin Navarro
Cinematographer Jakob Ihre
Music Danny Elfman
Cast Jesse Eisenberg, Jason Segel, Anna Chlumsky, Joan Cusack