Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012)

Director:

Lorene Scafaria

Writer:

Lorene Scafaria (screenplay)

Release Date:

22 June 2012 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Nice knowing you.

Plot:

As an asteroid nears Earth, a man finds himself alone after his wife leaves in a panic. He decides to take a road trip to reunite with his high school sweetheart. Accompanying him is a neighbor who inadvertently puts a wrench in his plan.

Plot Keywords:

Letter | Road Trip | Suicide | Lost Love | Written By Director

Awards:

4 nominations

Cast

Brad Morris	...	Radio Announcer
Steve Carell	...	Dodge
Nancy Carell	...	Linda
Mark Moses	...	Anchorman
Roger Aaron Brown	...	Alfred
Rob Huebel	...	Jeremy
Trisha Gorman	...	Crying Woman
Keira Knightley	...	Penny
Adam Brody	...	Owen
Tonita Castro	...	Elsa
Leslie Murphy	...	Amy
Connie Britton	...	Diane
Rob Corddry	...	Warren
Kasey Campbell	...	Danny
Melanie Lynskey	...	Karen
Vince Grant	...	Man #1 / Chip
Amy Schumer	...	Woman #1 / Lacey
Patton Oswalt	...	Roache
Marshall Manesh	...	Indian Man
Aleister	...	Sorry
William Petersen	...	Trucker
T.J. Miller	...	Chipper Host / Darcy
Gillian Jacobs	...	Waitress / Katie
Bob Stephenson	...	Officer Wally Johnson
Rene Gube	...	Cell-Mate
Jim O'Heir	...	Cop #2
Derek Luke	...	Speck
Daniel Maurio	...	Toilet Guy
Martin Sheen	...	Frank
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tony Brown	...	Gay Party Guest (uncredited)
Brice Crawford	...	Bikini Girl (uncredited)
Ami Haruna	...	Kissing Waitress (uncredited)
Jake Lucas	...	Gay Party Guest (uncredited)
Laura Perloe	...	Sarah (uncredited)
Prestin Persson	...	Bikini Girl (uncredited)
Vivian Smallwood	...	Speck's Mother (uncredited)
Pat O. Smith	...	Friendsy's Customer (uncredited)
Lauren K. Solomon	...	Kissing Friendsy's Customer (uncredited)
Chris Spinelli	...	Cyclist (uncredited)
Steve Stafford	...	Airplane Pilot (uncredited)
Monica Staggs	...	Baptist Mother (uncredited)
Hannah Victoria Stock	...	Party Girl (uncredited)
Jack Story	...	Steve-O (uncredited)
Gary J. Wayton	...	Drunk Wrestler (uncredited)

Directed by
Lorene Scafaria

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Lorene Scafaria		screenplay

Produced by
Nicole Brown	....	executive producer
Steve Golin	....	producer
Joy Gorman	....	producer
Nathan Kahane	....	executive producer
Kelli Konop	....	co-producer
Patty Long	....	line producer
Steven M. Rales	....	producer
Mark Roybal	....	producer

Original Music by
Jonathan Sadoff
Rob Simonsen

Cinematography by
Tim Orr

Film Editing by
Zene Baker

Casting by
Nicole Abellera
Jeanne McCarthy

Production Design by
Chris L. Spellman

Set Decoration by
Kathy Lucas

Costume Design by
Kristin M. Burke

Makeup Department
David LeRoy Anderson	....	makeup artist: Steve Carell (as David L. Anderson)
Nancy Baca	....	additional makeup artist (as Nancy C. Baca)
Brooke Baron	....	additional makeup artist: additional production period
April M. Chaney	....	additional makeup artist: additional production period
JoAnn Gerard	....	additional hair stylist (as Jo Ann Gerard)
Roxane Griffin	....	co-key hair stylist (as Roxanne Griffin)
Angela Gurule	....	co-key hair stylist: additional makeup artist: additional production period
Camille Henderson	....	additional makeup artist
Rolf John Keppler	....	additional makeup artist
Peter Kukla	....	additional hair stylist (as Peter Kukal)
Lisa Meyers	....	additional hair stylist
Margarita Pidgeon	....	additional hair stylist
Peter Tothpal	....	co-key hair stylist
Laurel Van Dyke	....	additional hair stylist
Jeanne Van Phue	....	makeup department head

Production Management
Sharon C. Dietz	....	production manager
Nancy Kirhoffer	....	post-production supervisor
Marsha L. Swinton	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Erik J. Carpenter	....	second second assistant director
Kristin Graham	....	second assistant director
Reza Lackey	....	additional second second assistant director
Kyle LeMire	....	second assistant director
John McKeown	....	first assistant director
William Ostroff	....	additional second assistant director

Art Department
Brian S. Childs	....	propmaker
Randy L. Childs	....	construction coordinator
Dan Colegrove	....	general foreman (as Dan Colgrove)
John Herbert	....	paint supervisor
W.D. Hogan	....	storyboard artist (as David Hogan)
Cynthia Kershaw	....	art department coordinator
Gay Perello	....	property master
Aaron G. Rodriguez	....	stand-by painter
Dori Hana Scherer	....	art department assistant
Jefry Shebroe	....	props
Jeffrey D. Stevens	....	construction medic
Julie Witherington	....	on set property master
Julie Witherington	....	prop master

Sound Department
Kyle Billingsley	....	foley mixer
Nick Carbone	....	sound utility
Rene Defrancesch	....	additional sound utility
Richard Dwan Jr.	....	supervising dialogue editor
John Guentner	....	foley mixer
Kaspar Hugentobler	....	sound re-recording mixer
Trevor Metz	....	sound effects editor
Andrew Morgado	....	foley/adr mixer
Benjamin Patrick	....	sound mixer
Perry Robertson	....	supervising sound editor
John Ross	....	sound re-recording mixer
Timothy P. Salmon	....	boom operator
Ken Strain	....	boom operator
Noel Vought	....	foley artist
Brian Wittle	....	boom operator
James Wright	....	dolby sound consultant (as Jim Wright)
Kevin Zimmerman	....	first assistant sound editor
Kevin Zimmerman	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Robert Cole	....	special effects
Donald Frazee	....	special effects coordinator
J.J. Osbun	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Jason Baldari	....	digital compositor
J. David Everhart	....	visual effects producer
Aaron McLane	....	visual effects
J.J. Osbun	....	visual effects artist
Ryan Wilmott	....	visual effects
Matt Zell	....	visual effects compositor

Stunts
Damien Bray	....	stunts
Stacey Carino	....	stunt double: keira knightley
Shawn Crowder	....	stunts
Eddie J. Fernandez	....	stunts
Erik Solky	....	stunt double: steve carell
Gary J. Wayton	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Jonathon Bradley	....	chief lighting technician
Matthew Coleman	....	best boy electric
Ronald K. De torres	....	set lighting technician
Tommy Donald	....	grip
Adam C. Eichhorst	....	a dolly grip
Derek Hackett	....	second assistant camera
Bryan Hayes	....	grip
Paul Horn	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Alan Jacoby	....	camera operator
Kyle Jewell	....	first assistant "a" camera
Kyle Jewell	....	steadicam focus puller
Benjamin Kilmer	....	grip
Erica Kim	....	electrician
David Leite	....	grip
Darren Michaels	....	specials photographer
Darren Michaels	....	still photographer
John Scott Mills	....	digital imaging technician
John Joseph Minardi	....	key grip
Greg Mitchell	....	video assist operator
Josh Novak	....	loader
David Palmieri	....	grip
Miguel Pask	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Matthew A. Petrosky	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Matthew A. Petrosky	....	steadicam operator
David Presley	....	video assist
George Santo Pietro	....	dolly grip
Tim Soronen	....	rigging best boy
Tony Villalobos	....	first assistant camera

Casting Department
Claire Benjamin	....	extras casting
Chris Bustard	....	extras casting
Jaime Harlan	....	casting
Eve Streger	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Valentina Aulisi	....	costumer: Steve Carell
Leighton Bowers	....	assistant costume designer
Heidi Higginbotham	....	costume supervisor
Dayna Pink	....	costume designer: Steve Carell
Julie Shack	....	costumer
Daphne Vardakis	....	costumer
Gillian Zwick	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Joe Greenberg	....	editorial department
Ryan Prouty	....	colorist: dailies
Mark Sahagun	....	digital intermediate editor
David Townsend	....	post-production coordinator
Michael A. Webber	....	additional film editor

Music Department
Duncan Blickenstaff	....	assistant to composers
Neal Desby	....	music consultant
Jessica Dolinger	....	music license administrator
Jon Mooney	....	music editor
Satoshi Mark Noguchi	....	score mixer
Edward Trybek	....	music consultant

Transportation Department
Ernesto A. Luna	....	driver: honeywagon
Michael Perrotti	....	transportation coordinator
John Bojorquez	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Armando Boquiren	....	key assistant location manager
Joseph K. Borrelli	....	first assistant accountant
Sue Chipperton	....	dog trainer
Hailey Cho	....	miscellaneous crew
Katie Christian	....	assistant: Nathan Kahane
Sarah Clifford	....	animal coordinator
Sarah Clifford	....	dog trainer
Drew Maximillion Davis	....	production assistant
Rustin Davis	....	set production assistant
Akshay Dhalwala	....	production assistant
Dani DuHadway	....	accounting clerk
John Esparza	....	production assistant
Mairead Gaffney	....	set production assistant
Ray Gordon II	....	set production assistant
Chuck Hurley	....	assistant accountant
Paul Jaconi-Biery	....	production coordinator
Emily Kacere	....	assistant: Kelli Konop
Adam Keller	....	assistant location manager
Melissa Lynn La Marr	....	production assistant
Kym Langlie	....	unit publicist
Eloy Lara	....	key set medic
Gabriella Ludlow	....	production legal
Kevin Maier	....	stand-in: Steve Carell
Maggie Martin	....	lead payroll accountant
Rob McEntegart	....	executive vice president, business affairs: Mandate Pictures
Eric Petersen	....	key assistant location manager
Jan Rudolph	....	script supervisor
Virginia Shearer	....	assistant: director
Samantha Silver	....	production secretary
Kelley Sims	....	production accountant
Matt Sklar	....	production assistant
Steve Stafford	....	aerial coordinator
Joe Steele	....	product placement
Jeffrey D. Stevens	....	rigging medic
Heather Tyler	....	post production accountant
Peter Vogel	....	assistant production coordinator
Sylvia Johnson	....	epk field producer (uncredited)

Thanks
Katherine Silberman	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Focus Features (presents)
• Mandate Pictures (presents)
• Indian Paintbrush (presents)
• Anonymous Content

Distributors

• Alfa Films (2012) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Cathay-Keris Films (2012) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• E1 Films Canada (2012) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Focus Features (2012) (USA) (theatrical)
• Forum Hungary (2012) (Hungary) (theatrical)
• Midship (2013) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Paradiso Entertainment (2012) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• SND (2012) (France) (theatrical)
• Spentzos Films (2012) (Greece) (theatrical)
• StudioCanal (2012) (UK) (theatrical)
• Twin Co. Ltd. (2013) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2012) (Germany) (theatrical)
• CN Entertainment (2012) (Hong Kong) (DVD)
• CN Entertainment (2012) (Hong Kong) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Dreamwest Pictures (2012) (Korea) (all media)
• Film1 (2013) (Netherlands) (TV) (limited)
• Mongkol Major (2012) (Thailand) (all media)
• Paradiso Home Entertainment (2013) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Pris Audiovisuais (2012) (Portugal) (all media)
• StudioCanal (2012) (UK) (DVD)
• StudioCanal (2012) (UK) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Tanweer Films (2012) (Bangladesh) (all media)
• Tanweer Films (2012) (Bhutan) (all media)
• Tanweer Films (2012) (India) (all media)
• Tanweer Films (2012) (Nepal) (all media)
• Tanweer Films (2012) (Pakistan) (all media)
• Tanweer Films (2012) (Sri Lanka) (all media)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2013) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (2013) (Germany) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (2013) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2012) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2012) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)

Other Companies

• B.A. Department, The  business and legal affairs
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies
• Codex Digital  digital recording equipment
• Digital Media Services (DMS)  digital marketing asset management
• Direct Tools & Fasteners  expendables
• Dolby Laboratories  sound mix
• Ear Candy Post  post-production sound services
• EarCandy  sound post-production
• Ignition Print  poster design (uncredited)
• Indian Paintbrush  funding
• Intelligent Media  international monitoring agency
• Lakeshore Records  score album
• Lakeshore Records  soundtrack
• Mandate Pictures  funding
• Movie Movers  cast trailers
• Reel Security  production security

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for language including sexual references, some drug use and brief violence

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA | Singapore | Malaysia | Indonesia

Language:

English

Color:

Color | Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Datasat | Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #47270) | Canada:14A (Ontario) | UK:15 | Ireland:15A | Singapore:NC-16 | Brazil:14 (re-rating on appeal) | Germany:12 (f) | Hong Kong:IIB | Portugal:M/12 | Sweden:11 (DVD rating) | Mexico:B15 | Philippines:R-13 | Argentina:13 | Peru:14 | Netherlands:12 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Company:

Focus Features

Trivia:

According to the expiration date on Dodge's pill box, the film takes place in the year 2021.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Dodge's cleaning lady is at his home on the day the asteroid is going to hit. She says it's a Thursday, and yet the news announcer tells everyone to set their clocks forward that night for Daylight Saving Time - which always happens on a Saturday night/Sunday morning.

Quotes:

Penny:I don't know, I just... I love records. I mean, they're not for everyone, you know? You really have to take care of vinyl. It's very delicate, it can get wrecked so easily. You really have to love it. Do you hear how full it sounds? Now, what you want to buy is a thicker record. They're more stable. The grooves in them are sort of deeper and wider. You get more detail. I mean, they're harder to carry around 'cause they're heavier, but they're worth it. You know, my parents have this...

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #20.162" (2012)

Soundtrack:

Let's Go Out Tonight

Seeking a Film for the End of the Week?

We've seen dramatic and extreme post-apocalyptic thrillers almost as many times as we've survived the Rapture, and it is hard to imagine that anyone can interpret the theme in a way that would make a movie more enjoyable. However, none of the previous films starred Steve Carrell or stayed completely in the pre-apocalyptic world. As it turns out, these two facts make a huge difference.

Dodge (Carrell) learns that nothing can be done to prevent the imminent destruction of the world while in the car with his wife, Linda (Nancy Carrell, formerly Nancy Walls and hilarious without saying a word). Linda then literally runs away, and so begins the story of Dodge's terrible misfortune. He is a modern-day adult version of Charlie Brown – likable, but not extraordinary in any sense except for his ability to attract sadness. Seeking then shows how everyone else is coping with the news, and Dodge doesn't seem very interested in surfing, sex, or suicide, so he just meanders through the madness sipping his cough syrup. He probably would have done that for the entire three weeks left of his life were it not for a his neighbor Penny (Keira Knightley), a flighty girl trying to get a flight back to her family in England. The two escape a riot (and Penny's loser boyfriend, perfectly played by Adam Brody) and set out on an adventure so that Dodge can say goodbye to his high school sweetheart and Penny can get to England by way of Dodge's friend who owns a plane.

The commercials portray this film as more of a comedy, and it is delightfully funny in some spots, but this film is far more emotionally and intellectually stimulating than it is amusing. I remember thinking at the end of 2005's War of the Worlds, "I wish they had spent more time focusing on humanity." The human experience of facing the end of life is so complex and so unique to every individual, and Director Loren Scafaria succeeds in showing the despair, decadence, and delusions that people would definitely be wrapped up in were this to occur in real life.

Carrell is brilliant as usual with his effortless self-effacing humor. He seems to have worked on his deadpan skills as his funniest moments include reacting to crazy events with a blank stare or monotone comment. Knightley manages to be an effervescent and bubbly realist without being annoying, which makes Penny a completely plausible running buddy for Dodge, who can't take much more agitation. These two stars have a chemistry that allows Dodge to come out of his shell and live the last days of his life the way he wished he had lived all along. A few people live in less inspiring ways to awesome comedic effect. Elsa, Dodge's housekeeper, still diligently comes to clean his house and even instructs him to get more "Windows" while shaking a nearly empty bottle of glass cleaner. Warren (fellow Daily Show alum Rob Corddry) celebrates the end of responsibility by boozing it up and sharing his drinks freely, even with little kids. These scenes, however, are merely distractions from how Dodge and Penny learn more than they ever imagined about life and the world simply because it is all coming to an end. Despite the hokey-ness, I must admit that I got teary-eyed as the characters realized what matters most.

Focus Features does a great job of producing equally thought-provoking and heartstring-pulling films and Seeking is no exception. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and with any luck, you'll leave the theater thankful that you most likely have more than three weeks to make the most of your life.