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

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.

Director:

Lorene Scafaria

Writer:

Lorene Scafaria

Stars:

Steve Carell, Keira Knightley, Melanie Lynskey

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Steve Carell	...	Dodge
Keira Knightley	...	Penny
Adam Brody	...	Owen
Connie Britton	...	Diane
Roger Aaron Brown	...	Alfred
Rob Huebel	...	Jeremy
Trisha Gorman	...	Crying Woman
Nancy Carell	...	Linda
Mark Moses	...	Anchorman
Tonita Castro	...	Elsa
Leslie Murphy	...	Amy
Rob Corddry	...	Warren
Kasey Campbell	...	Danny
Melanie Lynskey	...	Karen
Vince Grant	...	Man #1 / Chip

Storyline

An asteroid named "Matilda" is on a collision course towards Earth and in three weeks the world will come to an absolute end. What would you do if your life and the world were doomed? One man decides to spend his time searching for his long lost love from high school during the coming catastrophe.

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Plot Keywords:

end of the world | road trip | human extinction | apocalypse | reunited lovers | 

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Taglines:

The first comedy about the end of it all

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Romance | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 June 2012 (USA)

Also Known As:

Buscando un amigo para el fin del mundo

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,822,803, 24 June 2012, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$6,619,173, 1 July 2012

Company Credits

Production Co:

Focus Features, Mandate Pictures, Indian Paintbrush

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Datasat Dolby Digital

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to the date on News Today's final issue hanging in the news stand near the beginning of the movie, the film takes place around March 24, 2021.

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Goofs

When Dodge is listening to the LP record and the power goes out you can hear the audio as the record slows down. The audio should have gone off immediately with the small receiver shown.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Radio Announcer: OK, what we're getting now is - yes, they're saying it was in fact a fire that erupted inside the external tank of the ship, exactly ninety-eight seconds after it entered the asteroid field. No one is sure what caused the fire which led to the massive explosion, killing all twelve crew members and scientists aboard the space shuttle Deliverance, taking with them our last and only hope. Once again, if you're just tuning in, the CSA space shuttle Deliverance has been destroyed. The ...
[...]

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Connections

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

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Soundtracks

Pastel Lights
Written by John Mudd and Brad Dale
Performed by Ishi
Courtesy of VU Music

User Reviews

Watch this before it's too late

It's rare that I rate a movie this highly. No doubt many will disagree with this rating and I admit to having some doubts myself. I had to ignore the fact that Keira Knightly was miscast in the role of Dodge's (Steve Carell) friend, Penny. As I've mentioned in other reviews, she always seems to be overacting. This may be a personal thing as I'm sure others are enthralled by her work. Martin Sheen is not convincing as Dodge's father. The plot has some problematic moments.

These negatives aside, this is a movie driven by a compelling idea: What would you do if you had only three weeks to live? Well, some resort to taking drugs, others to sex, and others to suicide. Some persevere with dignity to the end. The absurdity of life and the value of death is highlighted, as strange as this may sound. Death puts life into its proper perspective. On the surface, this film has many elements of a romantic comedy and some may dismiss it as such. But look past the surface of this film and you will begin to appreciate it much more.

Of course, we are all facing the end of our own worlds, maybe not in three weeks or en masse, as is portrayed here, but through our individual mortality. Would you continue to work out, visit your dentist, or mow the lawn if you knew it was all soon coming to an end? Basically, the film looks at what in life is truly important. What is worth living for? Who would you want to spend those last moments with and why aren't you spending time with them now? Because this movie brings such existential topics into focus, I think it deserves an above average rating. Don't think of this as a grim, realistic look at life. There is a good deal of humor here. You'll have a few laughs, which, I believe, help to highlight the film's more serious elements.

My opinion of Steve Carrell has been on the rise ever since he starred in Dan in Real Life. In Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, he plays the role of a down and out loser to perfection.

In short, if you are seeking a movie to watch with a friend, this should be your choice. You'll have much to discuss afterwards. It may even make you re-evaluate what you have accepted as being important. Time is, after all, running out.