Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)

Three magazine employees head out on an assignment to interview a guy who placed a classified advertisement seeking a companion for time travel.

Director:

Colin Trevorrow

Writer:

Derek Connolly

Stars:

Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson

8 wins & 18 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Aubrey Plaza	...	Darius
Lauren Carlos	...	Young Darius
Basil Harris	...	Restaurant Manager
Mary Lynn Rajskub	...	Bridget
Jake Johnson	...	Jeff
Karan Soni	...	Arnau
David Leo Schultz	...	Coworker
Jeff Garlin	...	Mr. Britt
Mark Duplass	...	Kenneth
William Hall Jr.	...	Shannon
Alice Hung	...	Shift Manager
Hassan Cristos Messiah	...	Boyfriend in Car (as Hassan 'Cristos' Messiah)
Keli Schurman-Darby	...	Girlfriend in Car
Jenica Bergere	...	Liz
Lynn Shelton	...	Uptight Mom

Storyline

Darius is a young intern at a Seattle-based magazine and jumps at the chance to investigate the author of a classified ad seeking someone to travel back in time with. Along with Jeff, the staff writer, and Arnau, a fellow intern, the three go on a road trip to a coastal town. While Jeff just wants to chase after his high school crush and Arnau wants some kind of life experience, Darius spends her time with Kenneth, a man who believes that he has built a time machine. The closer they become and the more they understand about each other, the less clear it becomes if Kenneth is just crazy or if he actually is going to successfully travel back in time.

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Plot Keywords:

time machine | reference to star wars | reference to david bowie | title spoken by character | younger version of character | 

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Taglines:

WANTED Someone to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. You'll get paid when we get back. Must bring your own weapons. Safety not guaranteed. I have only done this once before.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language including some sexual references

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 October 2012 (Australia)

Also Known As:

I asfaleia sas den einai eggyimeni

Filming Locations:

Ocean Shores, Washington, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$750,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$97,762, 10 June 2012, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$4,010,957, 18 October 2012

Company Credits

Production Co:

FilmDistrict,Big Beach Films,Duplass Brothers Productions

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When the time travel ad is shown in the beginning, there are ads surrounding it for a Datsun and 1979 Hornet Wagon. Both of these cars are seen when the magazine trio is in Ocean View. Kenneth drives a first generation Datsun Z car and when Darius follows him to the "secure location" after he's done with work, they are spooked in the alley by a 1975-1977 Hornet Wagon, as AMC did not make a 1979 Hornet.

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Goofs

Jeff gives Arnau the "Are you gay?" talk. Jeff re-shapes Arnau's collar BUT between walking into the room and sitting on the bed, the shape of Arnau's collar inexplicably changes.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Darius: How far back do you want me to go?

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Crazy Credits

John Silveira is credited as a Time Travel Consultant.

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Connections

Referenced in Diablo III: Reaper of Souls (2014)

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Soundtracks

Litterbox Beach
Written by Scott Warnasch
Performed by Hoppin' Hoole Brothers

User Reviews

With witty lines and well written characters we're entertained through to the original ending.

"Safety Not Guaranteed" is based on an actual classified ad placed in a magazine, looking for someone to go back in time with. The real ad was just a joke for last-minute content. The movie, though, wonders what if it wasn't a joke. One young writer and two young interns are assigned to the story to figure out who is behind the ad, and how crazy he is.

Darius (Aubrey Plaza) is a sarcastic, defensive lost soul and appears to have at least some kind of genuine interest in the story. Jeff (Jake M. Johnson) is the staff-writer taking the lead but his only interest in the story is that he gets to go to the town where his high school crush lives. Arnau (Karan Soni) is tagging along because he does whatever will look good on his resume. The guy they are hunting down is Kenneth (Mark Duplass) and he truly believes that he is building a time machine. Darius forms an immediate connection with the guy and wants to help him with his adventure. Jeff immediately pegs him as a lunatic, so that just means he has more time to go skirt-chasing.

These are good characters, better written than what you would expect to find in a simple comedy. Each have their reasons for being there; each have a time they want to get back to; and each have something they want to experience. They also appear to be responsible in determining how much you will enjoy this movie. The rave reviews and the standing ovation reports coming out of Sundance all mention how much the characters echo their own lives. As if the writer has found the true essence of being a human being. However, there are people, me included, who don't actually connect to any of the characters but still found their plights and misadventures amusing.

This is a well written film, as most successful indies are. It thrives on witty lines and its ability to fully explore each of the characters. The first point makes it a comedy but the second point, the main one, makes it a drama so be prepared for a more thoughtful journey than just a laugh riot.

It is fairly original, especially with the much talked about ending, but I personally found that the low-budget indie "Juko's Time Machine" (2011) handled a similar concept in a much more ingenious way. "Safety Not Guaranteed" added fresh spins to basic concepts and was funny and entertaining throughout, just be careful with some of the comparisons it's getting.