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The End of the Tour

  • 2015
  • R
  • 1h 46m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
34K
YOUR RATING
The End of the Tour (2015)
Trailer for The End Of The Tour
Play trailer2:29
10 Videos
89 Photos
Psychological DramaRoad TripBiographyDrama

The story of the five-day interview between Rolling Stone reporter David Lipsky and acclaimed novelist David Foster Wallace, which took place right after the 1996 publication of Wallace's gr... Read allThe story of the five-day interview between Rolling Stone reporter David Lipsky and acclaimed novelist David Foster Wallace, which took place right after the 1996 publication of Wallace's groundbreaking epic novel, 'Infinite Jest.'The story of the five-day interview between Rolling Stone reporter David Lipsky and acclaimed novelist David Foster Wallace, which took place right after the 1996 publication of Wallace's groundbreaking epic novel, 'Infinite Jest.'

  • Director
    • James Ponsoldt
  • Writers
    • Donald Margulies
    • David Lipsky
  • Stars
    • Jason Segel
    • Jesse Eisenberg
    • Anna Chlumsky
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.2/10
    34K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • James Ponsoldt
    • Writers
      • Donald Margulies
      • David Lipsky
    • Stars
      • Jason Segel
      • Jesse Eisenberg
      • Anna Chlumsky
    • 111User reviews
    • 192Critic reviews
    • 82Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 4 wins & 18 nominations total

    Videos10

    The End of the Tour
    Trailer 2:29
    The End of the Tour
    THE END OF THE TOUR Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:31
    THE END OF THE TOUR Official Trailer
    THE END OF THE TOUR Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:31
    THE END OF THE TOUR Official Trailer
    Diner
    Clip 0:34
    Diner
    Alanis
    Clip 0:48
    Alanis
    The End Of The Tour: Diner
    Clip 0:34
    The End Of The Tour: Diner
    The End Of The Tour: Alanis
    Clip 0:48
    The End Of The Tour: Alanis

    Photos89

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    Top cast89

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    Jason Segel
    Jason Segel
    • David Foster Wallace
    Jesse Eisenberg
    Jesse Eisenberg
    • David Lipsky
    Anna Chlumsky
    Anna Chlumsky
    • Sarah
    Mamie Gummer
    Mamie Gummer
    • Julie
    Mickey Sumner
    Mickey Sumner
    • Betsy
    Joan Cusack
    Joan Cusack
    • Patty
    Ron Livingston
    Ron Livingston
    • Bob
    Becky Ann Baker
    Becky Ann Baker
    • Martha
    John Arden McClure
    • Bookstore Patron 1
    Jennifer Rebecka Holman
    • Bookstore Patron 2
    • (as Jennifer Holman)
    Britney McKiernan
    • Bookstore Patron 3
    Jackie Bery
    • Bookstore Patron 4
    Alisha Atallah
    • Student 1
    Zachary Parkhurst
    • Student 2
    Preston Smith
    • Student 3
    Nathan Daly
    • Student 4
    Javon Van Anderson
    Javon Van Anderson
    • Student 5
    • (as Javon Anderson)
    Rammel Chan
    Rammel Chan
    • Student 6
    • Director
      • James Ponsoldt
    • Writers
      • Donald Margulies
      • David Lipsky
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews111

    7.233.7K
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    Featured reviews

    10jjustinjaeger

    Could very well remain my favorite film of the year

    Rarely am I enlightened by a film in the way I was by this one. Not that I was lectured or taught something, but that I had a visceral response to what I had experienced on screen that I wouldn't be able to explain but to ask you to recall a song or a book or a show that invited you to pour your soul into it and in return reminded you of what it was like to have one. I was reminded that films can do this.

    I don't expect everyone to like it to the degree that I did because I can only base my strong inclination towards this movie on the connection I personally made with it which was emotional rather than intellectual, although the film is rich and lingering in its intellect as well, and of course; I recognize what makes this film profound, which I'll try to explain.

    This is a talky film from director James Ponsoldt, who I'd now have to rank as one of my favorite contemporary directors after this and another I've seen and loved, The Spectacular Now. This director isn't one you'd normally find on a list ranking among the greatest working today because he's not about style and doesn't appeal to the ego as much as other contemporaries such as Wes Anderson and David Fincher do (in addition to many others, not to single them out). No, Ponsoldt is subtle and reserves his ego. He is unimposing on the lives of his characters and candid about what his films are trying to do and say, not hiding beneath film rhetoric or allegory or the impression of a representational work. And what's great about this is how his films point out that you don't need intricate sets or perfectly symmetrical shots to create beauty. This film has some of the most beautiful shots I've seen (the shot of them walking in the snow, the shot of the normally- withdrawn Wallace dancing), all the more so because of their subtlety, giving the feeling that the beauty was discovered and not created by the director.

    But the beauty is often created by the actors. Ponsoldt trusts his actors and puts his efforts towards making the characters come alive before our eyes. I was under the fantastic impression that I was witnessing a completely real human soul with Segel's performance. He felt so real, so three dimensional. I understand him, even though I am not him. This is more magical to me than sweeping camera movements or extravagant art direction.

    I didn't realize when watching the film that the dialogue is all based on, if not directly taken from, the tapes journalist (and protagonist) David Lipsky (Eisenberg) recorded of his interviewee, universally acclaimed novelist David Foster Wallace (Segel). The dialogue is rich with insight into the character's thought processes and their observations on life (but mostly those of Wallace). I was riveted at every moment the two were talking, feeling as though being revealed before me were the truths of life. The thrill of being a fly on the wall. And it's not just the words containing the wisdom of the thoughtful and complicated Wallace, but the delivery via the actors and the way in which the many hours of tape are edited to allow Wallace's ideas and observations to resonate. Even beyond Wallace's ideas, the film cuts to the core and observes Wallace as a human being, not different for his brilliance but the same for his humanness.

    The film is about so many things it would be overwhelming to attempt list all of them. Its ideas, however many, are all-encompassing of what it means to exist, which is, beyond the desire for fame and ego-boosts, to want to be understood. The film observes how the inner-worlds of all people are so uniquely complicated and pays tribute to that wonder. I'll be relating my experiences to this film in time to come.
    7aciessi

    "I'm not sure you want to be me"

    Welcome inside the mind of David Foster Wallace. He's a peculiar man. He thinks he's a regular man, when he knows that he's a genius. He hates being a genius, and he hates being a regular guy. His life is as meandering as his dialogs recorded by David Lipsky. The End of the Tour feels more like a documentary, than dramatized narrative feature. So in effect, this movie is as real as it gets about David Foster Wallace. It's all about the acting here, and it shines. Jason Segel was born to play DFW. He proves to us that he is more than a series of cheap shots at his naked body. Here, he doesn't strip himself of his clothes, he strips himself of his emotions. I hope award season treats him very kindly. It's so natural, and easygoing, and pays a respect to Richard Linklater in tone. It's a scatterbrained wonder, a good film to watch on a lazy day.
    9vsks

    A Conversation that Makes You Glad to be the Fly-on-the-Wall

    In 1996 David Foster Wallace's 1079-page novel Infinite Jest hit the literary scene like a rocket. The publisher's marketing efforts meant the book was everywhere, but the man himself—shy, full of self-doubt, not wanting to be trapped into any literary poseur moments and seeing them as inevitable—was difficult to read. This movie uses a tyro journalist's eye to probe Wallace during an intense five days of interviewing toward the end of the Infinite Jest book tour. As a tryout writer for Rolling Stone, reporter David Lipsky had begged for the assignment to write a profile of Wallace, which ultimately the magazine never published. But the tapes survived, and after Wallace's suicide in 2008 they became the basis for Lipsky's 2010 book, Although of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself, which fed David Margulies screenplay. The plot of the movie is minimal; instead, it's a deep exploration of character. It may just be two guys talking, but I found it tectonic. Director James Ponsoldt has brought nuanced, intelligent performances from his two main actors—Jason Segel as Wallace and Jesse Eisenberg as reporter David Lipsky. Lipsky is a novelist himself, with a so-so book to his credit. Wallace has reached the heights, and what would it take for Lipsky to scramble up there too? Jealousy and admiration are at war within him and, confronted with Wallace's occasional oddness, one manifestation of which is the attempt to be Super-Regular Guy—owning dogs, eating junk food, obsessively watching television—he isn't sure what to feel. You see it on his face. Is Lipsky friend or foe? He's not above snooping around Wallace's house or chatting up his friends to nail his story. Lipsky rightly makes Wallace nervous, the tape recorder makes him nervous; he amuses, he evades, he delivers a punch of a line, he feints. When the going gets too rough, Lipsky falls back on saying, "You agreed to the interview," and Wallace climbs back in the saddle, as if saying to himself, just finish this awful ride, then back to the peace and solitude necessary actually to write. In the meantime, he is, as A. O. Scott said in his New York Times review, "playing the role of a writer in someone else's fantasy." The movie's opening scene delivers the fact of the suicide, which by design looms over all that follows, in the long flashback to a dozen years earlier and the failed interview. You can't help but interpret every statement of Wallace's through that lens. The depression is clear. He's been treated for it and for alcoholism, from which he seems to have recovered. The two Davids walk on the snow-covered farm fields of Wallace's Illinois home and talk about how beautiful it is, but it is bleak, and even in as jam-packed an environment as the Mall of America Wallace's conversation focuses on the emptiness at the heart of life. Yet his gentle humor infuses almost every exchange, and Lipsky can be wickedly funny too. Wallace can't help but feel great ambivalence toward Lipsky; he recognizes Lipsky's envy and his hero-worship, and both are troubling. He felt a truth inside himself, but he finds it almost impossible to capture and isn't sure he has, saying, "The more people think you're really great, the bigger your fear of being a fraud is." Infinite Jest was a widely praised literary success, but not to Wallace himself.
    9warevjensen

    Superb Writing, Superb Interpretation

    Saw this film last weekend at its world premiere at Sundance. First of all, Donald Margulies' script was fantastic. I am slightly partial to good writing in film, so perhaps that's just what stood out to me, but the dialogue is incredibly well-written and natural and at least generally captures David Foster Wallace's fascinating way of talking. In essence (and in the best of ways), nothing really happens in this movie. There isn't a lot of high stakes drama, but that's exactly what makes it so compelling. It's like we as the audience get a glimpse into two men struggling with the same ideas about life, art, expression, addiction, culture, and depression.

    Jason Segel and Jesse Eisenberg live up to the task of interpreting the script, helped along the way by director James Ponsoldt. The direction is simple, and the camera work is relatively basic throughout, giving the actors plenty of room to work with natural rhythm. Segel definitely impressed me, as this was the first dramatic role I've seen him in. While he didn't exactly capture some of Wallace's real-life mannerisms, I'm not sure if that was exactly the point of the film. He interpreted the script in a powerful way, and I think that that ended up working out quite well for the overall tone of the film. Eisenberg played his usual somewhat neurotic, slightly asshole- ish character very well, and I thought it fit the reporter role perfectly.

    Overall, I would strongly recommend the film. 9/10
    joey-ziemniak

    An inspiring, often funny account of Wallace's book tour, with a standout performance from Jason Segel.

    Prior to seeing this film, I had limited knowledge of David Foster Wallace and his works. After seeing the film, I wanted to learn more. The End of the Tour (dir. James Ponsoldt) is a very reflective film, highlighting author Wallace on the last stretch of his book tour for his novel Infinite Jest. Our entry point into this intriguing man is David Lipsky, a Rolling Stone reporter hired to do a piece on him in the late 1990s.

    What little there is of plot is made up for in excellent characterization. The film is really all about existentialism, and thankfully it never leans towards pretentiousness. Rather there is an air of optimism about making your time on earth worthwhile. Wallace and Lipsky in a way represent two extremes of existentialism. Wallace is very relaxed, and takes his newfound celebrity with a grain of salt, while Lipsky is very Type-A, yet never brash or irritating. Lipsky has been trying to get his foot in the door as an author for a while now, while Wallace almost became famous overnight, and the film plays with the concept of "fame" in fun and unique ways. Through the film, Ponsoldt is able to explore these two extremes and find common ground between them, all while touching on the idea of fame and what it means to different people.

    The script is outstanding, and hits all the right notes I touched on above. The dialogue between Lipsky and Wallace feels natural, nothing is forced. I wonder how much improvisation was done for the film, because the two seem like good friends from the moment they meet. There is a natural chemistry that draws these two characters together, and it's outstanding to watch on-screen. It's difficult to adapt a book like Lipsky's, which is mostly interviews and recording, as the book was published after Wallace's death in 2008. But screenwriter Donald Marguiles makes it work, and the result is an insightful, often hilarious film.

    All this talk about chemistry would be a waste if it weren't for Jason Segel and Jesse Eisenberg as Wallace and Lipsky, respectively. Segel is a marvel as Wallace; it's a performance that doesn't demand much, yet Segel taps into all of Wallace's nuances and quirks. His delivery, cadence, and warmth almost makes it feel like you're talking to an old friend. It's a subtle performance that I hope is remembered come awards season. Eisenberg, too, is great. His reporter-type isn't very developed until the middle-end of the film, and he might come across as annoying for some. But he makes Lipsky tick as the curious interviewer wanting to learn more. He's driven by his desire to success, his want to make a successful piece for Rolling Stone, yet he ends up with a lot more.

    The End of the Tour is a huge success. It isn't a very showy film, without much in the way of technical prowess, yet it's a talker. The realistic dialogue and blasé tone make the film feel like a 140 minute hang out with two good friends. Ponsoldt keeps a tight grip on the film's themes, never letting one overpower the film's true intentions. It's a wonderful ode to Wallace, and a funny one at that.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The song heard on the soundtrack when the film ends is "The Big Ship" by Brian Eno, one of David Foster Wallace's favorite songs. It was also used for the climax of This is not a love story (2015), another film that premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival.
    • Goofs
      In regards to the scene where Mrs. Gunderson gives Mr. Wallace and Mr. Lipsky a car tour of Minneapolis sites: The Mary Tyler Moore statue on Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis, was not given to the City by TV Land until 2002. Also, it is not legal for cars to drive down Nicollet Mall.
    • Quotes

      David Foster Wallace: It may be in the old days what was known as a spiritual crisis: feeling as though every axiom in your life turned out to be false... and there was actually nothing. And that you were nothing. And that it's all a delusion and you're so much better than everybody 'cause you can see how this is just a delusion, and you're so much worse because you can't fucking function.

    • Crazy credits
      Halfway through the closing credits, there is an extra scene told from the perspective of David Foster Wallace as Lipsky goes to the bathroom to wash out the chewing tobacco. It shows what Wallace did while he was in the bathroom: he speaks privately into the tape recorder.
    • Connections
      Featured in The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Jason Segel/Amy Sedaris/Alessia Cara (2015)
    • Soundtracks
      Sunlight Bathed The Golden Glow
      Written by Lawrence and Maurice Deebank

      Performed by Felt

      Courtesy of Cherry Red Records

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    FAQ

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 14, 2015 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • El último tour
    • Filming locations
      • Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
    • Production companies
      • Modern Man Films
      • Anonymous Content
      • Kilburn Media
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $3,002,884
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $123,238
      • Aug 2, 2015
    • Gross worldwide
      • $3,072,991
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 46 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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