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The End of the Tour

Play trailer Poster for The End of the Tour R Released Jul 31, 2015 1h 46m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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92% Tomatometer 160 Reviews 82% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Writer and journalist David Lipsky (Jesse Eisenberg) interviews author David Foster Wallace (Jason Segel) for Rolling Stone magazine.
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The End of the Tour

The End of the Tour

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Critics Consensus

Brilliantly performed and smartly unconventional, The End of the Tour pays fitting tribute to a singular talent while offering profoundly poignant observations on the human condition.

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Critics Reviews

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Max Weiss Baltimore Magazine I can't speak to its veracity, but I loved Segel's work here, playing Wallace as someone who over-analyzed everything, to a compulsive, near paralyzing degree, while still managing to be the most interesting, literary guy in the room. Rated: 3.5/4 Jun 12, 2016 Full Review Jason Bailey Flavorwire By the time we're at the end of 'The End of the Tour,' it's arrived at something thoughtful and true about being a writer-and, even better, about being a real person. May 30, 2016 Full Review David Stratton The Australian Strong performances from the lead actors anchor the film, but the world depicted is rather too hermetic for anyone not immediately interested in the subject matter. Rated: 3/5 May 20, 2016 Full Review George Fenwick Stuff.co.nz The film is fascinatingly intellectual and brimming with humanity. Jul 26, 2021 Full Review Richard Crouse Richard Crouse Occasionally it feels like an excuse for introspective comments from the David Foster Wallace Book of Wisdom, but Segel finds the humanity in him, playing him as a man who lived inside his head even as his world expanded. Rated: 4/5 Feb 3, 2021 Full Review David Bax Battleship Pretension The End of the Tour movingly illustrates how deeply a human connection, no matter how momentary, can effect a person's life. Jan 14, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Dave S For those interested in delving into the psyche of David Foster Wallace, one of the great literary minds of the last forty years, The End of the Tour will be satisfying viewing. For those who have never heard of Wallace or have not read his seminal opus Infinite Jest, the movie will either be a great introduction to a great writer or, more likely, a monumental bore. Jesse Eisenberg plays David Lipsky, a journalist from Rolling Stone, who travels to the American Midwest to interview the enigmatic Wallace (Jason Segel) as he wraps up his book tour for the recently released Infinite Jest. Despite consisting of almost two hours of talking heads, the movie is consistently compelling due to the great performances from the leads, plenty of smart dialogue, and the fact that both characters have tremendous depth. Or you’ll find the talking heads painfully dull. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/11/24 Full Review Alec B Despite the very good performances and the often engaging discussions I found the final product a bit too rose-tinted and sentimental in it's depiction of Wallace. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 12/13/23 Full Review crustina d This film is perfect. Superbly acted and written and filmed. James Ponsoldt's best film -- leaps and bounds better than anything he has yet made. Brilliantly nuanced, emotional and hilarious! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review the s I feel like David Foster Wallace would have hated this movie and that really says it all, dunnit? There's way too much awkwardness and neuroticism put on display here between the 2 characters…to the point of it moving behind a story of a character study into a display of caricatures. And we don't really need the excessive awkwardness…it feels implied but it's exaggerated. Ultimately it feels like a movie that just didn't need to be made. Wallace was brilliant in hos observations of the human condition and this movie tries to dissect something that is best left unexplored. College students who haven't read Infinite Jest will enjoy it as a vignette of early-aughts pop culture but it doesn't really fill any gaps or provide any clarity to an author who seemed to enjoy muddying the waters. And sometimes the myths are more interesting than the truth. But even though depression and genius may go hand in hand sometimes, it doesn't need to be peeled back for the layers to all be examined. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review robert r Can confirm that even those who are generally unfamiliar with the life and times of David Foster Wallace can find enjoyment in James Ponsoldt's "The End Of The Tour," as my knowledge of the man and his works were limited at best before watching this. From any angle, this is a contemplative, authentic and honest look at the burden of brilliance, the drawbacks of envying others and the layers of depth that we all contain within us. It's hard to even say that anything really "happens" in this movie and yet I couldn't help but be enraptured with seeing these two guys talking, trying to figure each other out. You have to love the natural chemistry between the two lead performers and the acting overall. Jason Segel is the obvious standout, venturing out of the usual comedic trappings to play one of the more fascinating individuals to pop up in modern literature. Definitely a great watch, overall. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Kay W I wish it had been more ambitious. But I enjoyed it and plan to watch it again. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/03/21 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Writer and journalist David Lipsky (Jesse Eisenberg) interviews author David Foster Wallace (Jason Segel) for Rolling Stone magazine.
Director
James Ponsoldt
Producer
David Kanter, Matt DeRoss, James Dahl, Mark C. Manuel, Ted O'Neal
Screenwriter
Donald Margulies
Distributor
A24
Production Co
Anonymous Content
Rating
R (Some Sexual References|Language)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 31, 2015, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 15, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$3.0M
Runtime
1h 46m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital
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