Missed masterpiece :: Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

Focus Features

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World is the story of mankind’s last hurrah. The world has discovered that an asteroid is on a collision course with earth and humanity has no recourse. The earth is doomed and every living thing on the planet will soon be snuffed out. From that cheerful setup we meet Dodge (Steve Carrell) and Penny (Keira Knightley), two people who, at first glance, share almost nothing in common other than the fact they both live in the same apartment complex and they both need to take a road trip to finish their final business before the end comes.

From that setup you would probably assume the film is a When Harry Met Sally ripoff with an apocalyptic slant … and you’d be right. Well, mostly. What you wouldn’t assume from hearing that setup is that Seeking a Friend also happens to be one of the most touching and overlooked masterpieces of cinema of the last ten years.

Now when I say masterpiece I’m not talking about cinematography or effects. Frankly, the film is shot simply and straightforward. It’s not an ugly film by any stretch but it’s not a Godfather or a Citizen Kane style masterpiece. No, instead what Seeking a Friend really shines at is in the way it connects to something very base and emotional in the audience.

The film was released June 22, 2012. In its opening weekend it brought in $3.8 million with a grand domestic total of $7 million for its entire theatrical run. In foreign markets the film only made $2.5 million. So this movie had a worldwide grand total of $9.6 million dollars. That is pathetic, that’s a sad turnout for any film regardless of its quality. For comparison When Harry Met Sally made almost $9 million on its opening weekend back in 1989.

So why the disparity? Why the utter lack of interest from the general public? Several things come into play. First off, the marketing. The ad campaign for this film was terribly mismanaged, the trailer sells this movie as a zany slapstick comedy like There’s Something About Mary or Liar Liar, when in reality the film is much more in line with a different Jim Carrey vehicle, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, another movie that just oozes melancholy. Anyone who might have gone to the movie based on its ads would be extremely surprised at what they found. On top of this the summer of 2012 was huge: The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises, Amazing Spider-Man, and Men In Black 3 are just a few of the films that came out that summer. A smaller, more nuanced film like Seeking would have gotten lost in the shuffle even if they had advertised it appropriately. Being thrown in with a summer blockbuster season of that size, it’s no surprise that it was lost in the shuffle.

It really is a shame that it got overlooked, passed by so many people because it really does have something special about it. The movie begins with Dodge and his wife hearing the news of Earth’s imminent doom and his wife kicks off the running theme of the film by running away. Running away from Dodge, from her loveless marriage, and from her pigeonholed role in society. That’s a theme we see time and time again through the movie, people finally being true to themselves and their desires rather than playing by the rules society sets for us. Sometimes this means having big drunken parties where people are doing drugs and having sex with multiple partners, other times people are rioting and destructive. Some just keep going about their daily routine, whether just out of denial, or perhaps, that routine is a comfort to them in their final days.

This is really where the movie shows insight into the human condition. We get to see many, many perspectives into Armageddon and reactions that come of it. Where other films might just try to show the funnier, raunchy side, or just the super dark, depressive suicidal view (both of which we do get to see), this film also shows us where the majority of people would likely fall into, a melancholy state. Both are trying to get some fun or happiness in their final days while being all too aware of how fleeting time really is.

But for me, personally, where the film really comes together is in its third act. Once Dodge has put Penny on a plane bound for her home and family. Flown by his long estranged father that only now at the end of everything has reconnected with him. The selfless sacrifice by our protagonist of his only points of solace is handled so beautifully so delicately that if you aren’t touched by it you should really get your heart checked. Dodge doesn’t make a grand speech and act like a hero. Instead he waits until his friend and companion is sleeping and makes an impossible decision on her behalf.

This gesture combined with the soundtrack’s “The Air That I Breathe” by The Hollies perfectly accompanies the scene, both celebratory yet sad at the same time. For half a second we really believe that the filmmakers are going to actually end the film on a completely depressing note. Dodge back home alone with the end of the world hurtling towards him, completely accepting his fate to meet his maker alone, set to The Walker Brothers “Stay With Me.” Then just when we don’t expect it Penny shows up, giving up her chance to see her family one last time because she wants to spend her last moments with this man, this stranger, this person she has fallen in love with in such a short time but in a way that is truer and more pure than any love either of them knew in their former lives. As the sounds of their doom grows closer they do the best thing people in love could do with their last minutes, they lie down and stare into each others eyes, taking in all they can from each other. Then Dodge perfectly says, “Penny, I’m really glad I got to know you”.

As simple as this final line is, take it in context and really think what it means. The movie starts with Dodge’s wife abandoning him and soon after he discovers she was cheating on him. The person with whom he though he shared the strongest bond was all but a stranger in reality. Then he met a total stranger and got to know her more intimately than anyone else he’s ever known. While some see marriage or the idea of some sort of life partner as someone you want to spend your life with, aren’t we also saying this is the person we want to die with? Even though they didn’t find each other early in life, they found that special person for the end.

From there the movie fades to white, signifying the end of the world. No last minute rescues or fake outs, no, this movie had the guts to make you love these people, make them love each other, and then end them just when they’ve truly realized what they’ve become to one another. Then another spectacular musical choice plays over the credits “This Guy’s In Love With You” by Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass. Yet another song that is somehow both celebratory of the love it professes but with an air of sadness under its surface. Very much reflecting the end of the film, one line even states, “Say you’re in love and you’ll be my girl, if not I’ll just die.” Unfortunately for Dodge his death comes right after his girl professes her love. Yet somehow you come away with a sense that we should feel happy that they found each other no matter how briefly.

Now maybe you’re not someone who was affected the same way by this film, and if so I implore you, give it a second chance. Maybe with a second glance you’ll find something that speaks to you. If you do agree, take this opportunity and find a friend who hasn’t seen it and get them to watch. With Seeking a Friend for the End of the World now streaming on Netflix, people will hopefully give this under-appreciated gem a second life.