"The End of the Tour" Takes Us On a Thoughtful Ride (Short Review)

The End of the Tour (2015) recounts Rolling Stone magazine reporter David Lipsky (Jesse Eisenberg) accompanying the late writer David Foster Wallace (Jason Segel) on a five-day book tour in 1996. The movie, based on Lipsky’s memoir Although Of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself: A Road Trip with David Foster Wallace, is a low-key fascinating meditation on several topics, illuminated by the clash of a literary genius with the reporter’s attempts to find a story.

Segel has received a lot of well-deserved praise for his sympathetic portrayal of Wallace, and Eisenberg also gives one of his best career performances. The main focus on the film is on the conversation of the two men. As in movies like My Dinner With Andre (1981), it is imperative that the actors engage us with the dialogue, and the actors pull it off, aided by director James Ponsoldt and screenwriter by Donald Margulies.

The effectiveness of the film depends not on major action and not even on a major revelation. Instead, the movie engages us as we listen and try to learn more about Wallace, the genius who wrote Infinite Jest. We do learn about Wallace, but the movie does not overshoot, staying anchored in Lipsky’s memoir where he only had five days of access to Wallace. But the movie features smart dialogue and is revealing, both about Wallace and about Lipsky, as we watch the reporter do what reporters do as they invade a person’s privacy.

Viewers do not need to know much about Wallace, who killed himself in 2008 (as revealed at the beginning of the movie). The film works on a number of levels and is entertaining to anyone seeking a thoughtful movie about an interesting man. But for fans and those interested in Wallace, the movie is especially revealing, as Segel’s portrayal allows us to feel we have Wallace back, even if for a short while. While there is no big revealing scene that tells us all we want to know about Wallace, the final shot of Wallace before the end credits is quite beautiful. There is an additional cute short scene after the main end credits (although one might have preferred that the director would have let the earlier final scene stand).

Conclusion? The End of the Tour is thoughtful entertainment for those who enjoy interesting conversation and can be satisfied with a well-made film that features no major action sequences or a surprise ending. Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a 92% critics rating and an 87% audience rating.

The End of the Tour Trivia: Fans of the TV show Freaks & Geeks will be happy to see Becky Ann Baker playing a bookstore manager onscreen with Segel. Both Baker and Segel were regulars on the TV series.

More David Foster Wallace: For more on David Foster Wallace, check out his brilliant 2005 commencement address at Kenyon College.

The End of the Tour Unimportant Mistake: In an early scene in the film where Wallace and Lipsky are in a convenience store, the two walk past a shelf where Heinz mustard is prominently displayed. It is unclear if it is a paid product placement, but Heinz mustard is a new product that was not around in 1996 when the movie is set. Of course, only mustard fans will notice.

What did you think of The End of the Tour? Leave your two cents in the comments.