Due Date

Due Date

            Due Date was directed by Tod Phillips, releasing this film 5 November 2010.  The tone of this film is a comedy. Featuring the comedic crew of: Ill tempered, fast paced Peter Highman (Robert Downey Jr.), the lovable and simple Ethan Tremblay (Zach Galifianakis), Peters’ friend Darryl, (Jamie Foxx) and playing Peters wife is Michelle Monoghan.  This film is set in a recent time setting. Peter is an architect trying to make his way home from an airport in Atlanta to LA for the birth of his child.

            Peter has five days to get to LA, but in Atlanta he finds himself accompanied by the promising actor and un wanted co traveler Ethan Tremblay. Ethan is completely out of touch with reality. He believes that his talent will make him big in Hollywood, and that the perm in his hair is still up to date. Also Ethan is on the journey to spread his late father’s ashes. Ethan and Peter become copilots, as Peter has no choice, because he is without an id or wallet. As Ethan tries to let go of his father he cannot bring himself to spread his father’s ashes.  Ethan being an avid marijuana smoker ends up landing him and Peter in a border patrol station. After this Peter calls his friend Darrell to finally pick him up. Lucky Ethan comes along once more as well. Darryl unknowingly makes some coffee with the extra ingredients of Ethan’s fathers’ ashes. This is due to the fact that Ethan put the ashes In a coffee can an aspiring actor. Throughout the film Ethan is compelled to show his acting ability through role playing. In one scene, Peter gets Ethan to improvise as a coach rallying up a football team at half time. Peter adds to the scene telling him his wife just died. This is a pivotal part in the movie because Ethan having just lost his father, his rock, begins to breakdown, all while still playing the devastated football coach. Here Peter begins to learn patience.  The two fall into many mishaps together, and conquer them somehow. 

            I enjoyed that this film captured many countryside settings. It gave the road trip feel; it was very cool seeing the bridge in Las Cruces. I thought the comical value was extremely low. I don’t find cussing and angry lash outs amusing at all. It felt like I was watching the MTV music awards, where everyone just cusses to be funny. I don’t understand why Robert Downey Jr. takes on so many great roles, and then does these family comedy movies.  I also did not like that Ethan annoyed Peter the whole time, and that Peter would become increasingly angry. It irritated me, and I thought the film could have created different options to make the audience laugh. I did not enjoy his character at all. Ethan Trembley was slightly funny but that is only because of his dog sonny, and his flamboyant attitude. I could see how people would find it entertaining, if a family is expecting a child themselves. This film would feel relevant to them.