One of this summer’s more curious releases is The End of the Tour (review), an adaptation of David Lipsky‘s Although of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself, itself a not-entirely-uncontroversial transcription of his time with David Foster Wallace at the (ahem) end of his touring duties for his landmark novel Infinite Jest. The skepticism that this text earned in some corners — mostly and, most importantly, from the Wallace estate, who have done what’s possible to protect his image following a 2008 suicide — has been transplanted, in various regards, towards the film, which those unfamiliar with Wallace would otherwise be unaware of. To them, this is a film about a brilliant author who passed away in an untimely manner and, unfortunately, little else.
Few journalists are asking about how appropriate this portrayal really is, a New York Times profile being the rare exception. That major oversight notwithstanding, there’s some interest to be found in a pair of interviews conducted with paired-off stars Jesse Eisenberg & Jason Segel and the respective writer-director coupling of Donald Margulies & James Ponsoldt, all of whom offer comments about working life that extend past this particular film — comments that are perhaps more interesting than we’d expect from them, frankly. Along with Ponsoldt’s breakdown of an early scene, Segel’s appearance on Marc Maron’s WTF Podcast, and post-screening Q&A at EbertFest, there’s some worthwhile viewing and listening material for today.
Watch them below:
The End of the Tour will enter a limited release on July 31.