The End of the Tour

A24

     The story of the tortured artist is always worth telling, because it has always been perverted to contain a warped yet romantic portraiture of a genius. In reality writers and painters and creative geniuses alike come in many forms. David Foster Wallace was unlike any other writer of his time, and he knew how dangerous it was for him to become seen as a genius, with all the affectations and addictions associated with that stereotype. In this 2015 film, based on the 2010 David Lipsky penned memoir Although Of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself, Wallace is on the precipice of unmitigated acclaim and accolade, and he knows how troubled his future will become. Starring Jason Segel as Wallace, and Jesse Eisenberg as journalist David Lipsky, director James Ponsoldt tells the story of a five day road trip between two writers as they circle each other, trying to understand the world, if only to understand themselves.

    Most of the story takes place in Bloomington, Indiana, where Wallace taught creative writing for many years. Brilliant and yet painfully human, Wallace is shown in every exaggerated detail. His home and writing space look male, his ego remains checked, his many conversations with Lipsky shows both that he was constantly aware of what he did and how he was perceived. To be that raw and hopelessly seen by others makes for a truly awkward portrait. Segel is very intense in his performance, and it may be his best to date. Eisenberg, always brilliant, tries to be keen yet confident, brazen, yet only when he thinks it will get him what he wants. They seem to be friends, yet they’re always on the brink of war, fighting over ego, women, and their own views on what constitutes being human.

    Overall, I would say anyone who loves literature, or literary figures, can find something to love about this film. Its subject matter comes directly from Lipsky’s narrative, and while that can be very dangerous when discussing someone who is no longer here, I trust in the canonical and disturbingly frank honesty that Lipsky exudes. This is also a film about American upward mobility, and what it is to be American; since it is also talking about Wallace’s Infinite Jest. For those who love Wallace this is essential viewing, and a good precursor for anyone who toes the line between brushing off huge works and diving into them head first.