Due Date (2010)
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A man on the No Fly List must endure a chaotic cross-country road trip with an aspiring actor to reach his wife in time for the birth of their child.
The story
Peter Highman, a successful architect, needs to travel from Atlanta to Los Angeles to be with his wife, Sarah, who is about to give birth. However, after a chance encounter with an aspiring actor named Ethan Tremblay leads to both men being escorted off a plane, Peter finds himself on the No Fly List. Missing his wallet and unable to fly, Peter is forced to agree to a cross-country road trip with Ethan. The journey quickly becomes complicated as they face various mishaps, including financial issues, legal troubles, and personal conflicts as they head toward the West Coast.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Peter Highman, a successful architect, is traveling from Atlanta to Los Angeles to meet his wife, Sarah, who is about to give birth. He meets Ethan Tremblay, an aspiring actor traveling to scatter his father's ashes at the Grand Canyon. After a misunderstanding on a plane leads to both being removed and Peter being placed on the No Fly List, the two embark on a road trip. They face numerous obstacles: a violent altercation at a Western Union over Ethan's 'stage name' I.D., a car crash caused by Ethan falling asleep, and a tense stay at a friend's house where Darryl mistakenly drinks some of the ashes. After Ethan drives them toward the Mexican border and Peter is arrested for marijuana possession, Ethan breaks him out in a series of crashes. Peter eventually takes Ethan to the Grand Canyon to scatter the ashes. Ethan reveals he had Peter's wallet the whole time. After a brief confrontation, Peter receives a call that Sarah is in labor. On the way to the hospital, Ethan accidentally shoots Peter. Peter passes out from blood loss, and Sarah delivers the baby, Rosie. At the end, Ethan guest stars on 'Two and a Half Men' while Peter and Sarah watch from bed, and the two men become friends via text.
- First release year
- 2010
- Runtime (minutes)
- 95
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Todd Phillips
- Writers
- Alan R. Cohen · screenplay; Alan Freedland · screenplay; Adam Sztykiel · screenplay; Todd Phillips · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Robert Downey Jr. · Peter Highman; Zach Galifianakis · Ethan Tremblay/Ethan Chase; Michelle Monaghan · Sarah Highman; Juliette Lewis · Heidi; Jamie Foxx · Darryl Johnson; Matt Walsh · TSA Agent; RZA · Airline Screener; Danny McBride · Western Union Employee Lonnie
- Genres
- black comedy; road film; comedy-drama; screwball comedy; adventure comedy-drama
- Themes
- Friendship; Parenthood; Responsibility; Unexpected Bonds
- Tone and mood
- Black Comedy; Road Movie; Screwball
- Premise and plot tags
- Road Trip; Buddy Comedy; Pregnancy; No Fly List
- Source material / true-story basis
- Inspired by Alan R. Cohen and Alan Freeland being placed on the No Fly List as fathers.
- Content notes
- Marijuana
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $212 million worldwide against a $65 million budget.
- Production trivia
- A website called 'itsrainingtwoandahalfmen.com' was actually launched as a joke for the film.; The 'Two and a Half Men' guest star scene was a special short produced for the film's use.; Todd Phillips claimed he co-wrote the script with Robert Downey Jr., but the Writers Guild of America denied the credit.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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