Free Movie Friday: The End of the Tour
As the lights came on in Dickinson Theater and the credits began to roll, Free 
Movie Friday audience members turned to each other, eager to discuss the last hour and a half.
“Jason Segel was really impressive,” noted one moviegoer. “I hope he gets nominated for an award.”
“[The movie’s] thoughts on fame apply to so much more than just art and writing books,” observed another.
“My main takeaway was the futility of the current American mindset, which relies on accomplishment and fame for happiness,” said attendee Eve Ruotsinja.
The film that generated such earnest dialogue? The End of the Tour, a recent drama by director James Ponsoldt. The film stars Jason Segel and Jesse Eisenberg; Segel plays author David Foster Wallace and Eisenberg portrays David Lipsky, a Rolling Stone reporter and aspiring author himself. The film chronicles a time shortly after the publication of Wallace’s famous book, Infinite Jest. Lipsky plans to write an article about Wallace for Rolling Stone, and the two embark on a five-day interview at the end of Wallace’s book tour.
The two men grow close over the course of their time together. They both seek truth, but each also has his own agenda, discussing ambition, fame, happiness, and Big Macs. They reveal certain facets of their character; others, they attempt to keep hidden.
“I liked the cast and the subject matter,” said Beryl Solla, Art Professor and faculty sponsor of the Art Club. “Being a creative person can be challenging in a lot of ways. Often people expect success or fame to solve their problems and of course it doesn’t. That level of fame is complicated and adds its own problems. I also liked the complex relationship between the two characters.”
The End of the Tour screening was preceded by three short films from the University of Virginia’s Community Credit Union. The animated clips were intended to help educate students about personal finance by providing information about credit scores, budgeting and identity theft in a light-hearted and entertaining format.
The next Free Movie Friday, scheduled for Nov. 20, will feature Mistress America, a comedy about the adventures of two young women in New York City.
