Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

I just watched Seeking a Friend for the End of the World on DVD. It's a romantic-comedy my sister took out from the library. I have to say I enjoyed it.

The movie stars Steve Carell as Dodge a quiet, non-confrontational insurance salesman and Keira Knightly as Penny his quirky, young neighbour. The plot - a huge, 70-mile-wide asteroid is hurtling towards earth. In three weeks it will hit causing it's total destruction. What will you do with your remaining time?

The movie opens with Dodge and his wife Linda (played by Steve Carell's actual wife Nancy Carell) sitting in a parked car listening to the news of earth's impending doom on the radio. She knows what she's going to do with her remaining time... and it doesn't include him (as she gets out of the car and walks away).

The movie follows the unlikely duo of Dodge and Penny as they head out together in search of the things they think will bring them comfort in these end times. Dodge is in search of his high school sweetheart, Olivia, and Penny is looking to fly to England to be with her family. As well they have a canine companion, Sorry, who Dodge finds attached to him after he wakes up in a park having unsuccessfully trying to kill himself by drinking window cleaner.

Both characters have endured recent break ups; Dodge with his wife and Penny with her boyfriend, Owen. So they're both somewhat emotionally fragile. As unlikely as it seems, in this journey of personal redemption they eventually discover the people they were seeking fill this void in both their lives is actually sitting in the car seat next to them.

I think I'm a bit of a hopeless romantic at heart. Because Dodge loves Penny so much, there's a scene near the end of the movie where he forgoes his happiness in order to bring her what he thinks will be unsurpassable joy (to be reunited with her family). It's the ultimate sacrifice which will leave him alone in his time of greatest need.

But, don't worry... this isn't the end. Though I don't necessarily need to see a happy ending to enjoy a movie this one has one. Lovely. I appreciate that.