The potential for laughs in a road trip comedy is as open as the road before the mismatched characters driving the film along. The destination doesn't matter; Murphy's Law is certain to throw some oddball situations along the way. But a quick glance at the top-grossing movies in this comedic sub-genre reveals one key point: who is riding in the car matters far less than the writing itself.

That's apparent in Due Date, a comedy pairing Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis in a three-day cross-country drive from Atlanta to Los Angeles. It's being promoted as the latest from the makers of The Hangover, the top-grossing R-rated comedy of all time. Granted, it's got Hangover's scene-stealing Galifianakis and director Todd Phillips. But Due Date doesn't have the same writers, and since Phillips also helmed the 2000 stinker Road Trip, he's hardly a sure thing for this sort of comedy.

Robert Downey Jr. as Peter, Zach Galifianakis as Ethan

Robert Downey Jr. as Peter, Zach Galifianakis as Ethan

The premise is simple enough. Downey plays Peter Highman, an architect on a business trip looking to get home to his wife Sarah (Michelle Monaghan) in time for the birth of their son. But fate intervenes at the airport when his limo is hit by a station wagon transporting Ethan Tremblay (Galifianakis), an aspiring actor heading to Hollywood with his French bulldog after attending his father's funeral.

You can tell a lot about a road comedy from its explanation for the pairing of the odd couple; hopefully it's something silly and complicated that would spark such an unthinkable journey. In this case, Peter and Ethan accidentally switch bags at the curb and Peter is caught with marijuana at the security check. Though still allowed to board the flight, he and Ethan are quickly ejected and put on the No Fly list after engaging in a noisy argument about using the words "terrorist" and "bomb" on a plane. And of course Peter leaves his wallet in his suitcase on the plane, forcing him to accept a charitable cross-country ride from Ethan in his rental car.

Peter, Ethan and the dog have a few run-ins

Peter, Ethan and the dog have a few run-ins

Really? Yelling "bomb" on a plane? Leaving the wallet onboard? Could the four writers of Due Date come up with anything less imaginative? There's nothing wrong with characters behaving irrationally—this is a comedy, after all—but it's the lazy writing that ultimately undermines the potential for humor in Due Date. And the writers seem to know it. As Peter later tells his friend Darryl (Jamie Foxx) while passing through Texas about the airport misunderstanding, "it all gets worse from there."

Most everything else that happens is what you'd expect: Ethan wasting all of his money (on pot), Ethan falling asleep at the wheel, Ethan getting Peter into trouble with the law, Peter yelling at Ethan, Ethan causing Peter to regret yelling. As soon as we see that Ethan is keeping his father's ashes from the funeral in a coffee can, it's all too obvious what will happen later. Perhaps the biggest surprise is that Ethan's dog is never played for laughs, except a scene where he's masturbating in the back seat while Ethan is doing the same in the front—assuming one thinks that's funny. I don't.

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And a few more run-ins

And a few more run-ins

It helps to have funny actors, but this is clearly a case of not providing enough material to work with. Aside from the two leads, everyone in this movie is a walk-on cameo. As a one-time funnyman and an Oscar winner, Foxx should be ashamed of collecting a paycheck for his non-performance.

Peter is described as a stressed businessman with anger management issues, but there's not enough development to back this up. It's simply Downey doing what he does best—smirking, making cynical remarks, and ultimately getting angry with Ethan a few times. In the end, who can blame him? Really, all Downey does is provide a grouchy straight man to his co-star.

As for Galifianakis, Ethan is just another version of Alan from The Hangover—a likably clueless man-child who offers uncomfortable observations at inappropriate times. He truly is the best and worst thing in Due Date, providing the best lines as well as the most disgusting actions. There's something very endearing about his naiveté, the way he self-censors with "shoot" and "darn," and his pretend acting audition for Peter in a public bathroom is priceless. But Ethan quickly becomes annoying by necessity in his repetitive stupidity. He's not enough to sustain a movie himself.

Michelle Monaghan as Peter's wife Sarah

Michelle Monaghan as Peter's wife Sarah

Like most road comedies, Due Date struggles to find a consistent tone, adding a syrupy subtext about "daddy issues" for both leads. Though it lends the movie some sweetness, it all rings false in the context of the darker humor. By the end, I wasn't sure I liked the idea of Peter becoming a father.

Comedy is a highly subjective genre, and I went into Due Date thinking I might need to defend an effective comedy despite its adult content. Turns out the adult content is the least of this movie's problems. Most of the best laughs are seen in the commercials and trailer, and like many comedies of its kind, Due Date offers a road to nowhere. It's simply not very funny.

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Talk About It

Discussion starters
  1. Which character is more of a Good Samaritan: Peter or Ethan? What are the failings of these two characters? How do they show kindness to each other? What does this movie say about loving the unlovable?
  2. Recall Peter's story about the last time he saw his father. Why do you suppose he helps Ethan say farewell to his father's ashes? Just to be nice? Or is he also healing himself in some way?
  3. Why does Peter suspect his wife has been cheating on him and that the baby is not his? What evidence does he have? How does the situation resolve? What does Sarah tell him? What can we learn about marriage from their exchange?

The Family Corner

For parents to consider

Due Date is rated R for language, drug use, and sexual content. The profanity is plentiful with the f-bomb used in nearly every scene. Galifianakis' character smokes marijuana, supposedly for medicinal use—he's seen trying it at a dealer's house and later gets himself, his dog, and Robert Downey Jr.'s character high while driving a cart. In one scene, a character masturbates in the front seat, while his dog does the same in the back seat. There's also some blood due to punches to the face and a car accident.

Due Date
Our Rating
1½ Stars - Weak
Average Rating
 
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Mpaa Rating
R (for language, drug use, and sexual content)
Genre
Directed By
Todd Phillips
Run Time
1 hour 35 minutes
Cast
Robert Downey Jr., Zach Galifianakis, Michelle Monaghan
Theatre Release
November 05, 2010 by Warner Bros. Pictures
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