Movie Review: Due Date (2010) seen on DVD and Netflix

Comedy; not suitable for young children, coarse language, sexual content, drug use, graphic violence and some gory scenes

This movie follows Peter Highman, (played by Robert Downey Jr.) an expectant father who is forced to catch a ride with an annoying stranger to make it on time for his child’s birth after the antics of the man he meets results in him getting thrown off the flight he was on and put on the no fly list with his luggage and ID still on the plane.

The movie opens with Peter on his talking to his wife on the phone as they are discussing possible names for a baby boy. As the conversation goes on, he tells her about a bad dream he had which would take place that Friday, (the day in which the baby is due,) where a live bear chews off the baby’s umbilical cord after Peter is somehow unable to get to her in time.

Peter is then shown driving to the airport to catch his flight. As he arrives, another car slams into Peter’s car door as he opens it to get out. Moments later, he meets a man named Ethan, (played by Zach Galifianakis,) who refuses to pick up Peter’s luggage as he is supposedly following airport etiquette.

As security check his bags, they find a crack pipe and a pornographic magazine which Peter claims is not his. After retrieving his items, he boards the plane where Ethan invades his personal space while trying to put his luggage into the compartment to hold it during the flight. He then start talking about terrorism and bombs which prompts the stewardess to ask Peter to come to the front of the plane even though Ethan was the one who made the comment. For unknown reasons, he is put on the no fly list despite his admission that he has never seen Ethan before.

As he tries to rent a car, he finds his wallet is missing and therefore, he does not have his license or money. By chance, Ethan pulls up in a car and offers him a ride which he rejects even though Ethan offers to pay for all the expenses. When it appears like that may be the only option, Peter accepts the ride. Ethan begins annoying Peter as soon as the ride begins by asking him random questions and narrowly avoids a collision when showing Peter a scrapbook of himself as he is an aspiring actor.

After Ethan succumbs to sneezing fits at a waffle house they stop at to eat, he suggests that they make another stop to buy his glaucoma medication, (which Peter knows is drugs.) Although Peter objects to this due to him not wanting to partake in buying drugs as well as being in a time crunch, he eventually is forced into going along by Ethan when he says that he is the one with all of the money and Peter wouldn’t have a ride if it wasn’t for him. When they arrive at the house, the person from whom he buys the drugs asks Peter to watch her kids. The children annoy Peter by asking him more questions and pulling on his tie. As Ethan is ready to leave the house, they stop at a motel to stay the night intent on hitting the road early in the morning. When Ethan credit card declines, Peter attempts to have money wired to them from his wife. However, as he cannot be wired money himself due to his lack of ID, he has the money wired to Ethan instead.

When the clerk at Western Union asks for ID from Ethan, he hands him a card which says his name is Ethan Chase. As that name does not appear in the system, they are unable to collect the money and the clerk advises them they must return the next day with the right information as the store is set to close in 5 minutes. As Peter reminds the clerk that it is only 6:35 p.m. a back and forth exchange ensues between the three of them which ends with Peter being assaulted by the clerk who is wheelchair bound after he belittles the supposed war the clerk said he was in the day his daughter was born.

With no money to lodge anywhere, Peter is forced to sleep in the car with Ethan where he is kept awake by the sound of Ethan pleasuring himself, as well as the dog also pleasuring himself to Peter’s discomfort.

As Peter attempts to ditch Ethan the next morning, he finds himself struggling with his conscience and eventually returns to find Ethan sitting on the curb waiting for Peter to return. As it is Ethan’s turn to take the wheel, he finds himself falling asleep while driving on the highway while Peter has also fallen asleep. As Peter wakes up, he notices Ethan has fallen asleep by is unable to wake him before the car plows through a construction site and flips off the bridge resulting in Peter sustaining a broken arm requiring a sling. When Peter’s friend arrives to pick him up, he once again attempts to ditch him only to be convinced by his friend to allow him to come as Peter has always been known to do the right thing. With strict rules for Ethan to follow, Peter agrees and the three of them go back to Peter’s friend’s house, where Ethan’s antics manage to freak out Peter’s friend which results in them both getting kicked out. However, the friend allows Peter to use one of his cars to make the rest of the trip.

The rest of this movie pretty much follows this premise, with Peter coming up short in numerous attempts to get rid of Ethan and make it to his child’s birth. There are even a few points towards the end of this film where Peter actually shown compassion for Ethan’s problems and even briefly apologizes for being hard on him. In most cases, by the next scene, Ethan’s antics have caused Peter to revert back to hating him, especially as it is revealed towards the end of the film that Ethan had Peter’s wallet the whole time but never told him as he did not want to be alone in his circumstance. It is revealed early in the film that Ethan is traveling to attend his deceased father’s funeral.

The end of the film shows Peter and Ethan arriving at the hospital, though Peter is much worse off than his wife is in terms of health. He first wanders into the wrong room where Ethan is able to direct him to the right room. Ethan introduces himself to Peter’s wife as he collapses to the floor as a result of his injuries as the baby is born. The baby turns out to be a girl rather than a boy who is named Rosie Highman. As Peter was being treated for his injuries, Ethan reveals that he cut her umbilical cord.

The movie officially ends with Peter, (now completely healed and back to normal,) lying in a bed holding his daughter next to his wife as they are seen watching an episode of “Two and a Half Men,” which Ethan has been cast in.

This movie was released during a very dark time in my life as I was in the midst of getting over the end of my relationship with my ex girlfriend, (though she had officially been gone for over a year at that point.) I was 20 years old when this movie came out while my relationship took place about a year before it’s release. This movie sort of bothered me because of it’s premise at that time as I sort of judged Robert Downey Jr’s character for his efforts to still be there for his wife after it’s revealed in the movie that the friend who picks up Robert Downey Jr from the hospital once had an affair with his wife, (which was what caused them to be asked to leave his house in the movie when Ethan kept bringing it up.) Well, my girlfriend had issues with cheating on me during our time together and I spent years wishing I had never met her where I believe that Robert Downey Jr’s character sort of sent me the wrong message, that relationships can last even when one either cheats on the other or is suspected to have been cheating.

In my mind, this whole movie exists because Peter didn’t know how to keep his mouth shut and not talk to Ethan. Thinking about it, he never would have even been put on the no fly list if he never engaged in conversation with Ethan. Also, his biggest problem is issues with his conscience where he at times is shown to want to ditch Ethan, having had enough of his antics only for his conscience to convince him not to go through with it as well as other reasons why he cannot abandon him, (the car they are driving not belonging to him, having none of his own resources to get by without Ethan’s,) ETC.

Having said all of this, it was a great movie and though I may have had a problem with it back when it was released, (for reasons discussed above,) I would recommend it.

Movie rating: 10 out of 10