Set in a too-near future where time at once stands still and is slipping away forever, the film explores what people will do and how they will feel when humanity’s end is near.
“Seeking a Friend” will be shown soon exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas (Glorietta 4, Greenbelt3 and Trinoma).
In the film, a 70-mile-wide asteroid is en route to Earth, and the last best attempt to counter it has failed. Also failing is the marriage of soft-spoken insurance salesman Dodge (Carell); the breaking news that the world will end in an estimated 21 days cues his wife to leave him on the spot.
Dodge is a man who has always played by the rules of life, while his neighbor Penny (Keira Knightley) is an extroverted woman who hasn’t. From these opposite perspectives, both initially choose to navigate the impending end of the world with blinders on.
Producer Joy Gorman Wettels says, “The lead role of Dodge is that of a man who, with the world now coming to end, realizes that he regrets his entire life. An insurance salesman by trade, he hasn’t taken risks in his existence. He thinks of his long-ago love – and is moved to act on that yearning.
“In order for this to play believably on-screen, Dodge has to be someone that you can see yourself in, or your dad, your brother, your husband. Steve Carell engenders so much goodwill and conveys such warmth; he is an Everyman. People relate to him; he was the only choice for Dodge.”
Carell remarks, “I read the script and could not stop thinking about it. It haunted me, to an extent. It was funny, sweet, emotionally intense at times, and a story that I hadn’t seen. This is the flip side of `Armageddon,’ there’s no president with a hot line to the astronauts who are going to blow up the asteroid. `Seeking a Friend for the End of the World’ is what’s happening while all of those things are going on; how ordinary human beings respond, and the choices they make when they know that everything is going to be over in a matter of days.”
The actor honed in on his character straight away, noting, “Initially, Dodge doesn’t want to deal with what’s happening; he continues to go to his job. But then he decides to come to terms with his impending demise and with the end of the world; he is going to make a pilgrimage, to visit his high-school sweetheart Olivia and try to reconnect with her. He’s always idealized her as the love of his life, and before it all ends, he wants to be with her.”
“I think this, in a big way, is what our movie is about: people connecting with one another, or attempting to, when faced with something momentous. Your perspective changes,” says Carell.
Director Lorene Scafaria compares Carell to “actors who could do comedy with pitch perfect timing but also be subtle and still, like Peter Sellers or Jack Lemmon; Steve can do so much with a look.
“We were ridiculously lucky to have him. When making a movie, he is a collaborative, generous, kindhearted gentleman.”
