I don’t know about you, but I love to laugh.
With all of life’s stressors, it’s important to have a good chuckle every once and awhile. With that in mind, I went looking for some good belly laughs this weekend.
As I was scrolling through my streaming services, I stumbled across “Due Date,” a 2010 film starring Robert Downey Jr. and Zack Galifianakis. The film is definitely a black comedy, and it was directed by Todd Phillips of “Hangover” and “Joker” fame. I first watched “Due Date” shortly after it came out and remembered it being pretty funny. It’s also a bit of a rip-off of “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” so I wanted to see how the two compare.
The plot of “Due Date” centers around Peter Highman (Downey Jr.), a successful architect who is flying from Atlanta to Los Angeles to be with his wife, Sarah (Michelle Monaghan), who is about to give birth. On the way to the airport, he has a chance encounter with Ethan Tremblay (Zach Galifianakis) and his dog, Sonny; Ethan is going to Los Angeles to be an actor and is planning to scatter his recently deceased father’s ashes at the Grand Canyon. When Ethan misuses the words “terrorist” and “bomb” while talking to Peter, they are both escorted off the plane. Peter, now on the “no fly list” and missing his wallet, agrees to drive with Ethan to Los Angeles.
Then, as you can imagine, the hijinks begin.
There is a strong “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” vibe throughout the film. Downey fills the role of Steve Martin’s Neal Page, while Galifianakis takes on John Candy’s Del Griffith. While “Due Date” is much, much darker than “Planes Trains and Automobiles,” the similarities are most certainly there.
“Due Date” came a year after Phillips directed the smash hit “The Hangover” and there are so many similarities, which is interesting. Galifianakis’ Ethan Tremblay is extremely similar to his “Hangover” character, Alan Garner. He’s annoying, but still somewhat likeable. In “Due Date” his character, Ethan, is obsessed with the television show “Two and a Half Men” and that’s why he’s headed to Los Angeles — to earn a role on the show.
Everything that could go wrong in “Due Date” does. There is a car wreck, a poorly planned trip to the Mexican border and a gunshot injury.
While the plot looks familiar, the performances of Downey and Galifianakis pull it up. There are some truly funny laugh-out-loud moments. “Due Date” is a short, fun watch. It runs a little over 90 minutes and the pace is frenetic. If you have time and want to watch something fun and quick, give it a look.
“Due Date” is rated R for adult themes, adult language and mild violence. It is available on Max.
