Due Date
Encyclopedia
Due Date is a 2010 American comedy road film
Road movie
A road movie is a film genre in which the main character or characters leave home to travel from place to place. They usually leave home to escape their current lives.-History:...

 directed by Todd Phillips
Todd Phillips
Todd Phillips is an American screenwriter and film director. He is best known for directing the comedy films Road Trip, Old School, The Hangover, and Due Date.-Early life:...

, co-written by Alan R. Cohen, Alan Freedland, and Adam Sztykiel, and starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Zach Galifianakis
Zach Galifianakis
Zachary Knight "Zach" Galifianakis is an American stand-up comedian and actor known for his numerous film and television appearances including his own Comedy Central Presents special...

. The film was released on November 5, 2010. The film was shot in Las Cruces, New Mexico
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Las Cruces, also known as "The City of the Crosses", is the county seat of Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 97,618 in 2010 according to the 2010 Census, making it the second largest city in the state....

 and Atlanta, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

.

Plot

Peter Highman (Robert Downey, Jr.) is a high strung, type A
Type A personality
Originally published in the 1950s, the Type A and Type B personality theory is a theory which describes two common, contrasting personality types—the high-strung Type A and the easy-going Type B—as patterns of behavior that could either raise or lower, respectively, one's chances of developing...

 yuppie
Yuppie
Yuppie is a term that refers to a member of the upper middle class or upper class in their 20s or 30s. It first came into use in the early-1980s and largely faded from American popular culture in the late-1980s, due to the 1987 stock market crash and the early 1990s recession...

 on his way home from Atlanta to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

 to be present at the birth of his first child, a scheduled C-section
Caesarean section
A Caesarean section, is a surgical procedure in which one or more incisions are made through a mother's abdomen and uterus to deliver one or more babies, or, rarely, to remove a dead fetus...

, with his wife, Sarah (Michelle Monaghan
Michelle Monaghan
Michelle Lynn Monaghan is an American actress known for her roles in Mission: Impossible III, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Gone Baby Gone, Made of Honor, The Heartbreak Kid, Eagle Eye, and Source Code.-Early life:...

). Once on the plane, Peter learns that Ethan Tremblay (Zach Galifianakis
Zach Galifianakis
Zachary Knight "Zach" Galifianakis is an American stand-up comedian and actor known for his numerous film and television appearances including his own Comedy Central Presents special...

), who had just prior to boarding at the airport, accidentally run his car through his door, is sitting behind him in first class. After inadvertently using the words "terrorist" and "bomb", Ethan gets Peter shot by a Federal Air Marshal (Steven M. Gagnon) with a rubber bullet
Rubber bullet
Rubber bullets are rubber or rubber-coated projectiles that can be fired from either standard firearms or dedicated riot guns. They are intended to be a non-lethal alternative to metal projectiles...

. Both Peter and Ethan are forced off the plane before take-off.

After being questioned by security, Peter discovers that he has been placed on the No Fly List
No Fly List
The No Fly List is a list, created and maintained by the United States government's Terrorist Screening Center , of people who are not permitted to board a commercial aircraft for travel in or out of the United States. The list has also been used to divert away from U.S. airspace aircraft not...

 and will have to find another way to get to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

. After realizing that he had left his wallet on the plane, Peter reluctantly agrees to travel with Ethan, an aspiring actor hoping to make it in Hollywood, to Los Angeles. Ethan is on his way to Hollywood after the funeral of his father, and is carrying his father's ashes in a coffee can on the trip.

After stopping in Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...

 to purchase marijuana, Peter and Ethan realize that they collectively only have $60 in cash. Peter decides to have his wife transfer him money. Since he does not have his identification card, Peter has his wife transfer the money in Ethan's assumed last name. Once at Western Union
Western Union
The Western Union Company is a financial services and communications company based in the United States. Its North American headquarters is in Englewood, Colorado. Up until 2006, Western Union was the best-known U.S...

, Ethan recalls the fact that the money has been sent to his stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...

 and therefore not his real name, Ethan Chase, which is on his only government-issue I.D. The Western Union employee (Danny McBride) does not accept Ethan's head shot
Head shot
A head shot is a photographic technique where the focus of the photograph is a person's face. Headshot is essentially the same as portrait. However, headshot is an image that portrays people as they are and is more of a "mug shot", however simple or stylized it might be. Whereas, a portrait will...

 as proof of ID and declines the transfer. Frustrated and on edge, Peter verbally attacks the man who, even though he is a wheel chair-bound veteran
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...

, attacks Peter in retaliation, firmly beating him.

After spending the night at a rest stop, Peter waits for Ethan to go to the restroom and leaves Ethan behind, only to return soon after to pick up Ethan from the rest stop. Ethan drives while Peter gets some rest. After driving a while, Ethan falls asleep at the wheel and the car crashes. At a Dallas hospital, Peter, who has a broken arm and three cracked ribs, is picked up by his friend Darryl (Jamie Foxx
Jamie Foxx
Eric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...

). Peter reluctantly decides to take Ethan along. Stopping at Darryl's house, Peter discovers that, nine months ago, Darryl and Sarah spent some time together. This information leads Ethan to accuse Darryl of being the possible father of Sarah and Peter's unborn child.

Darryl lets them use his Range Rover
Range Rover
The Range Rover is a large luxury four-wheel drive sport utility vehicle produced by British car maker Land Rover. The model, launched in 1970, is now in its third generation...

 and, while driving, Ethan smokes marijuana as Peter dozes, and the smoke collects in the cabin, intoxicating Peter, as well. The two accidentally end up at the United States-Mexico border in El Paso
El Paso
El Paso, a city in the U.S. state of Texas, on the border with Mexico.El Paso may also refer to:-Geography:Colombia:* El Paso, CesarSpain:*El Paso, Santa Cruz de TenerifeUnited States:...

 when Ethan mistakes the security checkpoint for a gas station. Ethan flees from the border checkpoint and leaves Peter to be arrested for possession of the marijuana purchased earlier by Ethan. After being taken into custody by the Mexican Federal Police, Peter is broken out by Ethan who steals a border patrol truck in the process.

The duo stop at the Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, the 15th national park in the United States...

 where Ethan spreads his father's ashes. Peter confesses that he did try to leave Ethan back at the rest area. Ethan then decides to also make a confession: he has had Peter's wallet since the plane. Peter attacks Ethan in rage. Sarah calls during the attack to inform Peter that her water has broken
Rupture of membranes
Rupture of membranes or amniorrhexis is a term used during pregnancy to describe a rupture of the amniotic sac. Normally, or "spontaneously", it occurs at full term at the onset of, or during, labor...

. Peter and Ethan immediately begin to rush toward California. Along the way, Ethan accidentally shoots Peter with a gun he had found in the truck's glove compartment
Glove compartment
A glove compartment or glovebox, also known as a little cupboard, is a compartment built into the dashboard, located over the front-seat passenger's footwell in an automobile, often used for miscellaneous storage. The name derives from the original purpose of the compartment, to store gloves...

. Peter does not stop to receive medical attention for his gunshot wound.

Arriving at the hospital while Sarah is in labor, Peter passes out in pain from his wounds. Peter and Sarah's healthy Caucasian
Caucasian race
The term Caucasian race has been used to denote the general physical type of some or all of the populations of Europe, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, Western Asia , Central Asia and South Asia...

 baby girl is seen later in the nursery confirming that it was not Darryl's baby. Ethan recounts to Peter that he had assisted in Rosie's birth by cutting the umbilical cord, something that Peter had allegorically dreamed earlier in the film. The two go their separate ways with the promise that Peter will call Ethan to keep their friendship intact.

At the end of the film, Peter, Sarah, and Rosie watch an episode of Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2003. Starring Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer, and Angus T. Jones, the show was originally about a hedonistic jingle writer, Charlie Harper; his uptight brother, Alan; and Alan's growing son, Jake...

, in which Ethan has landed a role.

Cast

  • Robert Downey, Jr. as Peter Highman
  • Zach Galifianakis
    Zach Galifianakis
    Zachary Knight "Zach" Galifianakis is an American stand-up comedian and actor known for his numerous film and television appearances including his own Comedy Central Presents special...

     as Ethan Tremblay / Ethan Chase
  • Michelle Monaghan
    Michelle Monaghan
    Michelle Lynn Monaghan is an American actress known for her roles in Mission: Impossible III, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Gone Baby Gone, Made of Honor, The Heartbreak Kid, Eagle Eye, and Source Code.-Early life:...

     as Sarah Highman
  • Juliette Lewis
    Juliette Lewis
    Juliette Lewis is an American actress and musician. She gained international fame for her role in the 1991 thriller Cape Fear for which she was nominated for both an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress...

     as Heidi
  • Jamie Foxx
    Jamie Foxx
    Eric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...

     as Darryl Johnson
  • RZA as Airline Screener Marshall
  • Danny McBride as Western Union Employee Lonnie
  • Todd Phillips
    Todd Phillips
    Todd Phillips is an American screenwriter and film director. He is best known for directing the comedy films Road Trip, Old School, The Hangover, and Due Date.-Early life:...

     as Barry
  • Mimi Kennedy
    Mimi Kennedy
    Mimi Kennedy is an American actress, author and activist.-Early life:Kennedy was born Mary Claire Kennedy in Rochester, New York, the daughter of Nancy Helen and Daniel Gerald Kennedy. She got her start in theater with the Rochester Community Players, appearing in Agatha Christie's "Spider Web"...

     as Sarah's Mom
  • Keegan-Michael Key
    Keegan-Michael Key
    Keegan-Michael Key is an American comic actor best known for his roles as a cast member on MADtv for six seasons. He has also had recurring roles on Reno 911! and Gary Unmarried. He used to be the host of The Planet's Funniest Animals...

     as New Father
  • Aaron Lustig
    Aaron Lustig
    Aaron Lustig is an American film and television actor. He was nominated for an Emmy in 1997 for Best Supporting Actor as Tim Reid on The Young and the Restless, who he has also portrayed on The Bold and the Beautiful...

     as Dr. Greene
  • Marco Rodriguez
    Marco Rodríguez
    Marco Rodríguez is an American actor.Rodríguez, a Hispanic, was born in Los Angeles. He received his bachelor of arts degree from the University of Southern California. He was acquainted with Jeff Corey and Jose Quintero. He taught for a short amount of time in the L.A...

     as Federal Agent
  • Howard Fine
    Howard Fine
    Howard Fine is an American acting teacher, the founder of the Howard Fine Acting Studio in Hollywood, CA, and a theatre director.-Early life:...

     as Himself (voice)
  • Nathalie Fay as Flight Attendant (made a cameo appearance in The Hangover
    The Hangover (film)
    The Hangover is a 2009 American comedy film directed by Todd Phillips and written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. The film stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham, Justin Bartha and Jeffrey Tambor...

    )
  • Charlie Sheen
    Charlie Sheen
    Carlos Irwin Estevez , better known by his stage name Charlie Sheen, is an American film and television actor. He is the youngest son of actor Martin Sheen....

     as Himself / Charlie Harper
    Charlie Harper (Two and a Half Men)
    Charles Francis "Charlie" Harper is a fictional character in the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men from seasons 1–8. Played by actor Charlie Sheen, the character has garnered him three Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor and two Golden Globe nominations for Best Performance by an Actor in...

     
  • Jon Cryer
    Jon Cryer
    Jonathan Niven "Jon" Cryer is an American actor, screenwriter and film producer. He is the son of actress–singer Gretchen Cryer. He made his motion picture debut in the 1984 romantic comedy No Small Affair, but gained greater fame as "Duckie" in the 1986 John Hughes-scripted film Pretty in Pink...

     as Himself / Alan Harper
    Alan Harper (Two and a Half Men)
    Dr. Alan Jerome Harper, DC, is a fictional character from the CBS situation comedy Two and a Half Men. Jon Cryer has played the role since the series began in 2003; after being nominated for an Emmy Award for his depiction of the character in 2006, 2007, and 2008, Cryer received an Emmy in 2009 for...

     


Angus T. Jones
Angus T. Jones
Angus Turner Jones is an American actor, widely known for his role as Jake Harper in the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men .-Career:...

 was in the Two and a Half Men scene as Jake Harper, but the scene was cut short, and his cameo was not shown in the original run. Alan Arkin
Alan Arkin
Alan Wolf Arkin is an American actor, director, musician and singer. He is known for starring in such films as Wait Until Dark, The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Catch-22, The In-Laws, Edward Scissorhands, Glengarry Glen Ross, Marley & Me, and...

 filmed scenes as Peter's long lost father, but they were not left in the final cut of the film.

Marketing

The first trailer was released July 14, 2010. It was seen with Inception
Inception
Inception: The Subconscious Jams 1994-1995 is a compilation of unreleased tracks by the band Download.-Track listing:# "Primitive Tekno Jam" – 3:23# "Bee Sting Sickness" – 8:04# "Weed Acid Techno" – 8:19...

, Dinner for Schmucks
Dinner for Schmucks
Dinner for Schmucks, a 2010 screwball comedy film, is the American adaptation of the French film Le Dîner de Cons , being described by the director as "inspired by" the original rather than a remake of it...

and The Other Guys
The Other Guys
The Other Guys is a 2010 American action comedy film directed and co-written by Adam McKay, starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg, and featuring Dwayne Johnson, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Keaton, Eva Mendes, Steve Coogan, and Ray Stevenson...

. The international trailer was released on September 2, 2010, and the full length trailer was released online on September 16, 2010. It was shown before The Town
The Town (2010 film)
The Town is a 2010 crime film starring, co-written, and directed by Ben Affleck adapted from Chuck Hogan's novel Prince of Thieves. The film opened in theaters in the United States on September 17, 2010 at number one with more than $23 million and positive reviews...

, and Life As We Know It
Life as We Know It (film)
Life as We Know It is a 2010 romantic comedy-drama film directed by Greg Berlanti, starring Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel. It was released on October 8, 2010, after sneak previews in 811 theaters on October 2, 2010...

.

Previews for the film feature the songs "New Moon Rising" by Wolfmother
Wolfmother
Wolfmother is an Australian rock band from Erskineville, Sydney. Formed in 2000, the group was originally a trio composed of vocalist and guitarist Andrew Stockdale, bassist and keyboardist Chris Ross and drummer Myles Heskett. Wolfmother released their self-titled debut album in October 2005,...

 and the original version of "Check Yo Self
Check Yo Self
"Check Yo Self" is the second hit single from Ice Cube's third solo album The Predator. It was released in July 1993 and features New York rappers Das EFX. It topped both the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop and Rap charts while also reaching number 20 on the Hot 100 chart...

" by Ice Cube
Ice Cube
O'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper and actor. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the rap group N.W.A. After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built a successful solo career in music, and also as a writer,...

.

In the film, Ethan expresses his love for the show Two and a Half Men. He also mentions that he started a website called itsrainingtwoandahalfmen.com. As a joke, a website was actually launched with the same name.

Soundtrack

Due Date (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) was released on November 2, 2010 by WaterTower Music.

iTunes version

Additional songs

The following songs are not included in the soundtrack, but they appear in some parts of the film:
  • Closing Time - Danny McBride
  • Mykonos
    Mykonos (song)
    US version-Music video:A music video was made for "Mykonos", and was directed by Sean Pecknold, singer Robin Pecknold's brother. It is entirely animated and is described by Pitchfork.tv as:...

     - Fleet Foxes
    Fleet Foxes
    Fleet Foxes are a folk rock band which formed in Seattle, Washington. They are signed to the Sub Pop and Bella Union record labels. The band came to prominence in 2008 with the release of their second EP, Sun Giant, and their debut full length album Fleet Foxes...

  • Old Man
    Old Man (song)
    "Old Man" is a song written and performed by Neil Young on his 1972 album Harvest.The song was written for the caretaker of the Northern California Broken Arrow Ranch, which Young purchased for $350,000 in 1970. The song compares a young man's life to an old man's and shows that the young man has,...

     (Live at Massey Hall
    Live at Massey Hall 1971
    Live At Massey Hall 1971 is a live album by Neil Young. Released in 2007, the album features a solo, acoustic performance from Massey Hall in Toronto, Canada on 19 January 1971 during the Journey Through the Past Solo Tour. It is the second release in Young's Archives Performance Series.. It...

    ) - Neil Young
    Neil Young
    Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...

  • Hey You - Pink Floyd
    Pink Floyd
    Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...

  • Theme from Two and a Half Men
    Two and a Half Men
    Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2003. Starring Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer, and Angus T. Jones, the show was originally about a hedonistic jingle writer, Charlie Harper; his uptight brother, Alan; and Alan's growing son, Jake...


Critical reception

Due Date received mixed reviews. Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...

 gives the film a score of 40% "rotten", or a 5.2/10 rating, based on 177 reviews. The consensus is, "Shamelessly derivative and only sporadically funny, Due Date doesn't live up to the possibilities suggested by its talented director and marvelously mismatched stars."
Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...

 gives the film a "mixed or average" score of 51%, based on reviews from 39 critics.

Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...

 of the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...

 awarded the film two and a half stars out of a possible four, noting "The movie probably contains enough laughs to satisfy the weekend audience. Where it falls short is in the characters and relationships." Ebert compares Due Date to the 1987 film Planes, Trains and Automobiles but bemoans that Due Date could have learned and offered more.

Box office

Despite mixed critical reviews Due Date was commercially successful, it earned $12,216,515 domestically in its release day and $43,478,266 on its first week, placing behind Megamind but was number one in the UK for two consecutive weekends. On Monday, November 8th, 2010, it went up to #1 now above Megamind. On Friday, November 12th, it went down to #3 behind Unstoppable and Megamind. On Monday, November 15th, it went up to #2 behind Unstoppable. On Wednesday, November 24th, it went down to #8 behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, Tangled, Burlesque, Megamind, Love And Other Drugs, Unstoppable and Faster. It closed in theaters on January 27th, 2011. As of April 2011 Due Date grossed over $100 million in the U.S.A. and Canada as well as $200 million worldwide, against a production budget of $65 million.

Home media

Due Date was released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....

 and Blu-ray
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...

on February 22, 2011.
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