Day 106: Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

Hearing that the world is going to end in 21 days, Dodge’s (Steve Carell) wife decides now is the time to leave him. After he finally get 3 years worth of mail back from his neighbour Penny (Keira Knightley), he finds that his high school sweetheart wrote to him saying that he was the love of her life and he decides he is going to see her before the world ends. Penny helps him on his journey because she feels guilty that she didn’t give him the letter months before. And in return he offers to get her on a plane that will take her back to her family. But then love happens and changes their plans somewhat.

Penny missed the last planes and is devastated that she can’t get back to England to be with her family, so when Dodge says he knows someone with a plane, the two set off. He is annoyed with her to begin with because he didn’t get to be with his high school sweetheart this whole time due to Penny having the letter but he warms to her quite quickly. After escaping from a drug-induced orgy, the two then have sex in their truck. She tells him she wants him to be her last. They get to know each other and both come to care for each other. He puts her on a plane while she’s asleep so that she can get back to her family even though it means he’ll be without her. And once she comes to, she demands to be taken back to him. So they spend their last minutes together.

Think about how important that must be, to have someone want to be with you at the end of the world. You would be the last person they’d ever see or talk to, and they would want to be with you. I just think that’s amazing. If you’ve got someone who wants to be with you at the end I’d say you’ve hit it big there.

Really loved this film, it made me so upset. This is their last conversation and he tries to keep her calm during the end of the world.

Penny:  I don’t want to fall asleep, OK? Don’t let me fall asleep. Promise.

Dodge:  I promise. What about your parents?

Penny:  They’re romantics, they understand. Besides they’ve got each other and I just want to be with you.

Dodge:  I want to be with you.

Penny:  I couldn't live without you. No matter how long. What do we do now?

Dodge: I just want to lie here with you. I just want to talk to you.

Penny:  What are we going to talk about?

Dodge:  Where’d you grow up?

Penny:  I was born in Surrey, my whole family are from there. My mum was a journalist before she married my dad. They never fought, or at least, we never heard them fight. Charlie’s the oldest then Benny then me. We had a sister but she died when she was born. I still think about her. Oh god.

Dodge:  What was her name? What was your sister’s name?

Penny:  Patricia. Patricia Hope Lockheart.

Dodge: That’s beautiful. That’s a beautiful name.

Penny:  I wish I’d met you a long time ago when we were kids.

Dodge:  It couldn’t have happened any other way. It had to happen now.

Penny:  But it isn’t enough time.

Dodge:  It never would’ve been.

Penny:  I’m scared.

Dodge:  I am madly in love with you, Penny. You are my favourite, favourite thing.

Penny:  I thought that somehow we’d save each other.

Dodge:  We did. Penny, I’m really glad I got to know you.

9/10