A clear ticking clock
The approaching birth keeps the episodic road-trip disasters moving toward a specific destination.
Due Date follows architect Peter Highman, who must reach Los Angeles before his wife gives birth but is forced to share a cross-country ride with aspiring actor Ethan Tremblay and his dog, Sonny.
At a Glance
Full titleDue Date
DirectorTodd Phillips
CountryUS
LanguageEnglish
Release date2010-11-03
GenreComedy · Drama
Runtime1h 35m
Why Due Date stands out
Due Date works when its escalating disasters expose the loneliness and anxiety beneath Peter and Ethan's constant hostility.
Due Date gives its road-movie structure a firm deadline: Peter must cross the country before his wife gives birth. Every delay therefore lands as both a comic escalation and a real threat to the goal.
Robert Downey Jr. plays Peter with brittle impatience, while Zach Galifianakis makes Ethan oblivious, needy, and unexpectedly sincere. Their friction supplies most of the film's energy.
The story gradually complicates the pair. Ethan's grief explains his attachment to the journey, while Peter's temper proves that competence does not make him blameless.
Its humor is deliberately uncomfortable and chaotic, making it best suited to viewers who enjoy abrasive mismatched-partner comedies and road trips where every decision makes the route worse.
The trip is funniest—and most revealing—when both men become responsible for the chaos they blame on each other.
Committed comic contrast
Peter's need for control collides with Ethan's impulsiveness in nearly every scene.
More than one troublemaker
The film lets Peter's rage become part of the problem instead of treating him as a purely reasonable victim.
A bruised friendship
Moments involving Ethan's father and Peter's family give the hostile partnership an emotional destination.
Story
Due Date turns a race to the delivery room into a hostile road partnership between a tightly wound architect and an aspiring actor who attracts chaos.
01
An airport encounter goes wrong
Peter's brief conversation with Ethan leads to a misunderstanding about terrorism, a confrontation on the plane, and both men being removed before takeoff.
02
No flight and no wallet
Placed on the no-fly list and separated from his belongings, Peter has few options besides accepting a ride from Ethan, who is also heading to Hollywood.
03
A road trip built on conflict
Peter wants speed and control; Ethan follows impulses, protects his dog Sonny, and treats each catastrophe as another detour rather than a crisis.
04
Grief beneath the comedy
Ethan is carrying his father's ashes to the Grand Canyon, and that loss gives the aspiring actor's need for companionship a more vulnerable edge.
05
Peter loses control
As accidents and confrontations pile up, Peter's impatience becomes as dangerous as Ethan's carelessness, complicating the simple idea that only one of them is the problem.
06
The final dash to Los Angeles
After surviving the trip, Peter and Ethan race to the hospital, where the impending birth finally gives their unlikely partnership a clear purpose.
Cast
Main characters and performers
Behind the Scenes
Runtime: 1h 35m.
Directed by Todd Phillips.
Genres include Comedy, Drama.
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FAQ
What is Due Date about?
An expectant father trying to reach Los Angeles is forced into a cross-country drive with an aspiring actor after both are removed from a flight and placed on the no-fly list.
Who stars in Due Date?
Robert Downey Jr. plays Peter Highman, and Zach Galifianakis plays Ethan Tremblay. The supporting cast includes Michelle Monaghan, Jamie Foxx, and Juliette Lewis.
Who directed Due Date?
Todd Phillips directed the film.
How long is Due Date?
The listed runtime is 1 hour 35 minutes.
Is Due Date a road-trip comedy?
Yes. Most of the film follows Peter and Ethan traveling from Atlanta toward Los Angeles while a series of accidents delays them.
Where can I watch Due Date?
Availability varies by region. Use MovieLinks to compare current legal streaming and rental options.
