So often are romantic comedies about young love – all you need is Netflix’s heartthrob Noah Centineo and a fashionable “it” girl to star. Upcoming indie The Tomorrow Man instead focuses on the blossoming romance of two 70-somethings, played by the incredibly talented John Lithgow and Blythe Danner, as they start dating and learn each other of their skeletons in the closet. Thich includes Lithgow’s character having a doomsday bunker all set up, because it’s important to show your girl you’re prepared should the world end! Check out the trailer below:
Wow, anyone else getting some emotional Up flashbacks? The romance from Bleeker Street will be the debut feature-length film for writer/director Noble Jones, and features some seasoned talent from John Lithgow (who will soon star in the Pet Sematary remake) and Blythe Danner, who have not yet worked together until this film.
The Tomorrow Man trailer opens with Ronnie Meisner (Danner) catching the attention of Ed Hemsler (Lithgow) at a grocery store. Ed approaches the woman in the parking lot and drums up the courage to ask her out on a coffee date. As they start spending time with another, it looks like Ronnie is a bit of a matter-of-fact girlfriend who says it like it is. For instance she not shy about expressing her interest in her war documentaries.
During another one of their meetings Ed asks her if he can answer a question for her about himself, and she gives him a bit of a stand-offish “I don’t know what I want to know yet” But she’ll let him know when she does. It makes for a cute-but-awkward start to their romance. Things start to pick up in the trailer when Ed decides to show her his secret supply of Spam and all kinds of food and supplies, secretly locked away.
After that, the two seem to start really hitting it off. (Guess obsessive doomsday prepping was really her thing?) Ronnie has a “walk of shame” and Ed introduces her as his girlfriend to his son and his wife. We then find that Ed seems to be obsessed with preparing for the future where his doomsday supply can be of use and Ronnie is struck with the tragedy of her own daughter’s death.
The emotional core of the film that premiered at Sundance in January seems to lie in the intersection of the couple’s polar opposite focuses in life. Ed is looking toward tomorrow as Ronnie is always looking back at her treasured past when her daughter was alive and well. The highlight of the trailer is when Ronnie says “You only think about tomorrow but I’m here right now!” to him as he lays in a hospital bed.
The Tomorrow Man looks to be an emotional and eccentric romance. We’re certainly curious if Ed’s doomsday supply will factor into the film’s plot line. The movie will hit theaters on May 29.
