Steve Carell as the character Dodge has to face the reality, along with everyone else on earth, of the fact that the end of the world is coming for sure. An asteroid is on a trajectory that will produce a direct hit on earth, destroying all of humankind and the rest of life on earth in the process. Scientists give the exact time of the impact on the news, which only gives people three weeks to prepare. Dodge's wife, upon hearing the news, promptly dumps him without a word and leaves.
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Dodge is an insurance salesman with a very boring routine, and he does not even know how to change it. He goes to work like usual and while the rest of the office is in pandemonium, he continues to do his work as if nothing is going on. It is not because he is so dedicated, but simply because he has nothing at all better to do. Dodge goes to a party and while there thinks about his high school sweetheart as the one person he would want to be with at this time.
When he goes back to his apartment he sees a female neighbor, Penny (played by Keira Knightley) crying on the fire escape. He tries to console her. She has been dumped by her boyfriend as well and missed the last flight to England to be with her parents. She hands him some old letters, that were delivered to her apartment by accident and that she forgot to give him. One of the letters is from his old high school sweetheart that wants to see him once again. They make a pact, Penny will help him find his old girlfriend, if he helps her find a way to fly to England.
The next day the city falls into rioting chaos. Penny and Dodge have to leave so they escape to the countryside in her car. They go on a road trip to see if they can find Dodge's girlfriend from high school. Along the way they fall in love. They do eventually find the woman Dodge is looking for, but when he is in front of her house, he just leaves a note and does not knock on the door. He has fallen for Penny and she for him and there really isn't any need to look for another person now, or for Penny to go back to England. They have found each other and they both decide this is the friend they were seeking for the end of the world.
Best part of story, including ending:
The story is a bit sappy but charming as well. Some of the choices Dodge makes, and what he does seem ludicrous but we come to understand him.
Best scene in story:
My favorite scene is when Dodge tries to kill himself with cough syrup which only makes him fall asleep and he wakes up with a dog tied to his foot and a note that simply says “Sorry” which is what he names the dog.
Opinion about the main character:
I wish Dodge would just go wild at least a little bit, like everyone else seems to be doing.
