Remember novels? How about tape recorders? Wait, wait — what about famous writers? In 1996, the writer David Lipsky got Rolling Stone to let him join David Foster Wallace on the last leg of the author's book tour for his Big Novel, Infinite Jest. The article never ran, but Lipsky eventually turned his five-day running conversation with Wallace into a book. Now, the book serves as the basis for this always talky, often engaging, occasionally fascinating, and sometimes shaggy but never quite boring movie starring Jesse Eisenberg as Lipsky and Jason Segel as Wallace. Interesting mostly for its contrasting Portraits of the Artists as Young Men: Lipsky the arty New York City striver heading into flyover country to write a profile of the genius who just wants to be a regular guy. Their back-and-forth is smart, wide-ranging, and sometimes carefully combative; both men are smart enough to see the danger in dropping their respective guards. The big theme is fame: Lipsky's hunger for its elusive embrace and Wallace's fear of its corrosive power. (2015) — Matthew Lickona
This movie is not currently in theaters.