Lipsky is a bit of a Shitzy

The End Of The Tour is a movie based on the book, Although of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself, a memoir by David Lipsky about his five day road trip with David Foster Wallace. After the book's introduction, where Lipsky assimilates himself, a bit too comfortably, into Wallace's life, the book is a transcription of five days worth of tape recordings.
The book was written, composed really, in the aftermath of David Foster Wallace's death. Based on the acclaim the book and film received, I get the sense that they are backlash for David Foster Wallace not happily running into the open arms of the New York literati. The two works reek of National Enquirer type exposé on the personality of a private person, but they are embraced as high brow works of admiration and appreciation, a pretty good reason why I feel like the book and movie are retribution by a shunned high society, because there is not a chance in hell Wallace would allow Lipsky to write this book, if he were alive. So this movie makes me feel sorry for Wallace, and even face the reality that there is no coming back from death. But, hey, you're dead, so worrying about a human popularity contest, or the maintenance of an image, doesn't tick on the radar anymore.

In the beginning of the film, Lipsky learns of DFW's death, and goes running to the tape recordings from his interview ten years earlier, as if the box was mooing to Lipsky from the closet like a fat cash cow. The movie doesn't hide the fact that Lipsky is capitalizing off the hard work of someone else.  The film starts out with Lipsky reading his autobiographical book to a near empty room, and the film ends to Lipsky reading his David Foster Wallace book to the same room, that's now packed with a receptive audience.
Aside from my ethical qualms, and disdain for the weaselly point of view, the film was enjoyable to watch. Obviously, Lipsky was not DFW's friend. Aside from writing the book, paving way to this movie, the point is driven home at the end of the movie, when Lipsky gets a package from Wallace, containing a shoe he left behind, like fucking Cinderella, hoping for Foster Wallace to come and find him, however, all Wallace does is send the shoe with an impersonal post-it note.

The movie is ultimately about Lipsky's desire for fame and acclaim. Lipsky is depicted as misunderstood by Wallace, who comes across as over-emotional, easily hurt and calculating. Lipsky's unfulfilled desire for recognition is played out as overreaching fandom, slightly obsessive, and an aching need for DFW to acknowledge that he is somehow just as good as Wallace. Lipsky paints Wallace as fraudulent when he discovers Wallace is a big fan of Alanis Morrisette, but he actually doesn't know the title or lyrics of her most popular song. Lipsky hopes Wallace will claim his literary success of Infinite Jest is due to an autobiographical account from real life troubles, or because of his uncommonly good looks, but Lipsky is unfulfilled, and in the end, he has to walk away without Wallace discrediting himself, or giving Lipsky the respect he craved.
The culmination of moments where Lipsky feels he outsmarts David Foster Wallace demonstrates Lipsky's self-fulfilling attempt at grabbing a fallen crown. I'd like to hope the profits from the book and film went to DFW's family, but I'm so sure they didn't, that I'm not even going to bother with a google search. The Literati had their way with DFW, to portray him as unordinary, and show his need to distance himself from the word genius, wasn't genuine, but actually a better-than-thou mechanism because he wasn't enraptured by the prizes and privileges of literary acclaim.
It was good, the movie, but I don't lend too much validity to the DFW accounts, and think of the film more as Lipsky's hour to shine, or claim to fame. Which, I suppose, is the entire point. So I ate it up, and digested it, just as intended.

Me and my dawg!