If you had to choose to spend eternity with your first spouse, who died just two years after you were married, or the spouse you spent 65 years with, who would you choose?
The question really is, do you live out your “What if,” or stay with what you know? Going into this film, I was pretty set in my belief. Hands down, our protagonist Joan (Elizabeth Olsen) should choose to spend eternity with her current husband, Larry (Miles Teller). This was the person she built a life with. It wasn’t perfect — life isn’t. But Larry was who she raised babies with, then grandparented with. The one who was part of the highlights and the mundane. I was steadfast that Larry was the man Joan should pick, even if he were a bit crotchety. It’s sweet that her first husband, Luke (Callum Turner), waited for her, but the past is often romanticized. I know I’m getting ahead of myself, I’m just very passionate about this! Let’s take it back to the beginning.
An Eternity
We start the film with Joan and Larry bickering as they head to their grandchild’s gender reveal. Once there, our dear Larry chokes on a pretzel and dies. RIP. When he gets to the afterlife, his Afterlife Coordinator, Anna (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), explains that he has a week to choose where he wants to spend eternity. There is no shortage of options: cowboy land, queer land, wizard world, beaches, mountains, and so much more. There is a whole subway station full of salespeople pitching their eternity. The one rule is, once you pick, you can’t switch, so choose wisely. As Larry makes his decision, he sees Joan coming up the subway system. Perfect timing! They can go to eternity together! Until we learn that her first husband, who died in the war, is also waiting for her. And has been waiting for 67 years.
While this sounds heavy, Anna brings the comedic punches one after another. I was literally laughing out loud in the theater with her sass and unfiltered takes. In the first half of the film, it was comedy first, and in the second, the layers of romance took over, with Joan getting to see what an eternity with each man would be like.
Who Would You Spend Eternity With?
This film exceeded my expectations. Along with the comedy, the drama, and the romance, it also hit every storyline I wanted it to. It recapped her life with both men and showed what eternity could be like. It had a twist that I didn’t see coming. I almost left the theater, I was so enraged, but the way it played out was fulfilling. Eternity is thought-provoking for someone who hasn’t been through the loss of a spouse, and I can’t help but wonder how someone who has would feel about the movie in general and Joan’s ultimate choice.
If love triangles aren’t your thing, I still encourage you to check it out. Movie goer Taylor J. says, “I don’t usually like a love triangle, but I really enjoyed this one.”
The film has been playing at Village Theater since Dec. 5 so I don’t imagine it sticking around much longer – go see it this week.
Movie times: Click here
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Director: David Freyne
Actors: Miles Teller, Elizabeth Olsen, Callum Turner
Running Time: 1 hour, 54 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for sexual content and some strong language.
