That 'Furious 7' Ending and Paul Walker's Last Ride (Spoilers!)
The Fast and the Furious movies generally have straightforward narratives, but a real-life tragedy added an unexpected plot twist to the latest installment, Furious 7. Midway through the film’s production in November 2013, series star Paul Walker died in a car accident, which led the film’s director, James Wan, and Universal to shut down shooting while they mourned their friend and decided if the movie could go on without one of its integral characters.
Early speculation suggested that the studio might scrap the already-filmed footage and start over from scratch. But as Wan later explained to Variety, the Furious 7 team used the hiatus to assess the footage they had and then made the decision to move forward, using the movie as a chance to honor Walker’s memory. “I always say I have a big bag of cinematic tricks at my disposal and I dug so deep into this one that I used up every single trick I can think of to make this film work.” Those tricks included an extensive use of body doubles — among them, Walker’s brothers Caleb and Cody — and CGI when his face was required to be camera. Universal has declined to say what effects were used where, but the wizards at Peter Jackson’s effects company Weta Digital reportedly played a role in Walker’s finished performance, which almost seamlessly blends the real actor with his body doubles and any digital replacements.
Related: ‘Furious 7′ Is Emotional and Exhilarating — Now It’s Time to Let the Franchise End
When production resumed, speculation was rampant as to how exactly the film would provide a fitting send-off for Walker and his alter ego, Brian O’Conner, who started the series as an undercover cop and finished it as the right-hand man of Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto. Would they give him a hero’s death? Would he take part in one last job and walk away for real this time? Some clues were provided when paparazzi shots leaked in May that showed Jordana Brewster, who plays Brian’s wife, Mia, filming scenes on a Malibu beach alongside Cody Walker and the child actor playing their son, Jack. Still, those images didn’t tell the full story: Was it a dream sequence? Or a flashback? Or part of a storyline that might end up on the cutting room floor?
(Warning: Spoiler-filled discussion of the ending ahead. Proceed at your own risk.)
By now, you’ve seen the movie — and if you haven’t, check back here after you get home from the theater — so you know that those beach scenes did, in fact, turn out to be part of Furious 7’s emotional farewell to Walker. After spending the bulk of the movie away from Mia and Jack in pursuit of villain Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), Brian is happily reunited with his growing family (Mia is pregnant with baby no. 2), and as they play together on the beach, a smiling Dom and the rest of the Furious team realizes that this really was their last adventure with Brian riding shotgun. “Things are going to be different now,” Toretto says, while each cast member — including Michelle Rodriguez, Ludacris, and Tyrese Gibson — gets their moment to take a last lingering look at Brian. It’s a lovely little grace note after the slam-bang action of the previous two hours, and a quiet, simple send-off to a character and an actor who obviously meant a great deal to them.
But the real gut punch comes in the film’s final sequence. Not wanting to disturb the family beach day, Dom heads for his car without saying goodbye. While he’s driving down a winding California highway, Brian pulls up alongside, admonishing him for thinking he could just sneak away. Whether or not this scene uses special effects magic, it’s absolutely the right choice, allowing audiences to imagine that Walker really is behind the wheel for Brian’s last drive with Dom.
The two speed along the highway together, eventually parting ways at a fork in the road, Dom’s car going off in one direction while Brian heads in the other. The wistful coda is punctuated by the absolutely perfect Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth ballad “See You Again,” montages from the previous films, and Dom in voiceover, delivering a speech that’s both a touching eulogy and a heartfelt thank you. Finally, as the camera pans heavenward, the words “For Paul” appear onscreen as the film fades to black and the credits roll.
Listen to the final song below:
That ending, and really, the whole movie, fulfills Wan’s promise of honoring Walker. Furious 7 delivers the crazy car action that has made the franchise an audience favorite around the world. But it also reminds viewers how much affection we have for these characters, to the point that saying goodbye to Brian almost feels like saying goodbye to a member of our own family. Diesel has already hinted that there may be future movies, and they’ll probably be just as entertaining. But Dom’s right: Without Walker, things are going to be different now.
Watch the cast talk about what it was like to come back to work after Walker’s death:
