For so many reasons, Furious 7 stands apart from all of The Fast & The Furious movies that came before it. This installment dials up all of the action to an even higher level, integrates the events of Tokyo Drift more than ever before, and introduces the most intense villain yet. But most importantly, Furious 7 features Paul Walker's final performance as Brian O'Conner, as he tragically died in a car accident in November 2013, before the film was completed. To honor him, Furious 7 ends with a tribute to Walker, bringing the fast-paced movie to an emotional close. Of course, there are spoilers for Furious 7 ahead.
Let's briefly backtrack for a moment. Before the tribute, the main plot of Furious 7 ends on an exciting note — Dom, Brian, and their crew save the day. If you haven't seen the movie, first of all, stop what you're doing and go see it right now, and second, I don't want to ruin it by getting into every single detail. Just know, the team takes down the bad guys through a series of truly impressive action sequences, leaving them all free to go about their lives. And that's when the tribute begins.
In addition to the action-filled storyline of Dom & Co. taking down Jason Statham's Deckard Shaw, there's a subplot that runs through Furious 7 of Brian feeling stifled by a normal life. He loves Mia and their son Jack, but tells her that he "misses the bullets" of their old life, and struggles to adapt to the more mundane aspects of domesticity. However by the end of the movie, after he has been nearly killed a few times and finds out that Mia is expecting another baby, Brian is ready to put his life of thrills behind him and truly settle down. To really understand just how touching the tribute to Walker is, you need to set the tone. Below is the song that played over the film's final moments, "See You Again" by Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth. You might want to put it on now.
Once all of the action subsides, the whole Furious 7 team goes to the Dominican Republic, where Mia had been staying with Jack until it was safe. By now, Brian has decided that the battle with Shaw was his last adventure. As he plays with his family on the beach, the rest of the team just watches, glad that he can begin this new, safer part of his life. Then, one by one, they say goodbye. Not directly to Brian, but just in general. As the camera pans between all of their faces and they tearfully talk about how much they love and will miss him, it's clear that this isn't Roman, Letty, Dom, and Tej saying goodbye to Brian; it's Tyrese Gibson, Michelle Rodriguez, Vin Diesel, and Chris Bridges saying goodbye to Walker.
During the moving scene, Dom can't bring himself to say goodbye before going off on his next adventure, so he gets in his car and leaves. As he's driving through the picturesque landscape, Brian pulls up next to him. They speak through open car windows, the hesitant partners-turned brothers essentially recreating the most memorable image from the Fast & Furious franchise: Dom and Brian racing, one-on-one. It's been a recurring theme throughout all seven films, with the two men teasing each other about who will win and always ready for a rematch.
The camera lingers on Walker as Brian chides Dom for not saying goodbye, and asks to take one last ride. It was a poweful moment that could've made for a fitting tribute on its own, but Furious 7 isn't over yet. As the two race each other on a narrow road, we watch their cars from above, as Vin Diesel delivers an utterly heartbreaking voiceover, speaking directly to "Brian." He delivers the classic, lovably cheesy line that encapsulates the Fast & Furious franchise: "I live my life a quarter-mile at a time." Usually the quote ends there, but this time he continues, saying so does Brian, and that's why they were brothers. Again, the actor shines through the character as Diesel says wherever he goes, "you'll always be with me."
Suddenly, the road splits and the two cars go in different directions. "Dom" said his goodbye, and they're on different paths now. We follow Brian's car for a few moments before the camera pans to the sky, and we fade out... to a reel highlighting Walker's best moments throughout the franchise. We watch Brian fall in love with Mia and bond with Dom, save lives and race cars. But most importantly, we watch Walker portray Brian in a way that makes him the heart of seven films. When the clips end, two words appear on the screen in that immediately recognizable Fast & Furious font. They read "For Paul" — not The End.
Images: Universal Pictures; imaconhou/Tumblr
