Where have you gone, Jodie Foster-o? Thomas Boutell 12/21 '14

I saw Interstellar the other day. The very next night, we watched "Contact."

It was strange to see more or less the same movie, except with more hope and McConaughey as the arm candy rather than the hero.

A nation builds a space machine for you

woo woo woo

God bless you please, Matt McConaughey

Even if she's sure he can't exist

[Now they kiss]

[Now they kiss]


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12/21 '14 10 Comments
I will grant that the two films have similar plot devices, but thematically they are quite different. Also, while Cosmos focused on rampant misogyny in science (not all men!), Interstellar went for a general indictment of men. You might say, "tomato, tomahtoe," but I find the differences in the two movies more striking than the similarities.

Also very different and interesting artistic choices and implications. People bitched about the sound editing (music swelling over dialog), but I think it wasn't poor editing but instead an inquiry: what in our communications is truly essential, and which of our communication modes (sight, sound, gesture, etc.) is primary, when, and why?

Cosmos was science finding its faith. Interstellar was science finding its heart (booming church organ music notwithstanding).
Anne Mollo
... And the elder scientist is a piece of work too, yes. And the guy who explored the ice planet. Hoo boy. But what about the dude we never meet who didn't lie about his planet? He's okay right? Hmm... and the protagonist's son. He's cool.
Thomas Boutell
Well, there was also Murphy's husband. But his character was about as big a blip as the honest dead guy that Brand was in love with. So the only "good guys" were either dead or inconsequential (and holding a tire iron up to Murphy's brother just strengthened the premise that, when the world is ending, all men can think to do is beat their hairy ape chests at each other and/or lie).
Anne Mollo
No he isn't. He's a stubborn dumb fuck who refuses to face the reality of his situation and that of his family.
Anne Mollo
Oh yeah, I forgot.

[Deer in headlights]
Thomas Boutell
Poverty and malnourishment makes people make poor choices. I saw him as emblematic of casualties of the entire situation: if Murph & Cooper fail, then Tom and his family and people like them suffer.
They were eating corn. This is not a brain food.

Cooper wants to save the current, living, human race, as shown by Murph and Tom. Brand wants to take fertilized eggs to a new planet and start a new life. You have to have people on earth being directly affected by the decisions made in space, otherwise we end up rooting for a plastic keg.
Lindsay Harris Friel
A general indictment of men in Insterstellar? I definitely missed that. The protagonist has flaws, yes, and he's male, but...
Thomas Boutell
Thank you for not leaving me alone in my thoughts about Contact and Interstellar.
Lindsay Harris Friel
Yeah, but due to time dilation effects (you spent the last 20 years in a rocket), you're only now discovering that anyone feels the way you do.
Thomas Boutell
I suspect that Murph and Ellie are alternate-quantum-universe versions of each other.
Lindsay Harris Friel