The Space Between Us has a lot of empty spaces in theater seats

Movie Title:   The Space Between Us

Grade:   B

Rating:  PG-13, 120 minutes

• In a Nutshell:  This is kind of a modern version of the old Starman film about STAR-crossed lovers. Writer/Director  Peter Chelsom has given us some truly mediocre films.  Sadly, this is another one.  Fun fact: He voices Centaur in the movie.

For a movie about science, there wasn't a lot of chemistry on the screen.

Uplifting theme: 

• Our most valuable resource on Earth is courage.
• “Just because something sounds crazy, doesn’t mean it’s not true.” – Gardner
• “You don’t know how far away you are until there’s someone you want to be near.” – Gardner
• What is your favorite thing about Earth?
• We live on a truly magnificent planet and need to enjoy every minute we get to live on it.
• Humanity, friendship, loneliness
• Both Gardner and Tulsa want to feel close to someone and be a part of a family.  In the great universe of space, there is small part of every human's soul to want to belong.

Things I liked:

• Disney is in love with Britt Robertson.  She’s definitely adorable and makes us believe she’s truly in love with whoever the lead actor is.  Her romantic leads have been much older men in other movies, so I wonder how she felt being with the young Asa Butterfield.  
• Asa Butterfield does a good job walking “heavy” in the beginning, as he tries to get used to gravity.
• Carla Gugino looks like she has been living at the gym lately and looks fantastic.  Her character’s name is Kendra.  If I had a daughter, I would have named her Kendra. 
• There are some really beautiful images of outer space, Earth, and everything in between.
• You can SEE the sonic boom as the spaceship takes off through the atmosphere. That was cool.
• That clear laptop used by Sarah’s brother (played by Colin Egglesfield) looked awesome.
• There is a tiny twist that helped save the ending for me.
• It cracked me up when Gardner was in Las Vegas (where I live) and made the following accurate observation, “It’s like a big toy.  It’s not real.”  True.  My oldest son didn’t grow up in Las Vegas and calls the city a “gold-encrusted turd.” 
• I liked when Tulsa looked up at all of the hot air balloons in the sky and finally grinned, recognizing that this earth we live on is pretty special.
• Self-driving car!  Yes!
• Aurora Borealis!  That’s on my Bucket List!
• The stunt double for both Britt Robertson and Carla Gugino is named Trina!  Woohoo!  Great name!
• It’s appropriate that the name of the Mars project is Genesis.
• Did you notice the pretty frosted glass chairs in the hangar at the beginning of the movie? 
• I chuckled out loud when I saw “Kick me” written on the back of Gardner’s robot.

Things I didn’t like:

• It almost pulled tears out of my eyes, but my tear ducts felt too manipulated and refused to cooperate with the director's plan.
• Tulsa and Gardner go on a romantic crime spree, stealing cars and other things while they try to run from their "mean" pursuers.
• Quite a few parts of the story line are absolutely ridiculous.
• This movie had a LOT of very young-looking Extras, which made it look like a movie, rather than real life.
• It always bugs me when the movie trailer has lines or moments that never actually show up in the movie.  That being said, the trailer pretty much sums up the movie, minus the small twist at the end.

Interesting lines:

• “The world doesn’t give you exactly what you want.” – Tulsa
• “Just because people lied to you before doesn’t mean I’m lying to you.” – Gardner
• “We’re running out of time and Mother Nature does not negotiate.” – Nathaniel Shepherd (Gary Oldman)

Funny lines:

• “I’m on a road trip with an insane person.” – Tulsa
• “You’re taller than I thought you’d be.” – Tulsa

“You’re meaner than I thought you’d be.” - Gardner

Romantic lines:

• What’s your favorite thing about earth?” – Gardner

“You are, Gardner.” – Tulsa

• “How did you become more beautiful in 20 seconds?” - Gardner
• “You make me human.” – Gardner

Tips for parents:   

• Pre-marital relations between teenagers.
• Teens steal cars and participate in other illegal and irresponsible behavior, all free of consequences.
• Discussion about foster care and Social Services.
• Pre-teens who often feel disenfranchised or misunderstood will enjoy this film.

Hidden Figures is an overdue movie with heart and humor

Movie Title:  Hidden Figures

Grade:  A

Rating:  PG, 127 minutes

• In a Nutshell: Based on true events, this uplifting film with a fantastic title shines the spotlight on some overlooked figures in history.   
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• While the movie features new math that was invented in order to get the first man to the moon, it was really about these African-American women who struggled as second-class citizens during the Civil Rights movement and who were pivotal to the success of NASA’s space program.

The film sheds inspiring light on the space race and Jim Crow laws of the 1960’s, one that lifted mankind to new heights and one that pushed them down.  This story was long overdue.

Uplifting theme: 

• “You know what’s dangerous?  Inaction and indecision.” – Jim Webb (Ken Strunk)
• “Discovery is not just for the sake of discovery, but survival.” – Al Harrison (Kevin Costner)
• “I looked beyond.” – Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae)
• “We set sail on this new sea because there is knowledge to be gained.” – Al Harrison
• “We all get to the peak together or we don’t’ get there at all.” – Al Harrison

Things I liked:

• Oscar nominee Taraji P. Henson, Janelle Monae, and Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer truly light up the screen. All of their performances were stellar (pun intended, and true.)
• Janelle Monae is absolutely fantastic as Mary Jackson and is a true stand-out.  From the minute you first see her on the screen, she radiates intelligence and determination.  Mary’s speech to the judge was outstanding. She has been in a few small movies since 2014, but I’m sure her career is going to really take off after this movie (yep, another intentional space pun.)
• Pharell Williams does a great job blending the sound of the 60’s with music that sounds current to today’s audience. Click here if you'd like to relive the music: Hidden Figures: The Album
• There is a lot of humor and heart.
• You get to see real footage from historical NASA events during the film, as well as pictures of these three important women at the end of the movie.
• When I was little, my father held a top position at Lockheed.  I remember going to visit the company at a special event for families.  They proudly showed off their computer room, which was filled with gigantic computers that stood from floor to ceiling.  It’s hard to believe that we can now fit a computer on our cell phones and in even smaller spaces.  How wonderful it is to live in the Information Age when knowledge is so easily obtainable.
• They did a great job setting the 1960’s environment with rotary phones, typewriters, etc.  Some of you young ones out there may have never seen those things before!
• Written and directed by Ted Melfi, who is more than welcome to bring more inspring stories like this to the Big Screen.
• John Glenn was considered a hottie of his day, appropriately played by Glen Powell.

Things I didn’t like:

• I love award-winning Jim Parsons from The Big Bang Theory: Season 1, but his character pretty much just gave the stank face the entire time, not providing any big growth arc or allowing Jim to use his full talents.
• Even if you were really good at math, you’re probably going to realize you’re not as smart as you thought you were.
• Red tape and bureaucracy make me crazy.  Kirsten Dunst and Jim Parsons’ characters epitomize all that is wrong with companies and organizations that have no vision or flexibility.  That close-minded librarian just about made me want to scream when she said, “Well, that’s just the way it is.”  I completely understand rules are designed for the benefit of all, but when they make no sense any more, they need to be changed.
• Dorothy Vaughan steals a book from a library and gives a compelling speech to her kids about why it was ok.  While you feel the sense of injustice that the “colored” section of the library didn’t contain as many good books to choose from, it certainly doesn’t mean stealing is ok.
• There is a bit of reverse racism showing how all the white people are stupid and racist, while all the black people are brilliant and morally superior.

Interesting lines:

• “Let me ask you: if you were a white male, would you wish to be an engineer?” – Senator Patrick (Wilbur Fitzgerald)

“I wouldn’t have to.  I’d already be one.” – Mary Jackson

• “There’s no protocol for women attending.” – Paul Stafford

“There’s no protocol for a man circling the earth either.” – Katherine Johnson

• “Who makes the rules?” – Al Harrison

“You, Sir.  You are the buss.  You just have to act like one…Sir.” – Katherine

• “The kids need to see this.  Everybody needs to see this.” – Levi Jackson (Aldis Hodge)
• “This IBM is gonna put us all out of work.” – Dorothy Vaughan
• “Every time we get close to winning, they move the finish line.” – Mary Jackson
• “Separate and equal are two different things.” – Dorothy Vaughan

Funny lines:

• “Yes, they let women work at NASA, Mr. Johnson.  And it’s not because we wear skirts.  It’s because we wear glasses.” – Dorothy Vaughan
• “How can you be ogling these white men?” – Dorothy Vaughan

“It’s equal rights.  I can see fine in any color.” – Mary Jackson

• “Here at NASA, we all pee the same color.” – Al Harrison (Kevin Costner)

Tips for parents:   

• Yay math!  This movie will make your case to your kids that math IS important and they should do their homework.
• The film highlights racism in the United States in the 1960’s and uses terms like “Negro” and “colored.”  They’ll see images of colored-only bathrooms and drinking fountains, as well as see how whites and blacks were separated on busses and in the court room.

Want to see more?  If you want to learn more about the Civil Rights movement that took place in America in the 1950's and 60's, check out these VERY good movies:

Lee Daniels' The Butler
Loving
Selma
Freedom Writers
The Help

The Martian is fresh, suspenseful and surprisingly funny

Movie:    The Martian

Rating:    PG-13, 2 hours 14 minutes

Grade:   A

In a Nutshell:    Why are audiences and critics raving about The Martian ?  Because it’s fresh, suspenseful, inspiring, scientifically credible, and surprisingly funny. In fact, the Academy Awards placed it in a category of comedy.  I loved this movie.

Director Ridley Scott takes us on a journey to the vast reaches of outer space and into the smallest corners of the human heart.

Based on the 2011 novel by Andy Weir, the movie includes stunning vistas, filmed on one of the largest sound stages in the world in Hungary.  Some of the scenes of Mars were also filmed in Wadi Rum in Jordan. See it in 3D if you can.

The talented cast includes Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Michael Pena, Kate Mara, Sean Bean, Kristen Wiig, Aksel Hennie, and Chiwetel Ejiofor.

Uplifting Theme:

·         The film really focuses on optimism and hope, while astronaut/botanist Mark Watney is stranded on Mars.  Sure, Mark has his dark moments, but he quickly decides in the beginning “I’m not going to die” and that determination is what propels him to withstand the most difficult of situations on a hostile planet.

·         Human ingenuity is truly inspiring.  I know this is fiction, but still…

·         “You just begin.  You solve one problem and then another.” – Mark

Things I liked:

·         NASA actually collaborated with the makers of The Martian , lending an authoritative air to the film, making it almost feel like a documentary.   If you want to learn more about the ARES space project and Ridley Scott’s prologue series, go to www.areslive.com

·      Fun Disco music is one of the running gags throughout the movie.  At one point, Mark is so sick of listening to Disco music that he says “No, I’m not going to turn the beat around.  I won’t do it.”  The movie soundtrack will probably be pretty popular.  What music would YOU take if you were going to leave Earth on a long mission?

·         I loved the comment about the Council of Elrond directed at Sean Bean's character from The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring [HD] .

·         Jeff Daniels brings back his arrogant, bossy character from The Newsroom: Season 1 to play the Director of NASA.

·         I like it when directors give the audience a reason to keep watching during the credits at the end of a movie.

·         After many months of movies about superheroes who try to save the world, this refreshing flick is about the world trying to save one man.

·         The movie entertains your brain, as well as your heart, which beats fast during the last 20 minutes as you try to remember to breathe.
  -       Each time a new character is introduced in the movie, the audience sees a label on the screen, indicating the person’s name and position, almost as if these are real people. 

Things I didn’t like:

·         I know Saturday Night Live comedienne Kristin Wiig has done several serious films, but it’s just still hard to take her seriously in a dramatic role.

·         If you got dizzy watching Gravity , there will be a few moments in this movie where you’ll have to close your eyes.

·         Two F-bombs and some other profanity surprised me.  I thought PG-13 movies were only allowed to have 1 F-bomb, but somehow this movie gets away with two, plus a few other “F” moments that are mouthed silently.  In fact, Mark is told by NASA to clean up his language since everyone on Earth can read what he’s saying on his transmissions.  As a result, his language gets worse and makes the audience laugh.

Funny lines:  

·         “Luckily, I’m a botanist.  Mars will come to fear my Botany powers.” – Mark

·         “I am the greatest botanist on this planet.” – Mark

·         “I guess I colonized Mars.  In your face Neil Armstrong.” – Mark

·         “So, yeah.  I blew myself up.” – Mark

·         “I’m going to have to science the “bleep” out of this.” – Mark

·         “I’m going to dip this potato in Vicodin and there’s nobody who can stop me.” – Mark

·         “I get to fly along like Iron Man.” - Mark

Things you learn in this movie about surviving on Mars:

·         Duct tape can fix everything.

·         You can use your own doodee to fertilize a garden.
-     Fire = bad.  Plutonium = good.

·         Science!

Tips for Parents:

·         Parents will like how educational the movie is.  Mark, the “space pirate” shows us how to problem-solve with impressive resourcefulness.

·         Some bloody moments.

·         Audiences see the entire back side of Matt Damon after he gets out of a shower.  He’s the only human on an entire planet, so why use a towel?

Can't get enough of Mars?  Check these out:

   


If you love seeing Matt Damon in an astronaut suit, be sure to check out this mind-boggling movie: