The Martian (2015)
I broke a rule that I set for myself a long time ago: I watched The Martian (2015) before I read the novel. For me, that's usually a no-no. The book was so long, and the opportunity to see the movie appeared, and I couldn't resist! I was in the middle of the book when I saw the movie adaptation. This changed my reading experience, of course. I began to picture the characters as I had seen them on the screen. I also felt that the movie version had a faster pace, and I grew impatient when the author filled up a page with a lot of technical details.
In contrast, my son diligently finished reading before he watched the movie, and actually, it was because of him that I was reading the book in the first place. I like to read whatever my children are assigned for summer reading, and The Martian was on his reading list as he was entering the ninth grade.
The Martian stars Matt Damon, and I believe he was a good choice to play Mark Watney, an astronaut who gets stranded on Mars alone. Through a chain of unfortunate events no one even knows at first that he was left behind alive. The main character is intelligent, brave, creative, and resilient. Matt Damon is very convincing when he expresses Mark's despair at every setback. He also adds the right amount of humor to make the character likable.
This is a survival story, and at its heart, it's not unlike others in this genre, for example, Castaway with Tom Hanks (2000). If you're alone and facing the threat of death, what do you do? The best of us would find a way to survive and fight with every breath to escape the situation. How do you do that? With courage, smart planning, and a bit of luck. Survivor stories can end with triumph or acceptance of defeat. A good performance, like that of Matt Damon or Tom Hanks, inspires us to believe we can overcome almost anything.
The Martian also shows how one man's plight can motivate a crew, an organization, and even the world to come together. Hollywood is known for its reliable supply of happy endings. I'm not really spoiling the movie when I tell you there's a peaceful conclusion to Mark Watney's fight to live. I like how the story shows that people are willing to make personal and professional sacrifices for others, and they can work together toward a common goal with each person contributing their knowledge and skill. Hollywood presents an alternative reality where competing nations collaborate and achieve something truly good.
The movie (and the book) has a lot of strong language, but I feel that the dialog is natural and appropriate for every situation. Life can be extremely tough and painful, and there are times when you need to express your anger in ugly ways. Mark Watney, however, is not one who simply curses and complains. He vents his anger and then works out solutions to the problems he faces. For that reason, the audience (or reader) can easily cheer him on.
KEY VOCABULARY
a no-no something that is not acceptable
diligently (adverb) done with care, attention, and effort
be/become/get stranded (verb phrase) find oneself left in a bad situation without help; similar to “stuck”
resilient (adjective) able to find the strength to continue after something bad happens
setback (countable noun) something that not only stops your progress, but also moves you further away from your goal
triumph (countable and uncountable noun) success or victory
defeat (countable and uncountable noun) a loss
overcome (verb) successfully handle a challenge
plight (countable noun) a bad and dangerous situation
reliable (adjective) dependable
vent (verb) release or express
make a sacrifice (verb phrase) give something important up to get something else or to help someone else
