THE SPACE BETWEEN US

Asa Butterfield     Gary Oldman     Britt Robertson     Karla Gugino     BD Wong     Janet Montgomery

      The Space between Us will surprise and delight you every step of the way.  It starts with the clever—but not too clever—script (Allan Loeb, Stewart Schill, Richard Barton Lewis), then directed almost perfectly by Peter Chelsom, and acted to a tee by Asa Butterfield, Britt Robertson, Gary Oldman, Karla Gugino, and the rest of the cast.  The musical score by Andrew Lockington is lyrical and provocative for each scene, and Barry Peterson’s cinematography captures all the beauty of the New Mexican landscape (sometimes with the Albuquerque balloons overhead), the colorful topography of Mars with the clean lines of its space station, and close-ups of the expressive faces of the actors.

     The engaging story starts with the high hopes of the company Genesis and its East Texas mission to put six astronauts on Mars for a long period of time.  Genesis’ founder Nathaniel Shepherd (Oldman) regards the mission as a proud father would his child.  The lead astronaut, Sarah Elliot, eloquently answers the question from press about whether she is afraid, when she acknowledges she is, but she has courage, and “courage is fear that has said its prayers.”

     Unfortunately, sometime after the successful engagement with Mars, Sarah has morning sickness.  Horrors!  She is pregnant, and those in command have to come up with a plan.  This is where Shepherd steps up and makes the decision to keep the information classified.  The doctor on board will deliver her baby, and then they’ll decide what to do after that.  They are aware that the consequences of a baby in utero developing in zero gravity conditions are unknown.

     In addition, scientists in such a situation are not always mindful of human factors that can enter into these circumstances.  For instance, after sixteen years go by, Gardner Elliot is a bright, inquisitive teenager who is going through an identity crisis.  Neither his mother or his father is on board at this point; instead, an astronaut named Kendra (Gugino) is looking after him.  But he wants to know who he is, and realizes that he needs to go to Earth to find out.

     Most of the rest of the story is about this journey filled with tender gaffes and outright comedic situations.  Gardner has started an online friendship with Tulsa (Robertson), a cheeky, talented earth-girl who has been orphaned and placed in foster homes so many times she knows more about life than her foster “parents.”  He is determined to find her and get her help in finding his father. 

     Much of the wit of the film is seeing the jaded Tulsa meeting the sincere Gardner, and trying to comprehend who he is (Ah, he is from Mars!) and helping him understand earth and its customs. 

     I loved the constant plane/bus/stolen automobile chases—that mimic action films with their mandatory loud car chases—with Shepherd and Kendra always trying to locate the runaways Gardner and Tulsa.  This intelligent, well crafted and presented “action” film should please everyone.

Everything fits together so beautifully in this film, you want to cheer at the end.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland

A DOG'S PURPOSE

Bruce Gheisar   K. J. Apa   Britt Robertson John Ortiz   Dennis Quaid   Josh Gad   Peggy Lipton

          This movie would fulfill the most basic fantasy/wish of a dog owner with a devoted pet—probably of any species.  It’s a heartwarming story of an entertaining dog (voice-over by Josh Gad so we know everything the dog is thinking) that is reincarnated four times.  Pet owners range from a small boy named Ethan (Gheisar) who grows up with “Bailey” until he goes to college and experiences a tragedy; to a policeman, Carlos (Ortiz), who uses “Ellie” as a search and rescue police dog; to a young woman for whom “Tino” helps find love and family; to an irresponsible couple who abandon him; and finally again to owners who truly care for him. 

         Screenwriter Cathryn Michon and Director Lasse Hallström (The Cider House Rules, Dear John, The 100-Foot Journey) manage to keep what could be an overly sentimental sop engaging and interesting, even to those who are more neutral toward dogs and other animals.  The story, based on W. Bruce Cameron’s novel, is thoughtful, has some substance, and realistically portrays all kinds of families.  It doesn’t shy away from alcoholism or neglect, for instance, as it shows wholesome, loving, and thoughtful groups.

       Gad’s voice-over is perfectly rendered, and is perhaps the best part of the film in making dog-talk plausible and giving food for thought to humans.  Gheisar, as the small boy Ethan and K. J. Apa as the teenager make us care about Ethan and experience his joys and pain.  Robertson as Hannah is gracious and fun across time (later, by Lipton) as we see her in different roles.  Quaid seems perfectly fit for his character, the grown-up Ethan years later, evolving into someone who makes sense, given what has happened to him in his life—a little crusty and doubtful.

          This is a film for dog/pet owners who derive special pleasure from knowing and caring for them.  Others may find it too sweet, sentimental, and fanciful; it all depends on how you feel about pets, I guess.

Reincarnations of dog.

Grade:  C                                    By Donna R. Copeland

MOTHER'S DAY

Julia Roberts   Kate Hudson   Jennifer Anniston   Jason Sudeikis   Timothy Olyphant   

Britt Robertson   Margo Martindale   Aasif Mandvi

          Mother’s Day is for people who like sitcoms, and this will be a treat for them because it extends for two hours.  Sitcoms are noted for their canned laughter tracks, but this film has a script that is canned.  Pick any incident/joke/situation in sitcoms, and it is plugged in here somewhere, pulling your heartstrings one moment, making you laugh at another, pulling for worries and tears at still another, and on and on.  When a character goes to a vending machine for candy, it reminded me of how the filmmakers seemed to have gone to a machine for script scenes and pushed just about every button.

       We see a newly divorced couple where the ex-husband has taken a younger, more attractive wife, a successful career woman who has yet to experience the ultimate satisfaction of motherhood (but at least she’s not the stereotypical b----), a mixed race marriage, an adopted child as an adult looking for her mother (she can’t commit to a relationship until she finds her), and a Lesbian couple.  They all run into the usual problems—clearly of their own making—develop insight, make discoveries, and all of it is wrapped up into a tidy bow at the end. 

      On the more positive side, the actors’ skills in their art/craft are readily apparent.  Foremost is Julia Roberts (Miranda) as the charming, attractive product pusher on television.  She is Pretty Woman become wiser and more sophisticated.  (As an aside, Garry Marshall directed that and this picture.)  Britt Robertson (Kristin) is captivating in her portrayal of complex emotions and ambivalence.  Jason Sudeikis (Bradley) and Timothy Olyphant (Henry) are convincing as men at sea, feeling out of control in life.  Jennifer Anniston (Sandy) and Kate Hudson (Jesse) have been well schooled to expertise in their roles.  Margo Martindale (Flo) always meshes hand-in-glove with mothers of a certain type (although she is not by any means restricted in her range, e.g., on television’s “The Americans”, in which she plays a Russian spy.  Other supporting characters’ performances are exemplary, which may speak to Marshall’s direction and to Gail Goldberg’s and Barbara J. McCarthy’s casting.

      I have no idea what the premise is of Mother’s Day—it’s certainly not a weighty message.  I think that to some extent, it is Hollywood producers’ fantasy that somehow life bumps along, and everybody gains insight and a good heart and it will all turn out in the end.  Mothers will be tolerant and forgiving, divorcees will pull together putting the past behind them and becoming loving friends, and above all, mothers and children will be reunited lovingly. 

        So spake Zarathrustra.  Not.  Alas for this script, Zarathrustra observed that to plunge the depths of the world, creativity is required; a “recipe” as presented here is not sufficient.

A collection of stories that may or may not ring true.

Grade:  C-                                    By Donna R. Copeland