The Space Between Us Review - Well Done; Intriguing; Surprising

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Category: Film

Published on Friday, 03 February 2017 08:19

Written by Janet Walker

The Space Between Us, from STX Entertainment, LAMF and Southpaw Entertainment, presents the story of the dreamers, of those born with an explorer’s heart, of courage, hope, love, of a child embarking on the journey of a lifetime.

Directed by Peter Chelsom, The Space Between Us, stars Gary Oldman, BD Wong, Britt Robertson, Asa Butterfield, Carla Gugino, and Janet Montgomery.

The Space Between Us opens at a fundraising banquet with Nathaniel Shephard, played by Gary Oldman, delivering the remarks to the well-heeled audience on the eve of the launch of the first team of Magellen Astronauts who will spend extended time on MARS.

The event, for Genesis shareholders, a privatized space exploration program, is being held in a massive aircraft hanger, with the Genesis-NASA partnership so well displayed one is transported into the world immediately. The Magellen-Genesis astronauts are led by Sarah Elliot, played by Janet Montgomery, who is introduced along with her team members.

Halfway to MARS, Elliot is shown vomiting and then it is discovered she is pregnant. A PR nightmare as it is discussed becomes worse after she delivers, a boy, on MARS and she goes into seizures and dies in childbirth.

In the next scene, 16 years has passed and the child, Gardner Elliot, played by Asa Butterfield, now a teenager who has grown up living in a HAB on MARS, with his only contact other scientists from NASA and other space agencies round the world who participate in the MARS exploration program. His existence is for all intents and purposes is known only to those in the Space program. He really is the boy in a bubble.

Gardner is typical and A-typical, not of earth, his explorer’s heartbeat longs for the world he cannot see, as a teen raised only on MARS his upbringing in a scientific experiment, with state of the art technology, robotics and other as fast as it is available technological changes makes him somewhat of a super teen techie.  

The typical teen has reached out through social media and connected with a girl living in Colorado, a teenager, Tulsa, played by Britt Robertson. The two have a chat relationship and, for both, as we find out it is singularly important and a driving force for Gardner and a life changer for Tulsa.

Of course, keeping his secret, as an inhabitant of MARS meeting up is a bit out of the question, so he makes up a few of the details to fit the situation and ambiguously explains his illness, of which is earth repellent basically.

Through the chats we meet Tulsa, who is more like Gardner than she knows, the two dance around the issues of friendship neither being completely honest, each putting their best and the person they see themselves as, not the one life has labeled them with, forward.  She is burdened with the messaging of a contemporary modern world with its demands, expectations, and judgments and her circumstances that seem to match some cosmic pre-destination.  

I enjoyed The Space Between Us. Not exactly a science geek, I’m always interested in films that brings NASA or scientific advancement into the forefront and The Space Between Us does that bringing a new, invigorating and fresh twists to these types of stories.

The science element which is divided in four types of sciences, space, earth, medical and technological all flow equally and uniquely into a story-line that takes the fish out of water element and really gives the actors a chance to build on it.

MARS, as it is still the unknown, with more films depicting the possibility of sending manned teams to the planet create the unique possibility of a rebirth in the actual space exploration program with a manned missions possible . . .in my lifetime.

Reserve space exploration, for our young Gardner, who longs for a planet that could kill him, as MARS atmosphere hinders the skeletal human growth and creates the probability that he will die on the trip back to earth.

With Gary Oldman leading the cast of talented actors, one expects the film to deliver and it does.

BD Wong matches the talents of Oldman as Genesis Director Chen, who overrides Shepherd as he hits bottom during the 16 years between launch and the death of team leader Sarah Elliot, the birth of her son, Gardner, and the subsequent decisions believed to be made for the good of the company and future possibilities. 

Asa Butterfield captures the shock of a first-time earth traveler, with awe, wonder and comical reactions to the planet with all its vibrancy. Britt Robertson, believable in this role, transforms from tough teen, dropping her emotional guard, to vulnerable and projects even for the moment it was worth it.

The two hit the road, as she, a worldly teen and he, a not of this world teen, begin the adventure of his lifetime which introduces her to the what will become a cataclysmic and dynamic change in her destiny.

The Space Between Us, a performance driven film, led by the talents of a stellar cast delivers more than the typical or expected story. Each of the elements added bring a new layer and twist, which I think is a signature of the film as MARS topics are on the front line, The Space Between Us adds unusual twists and rare developments that add to the suspense and mystery of the film.

The Space Between Us is an out of this world and back again road trip for the adventurous at heart, the hopeful and courageous in spirit.

The Space Between Us opens February 3, 2017. See it.