eandrews-36844

Explores the personal strengths and weaknesses of 5 astronauts and 1 earth bound scientist. The astronauts are returning to earth from a successful mission to study a human-friendly planet, a newly discovered moon of Jupiter. The scientist is credited with promoting the possibilities of life on the new astronomical entity. While the movie takes place in the future, it is primarily about what drives individuals to be who they are. Revelations about each of the individuals are presented in simple terms, presented with little subtlety as they each confront unexpected challenges. A beautifully told saga, in its own way.

I'm with the "8"s. A good solid thriller. Complicated and engaging plot. Characters with complicated back stories. Plenty of action and unusual settings.

Ken Aguado has written a clever script about spirituality, that emphasizes questions rather than answers, and includes some unexpected plot twists. The acting is uniformly good. David Strathairn provides a convincing performance as God. The music is haunting and sets the tone beautifully. One drawback about seeing this film in the theater was the jarring cut to an irreverent interviewer at the end, before the credits. I would have preferred some time (with a little music) to contemplate the movie themes, followed perhaps by some suggested discussion questions that groups could use as a starting point for sharing their reactions. Sorry, but the tacked on interview was really awful.