“Project Hail Mary” showcases a harmonious balance between acting, cinematography, music and spectacular CGI that ascended the film from successful book adaptation to holy experience.
Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the emotional range of Ryland Grace, middle school science teacher turned savior, is portrayed expertly by Ryan Gosling. After waking up from an induced coma alone and with slowly returning memories, Grace must find a way to save humanity from a mysterious alien that’s killing the sun. Along the way, he encounters another alien, Rocky, voiced by James Ortiz, who is burdened with the same mission and aloneness.
Gosling was the perfect choice to play Grace given his ability to capture both the humorous and serious sides of the character. He skillfully depicted the internal uncovering of Grace’s identity and the external race to save humanity, with the modern sense of humor needed to shoulder such a hefty burden.
While Grace is lovable — a true tragic hero — the screenwriting’s emphasis on humor over more solemn scenes limits viewers from immersing themselves in the death-defying tension that is naturally felt while reading the book. Drew Goddard was the screenwriter for the film, and also wrote the screenplay for “The Martian.”
Watching the film, it’s too tempting to get caught up in sarcastic ramblings from a guy who dresses like he could have inspired the term “geek” instead of the intense emotions the storyline evokes.
The unexpected soundtrack, specifically the songs composed by Daniel Pemberton, heightens the profoundness of Grace’s journey that would otherwise be lacking on screen. Pemberton’s range from whimsical experimenting to holy enrapture aptly shapes Grace’s journey.
At the turning points of the movie, where Grace is forced to truly experience his situation instead of humorously reflecting on it, Pemberton’s compositions take over all senses. It becomes impossible to laugh, blink or even smile.
The compositions strip the scenes down to Grace’s developing realizations of a greater purpose than just his “Hail Mary” mission.
The audio-visual synergy deepens the meanings Grace finds in sacrifice and belonging. When flashbacks of life before waking up on the ship make Grace question his involvement in the mission, sacrifice for another is what drives him. Through his brother-like connection to Rocky, a new mission is born: to live.
These almost spiritual moments of sound and mesmerizing CGI of space matter — from vibrantly colorful gaseous planets to millions of tiny sparkling aliens —build upon the foundation Weir set.
Andy Weir is the author of both “The Martian” and “Project Hail Mary.” “The Martian” got its film adaptation in 2015, while “Project Hail Mary” was released on March 20. Weir’s first book adaptation won Best Motion Picture and Best Actor largely because of Matt Damon’s ability to bring the film to life through his character, Mark Watney. “Project Hail Mary” exceeds the high expectations set by its predecessor.
Weir’s sci-fi writing brilliance is twofold; he has the ability to introduce readers to complex scientific ideas in a way that includes them in the ingenuity, and he has the down-to-earth humor needed to create a character capable of making science fun instead of just necessary.
The film’s storyline followed the book enough for readers to appreciate, but also expanded on Rocky and Grace’s relationship enough to renew their excitement. While readers may have hoped to see more of Grace’s simple but necessary science tests he used to learn about his situation, the adaptation’s simplification of his scientific process is understandable to appeal to more action-oriented viewers and keep up the pacing of the movie.
Combined with Gosling’s skillful portrayal of Grace and the impressive capabilities of CGI in making outer-space and theoretical science feel real, “Project Hail Mary” is a successful adaptation that both readers and new fans will enjoy.
“Project Hail Mary” could have been just a great movie adaptation, but Pemberton’s transcendent soundtrack encapsulates the sacredness of Grace’s journey and truly inspires a sense of wonder in what humans can accomplish.
While some adaptations stick to the book or are simply inspired by it, “Project Hail Mary” is the epitome of how acting, music, and cinematography can work together to enhance the reading experience for all to love.
Leila Montoya can be reached at mont1761@stthomas.edu.
