Back in 2015, the Renowned Actor Led a Modern Sci-Fi Classic That Nearly Turned Out Significantly Grimmer.
Writer Andy Weir’s futuristic story The Martian was an immediate hit upon its release in 2014, but despite its popularity, it made for a surprising selection as a high-cost movie project. First put out by the author himself, the book leans strongly on the inner thoughts of astrobotanist and mechanical engineer Mark Watney as he goes into painstaking detail regarding his survival methods after being stranded on Mars by growing potatoes and salvaging components from former mission equipment. The book is light on dialogue while rich in detailed accounts regarding scientific processes.
Still, helmer Ridley Scott along with screenwriter Drew Goddard produced a mesmerizing feature titled The Martian, that debuted a decade back on Oct. 2, 2015. Matt Damon excellently portrays why Watney is such an absorbing lead character: his positive mindset along with technical jokes dispel the deep fear facing circumstances where his likelihood to live are very slim. Much as the original story, the film presents highly realistic sci-fi, filled with laughs and excitement. Nonetheless, the creators needed to implement certain adjustments for cinema, spending more time focused on the mission control team working to recover Watney, and adding more action to the climax. Those modifications resulted in the loss from two of the finest sections of Weir’s book.
A Tale Centered on Survival Math
The Martian focuses on nutritional calculations. Watney obsesses over how much food required for survival, as the space agency works to determine methods to supply additional provisions. After an incident ruins his cultivated potato patch and a hastily assembled interplanetary care package blows up after launch, Watney’s sole chance turns into a retrieval effort from his team that unintentionally departed without him.
Both versions explicitly state that this plan, which involves the crew of the Ares III slingshotting around the Earth and back to Mars to rescue Watney, is highly dangerous. However, Weir draws a more direct parallel regarding the perils encountered by the entire team.
The Morbid Contingency Plan
The spacecraft has to retrieve its assigned cargo vehicle to secure sufficient nourishment and hydration for the journey to Mars and return. Should that not work, the team possesses a morbid contingency plan: everyone except for computer specialist the character Beth Johanssen (acted by Kate Mara) would commit suicide. Beth, selected as the only one to live, because she’s the youngest and smallest, would consume her teammates to stay alive. After the crew receives the necessary materials, the eased astronauts humorously discuss which member Beth might have consumed initially. It’s some pretty black humor, thus it’s clear why it was removed, however, I value the plot’s precision by having all personas struggle with the harsh realities of cosmic existence. It also demonstrates that they will literally die for each other, beyond just aiding Watney.
The Tense Communication Blackout
The film adaptation also cuts the tensest section of The Martian to allocate additional runtime on the part of the rescue mission occurring in orbit. Within the novel, Watney forfeits his capacity to contact mission control, leaving him to his own devices through the concluding segment of the plot. Watney must then travel to a vehicle intended for a future Mars mission. That voyage is threatened because of a particulate storm that will hinder his rover’s solar cells from charging and finally immobilize him. The space agency detects the incoming tempest, yet cannot alert him. They remain in anxious anticipation to observe whether Watney will realize the situation and modify his strategy, or if every attempt they made to rescue him will prove pointless.
Similarly, the exclusion of this portion is logical from the movie. Continuous communication involving Watney and others makes the film more dynamic. Yet, a portion of me continues to hope that Goddard and Scott had shown more courage and trusted Damon to maintain segments during his solitary struggle with nature, while the secondary characters are positioned in an analogous position to the viewers: powerlessly wishing for success.
Looking Ahead to Future Adaptations
The writer is going back to Weir’s stories through a film version of his 2021 book The Hail Mary Initiative, set for a 2026 debut helmed by directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. Similar to The Martian, the story highlights a solitary cosmonaut employing his expertise and creativity to stay alive. Actor Ryan Gosling will assume a comparable part to Damon’s: a screen star engaging enough to carry numerous individual sequences while landing Weir’s idiosyncratic humor. Hopefully, that film will match the quality of The Martian, but either way, it’s well worth reading the book to see what doesn’t survive the transition.
