David Chen in movies | April 19, 2017

It is possible to re-cut ‘Passengers’ to be a much better film

Nerdrwriter’s video essay this week is a fascinating exploration of Passengers’ script, and how re-arranging it to be from Jennifer Lawrence’s character’s perspective might lead to a much better film.

See also: Peter Sciretta’s piece on how Passengers’ script evolved, which is referred to in the video.

David Chen

Published

April 19, 2017

DaanishSyed

This was a well made video essay by the always great Nerdwriter, but man, I TOTALLY disagree with this take. I first saw the title and thought “Well duh, of course you could, because Passengers is actually a good movie with an offensively terrible ending. The video accurately splits the movie into 5 sections. The only problem with the movie, in my opinion, was the final section when Aurora forgives him and forgoes hypersleep and decides to die on the ship with him. It’s completely out of character and nobody would make such a stupid decision, done for a watered-down, forced, happy studio ending. The worst part is, the other option for absolution Nerdwriter suggest was right there! So obviously the edit would be: make him die, let her live, and you have a good movie. Done.

What Nerdwriter suggest may have been a good movie, and interesting in it’s own way, but if you change POV and make Pratt a straight-up villain, that removes all moral complexity and undercuts the entire premise and draw of the movie. What Nerdwriter is describing is *literally* the Matt Damon sub-plot of Interstellar. Ironic because I often describe this movie to friends as what if Interstellar was told from Matt Damon’s perspective. Thats what I like most about the movie – a good guy makes a morally reprehensible decision and has to wrestle with what he’s done. The moral complexity of Pratt’s character is the whole point of the movie. I totally agree with John Spait’s quote on this:

“It’s not as if it’s an accidental oversight of the film, where we, through some cultural blindness, have failed to see the appalling nature of our hero’s actions. It is the subject of the film. And I think that making a movie that leaves people room to argue about what they would have done, what they could have forgiven, what they can understand or fail to understand, I think that’s great. I think that’s good storytelling.”

I want to see THAT movie. And I believe Passengers delivers on that. But it also has a shitty cop-out ending. Thats what you need to change, not the POV.