4 Reasons Families Will Love ‘Project Hail Mary’
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By Michael Foust, Movies
It’s a Live-Action Film With Few Concerns for Families
It’s common in Hollywood to slap the label “family film” on a project and deliver something that is anything but. Superhero movies, for example, are often marketed to families yet are filled with relentless violence, coarse language, and even sexual content. Studios sometimes lean into the family-friendly brand with titles like the modern Jumanji franchise, but then load them with so much suggestive material and dialogue that it leaves you wondering: Who exactly is this for?
Yes, the market is filled with animated films that are largely safe bets for families, but there are far fewer live-action movies with stories that appeal to the trifecta of adults, teens, and children – and that moms and dads on the more traditional end of the spectrum feel comfortable letting their kids watch.
When was the last time a live-action original film with a strong, elevated story came with close to zero concerns for families?
Project Hail Mary is rated PG-13, but many moms and dads will likely see it as closer to a PG. There are no bedroom scenes. There are no fistfights or explosive set pieces. There’s no coarse language, either, aside from a handful (maybe five) of “OMG” moments. Its rating likely reflects the intensity of its themes – a man repeatedly confronting the possibility of death, racing against time to save humanity.
Gosling told The Christian Post he hoped to make a film his own children could watch.
“I think it was very important for me,” he said. “[My wife] Eva and I look for films that we can go to with our whole family, and we find it hard to find.”
Photo Credit: ©MGM
It’s Full of Surprises
The plot turns when Ryland’s ship reaches Tau Ceti – and when he discovers another vessel already in orbit. That ship quickly approaches his, then docks in a moment that initially feels like the arrival of an enemy. But Ryland’s fears quickly fade when he realizes the craft is occupied by a friendly alien – an unusual, six-legged, rock-like being he names Rocky – who is on the same mission. Like Earth, Rocky’s planet is dying, and like Ryland, he lost his crewmates on the journey. Once they overcome the barriers of communication, the two join forces to uncover why Tau Ceti has survived.
Project Hail Mary is anything but a dry space odyssey. For starters, roughly half the film unfolds on Earth through a series of flashbacks that reveal who Ryland is – a high school teacher with a doctorate in molecular biology who was recruited by the government for his ability to think outside the box.
Meanwhile, the story in space is packed with surprises, driven by the mission’s one-way design. Ryland and his crew were sent on a sacrificial one-way mission: the ship has enough Astrophage to reach Tau Ceti, but not enough to bring them home.
Even if he succeeds, will Ryland find a way back? Will Rocky?
Photo Credit: ©MGM
It’s Offers a Subtle Nod to God
Space adventures rarely touch on faith, but Project Hail Mary offers a nod to belief through a handful of subtle moments.
The most memorable comes during a conversation on Earth, when scientist Eva Stratt remarks that the mission will succeed “God-willing.”
“You believe in God?” Ryland asks.
“It beats the alternative,” she answers, offering a brief but thought-provoking reflection that is left hanging.
Faith-centric families likely will enjoy the movie’s score, too.
Kris Kristofferson’s Sunday Morning Coming Down – popularized by Johnny Cash – plays as Ryland searches the ship, with its lyrics hinting at deeper questions of purpose and belief.
And once the credits roll, Ike & Tina Turner’s 1974 gospel tune Glory, Glory brings the film to a faith-tinged close. (“Glory, glory, hallelujah, since I laid my burden down.”)
Of course, some families may take issue with the film’s premise, holding the view that extraterrestrial life simply does not exist – a perspective I share. (God designed the universe to be vast as a reflection of His greatness and majesty – not as a hint of other life. In other words, its sheer size is the point.) But even if you share that view, there’s still plenty here to enjoy.
Photo Credit: ©MGM
It’s Funny and Just Plain Fun
My oldest son had the same reaction many might: “Wait, Ryan Gosling… in a space movie?” Gosling is known for his comedic roles, whether in Barbie, La La Land, or in many others.
To be fair, Project Hail Mary isn’t a comedy, but it’s filled with humor and levity. At one point, Ryland fashions a mop into a makeshift companion and talks to it, a lighthearted way of coping with isolation. He even ends up dancing as he learns to communicate with Rocky, turning first contact into something unexpectedly playful. Rocky brings his own share of humor to the story, too – part E.T., part curious toddler – scurrying around the ship, getting into things like a playful pet and keeping Ryland on his toes.
Yet beneath the humor lies a story with real depth.
The film is packed with thought-provoking lessons – about courage, sacrifice, friendship, and redemption.
It’s a live-action, family-friendly original that, no doubt, will end up among the year’s best. We need more movies like this one, Hollywood.
Rated PG-13 for some thematic material and suggestive references. Coarse language: OMG (5).
Entertainment rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
Family-friendly rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
Photo Credit: ©MGM
