“I put the ‘not’ in astronaut!”

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I love teaching English to high schoolers: the pure creativity and potential. It is rewarding to see a child’s imagination unleashed and their mind freed. You can, at times, see the long-forgotten-dust be dislodged and the invisible-bindings be loosed.

What I love even more is teaching Film Studies to upper-classmen. It is everything I love about English … but hyper-focused. Film is the best of all mediums, the finest of all art-forms. Through film, a student can recognize things so far in life unrecognized, can empathize with things so far in life unexperienced, can feel things so far in life unfelt. Especially for a young mind, movies are a vehicle of unparalleled impact and advantage. They expand and broaden a person.

I have been teaching Film Studies for eight years now, and I am always (and redundantly) surprised at how a movie can move a willing soul. Why am I so surprised? It happens to ME all the time! Movies incite anger, allow discomfort, inspire affection, or encourage laughter. Each film is a journey taken individually but also collectively – what a beautiful paradox!

In my class, we do it all! We study humanity in every way-shape-and-form. I watch as kids squirm in “Silence of the Lambs,” finally understanding the importance of putting the lotion back in the basket! I watch their eyes (and ears) experience pure-exhilaration in “Baby Driver.” I witness them disintegrate when they find out what is in the box in “Se7en.” I see them swell with pride in the Chief from “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” I hear the unease seamlessly blend with laughter in “Parasite.” I mop up what is left of them after “The Father.” Looks of terror, tears of joy, giggles of release, and sweat of tension – we feel it all in Film Studies!

Every year in Film Studies, we take a field trip to the movies; nothing is quite as magical as seeing a movie in the theater surrounded by my very own students! This year, we watched “Project Hail Mary,” and I invited my students to join me in this review. Here goes nothin’!

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Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) wakes up – normal day, right? Not! He wakes up on a craft of sorts, foggy and groggy. Upon closer inspection, he is surrounded by astronaut corpses and an entirely different galaxy! Not a typical morning, for sure.

As Grace’s memory unfogs and his body ungrogs, his present predicament comes into focus as his past is illuminated. We see Grace as a simple middle-school science teacher, both struggling and succeeding to inspire and occupy a room of children. We see global concern rise with the unmistakable presence of a microscopic organism feeding off the sun’s energy and, therefore, cooling the Earth. We see Grace, who was once a highly prominent molecular biologist but is now a scientific pariah, being recruited and questioned by the government. Although completely reluctant initially, Grace attempts to do what others seem incapable of doing: learn something about this futile phenomenon.

With Grace’s unconventional yet solid discoveries, action is determined, and world-saving plans are conceived. It might be a long-shot … but inaction means certain death for planet Earth. A “Hail-Mary” is better than nothing, right?

The past has happened, the present is dim, and the future requires boldness, bravery, and a heavy dose of stupidity – good thing Grace has all these attributes in spades! Although light years away from any humanity, Grace receives some help from an unlikely place to do the extraordinary: save every star to save every form of life. A failed mission will result in galactic collapse … no pressure, right?

<<< Liliana Parsons (12th grade): "I was greeted with a visually stunning and emotionally beautiful exploration of humanity and how much we're willing to sacrifice for it. The movie had decent humor, but it was the story itself that stood out to me. The few characters we had were so compelling that I wanted them to have a happy ending, even if that meant an unsatisfying one. "I cried about four times throughout the entire film, even though normally animal or animal-like companions make me more annoyed than emotionally compelled. The length of the movie isn't for everyone, but I thought it was necessary to have a well-paced story. "This film further instilled the fear of space, loneliness, and forced sacrifice into me. The beautiful shots of empty space and the confusion the movie immediately puts you in hints perfectly at the headspace Grace is in. Just like how he regains his understanding of his situation as the movie progresses, the audience grows with him as they learn his backstory. 'Project Hail Mary' is carefully crafted, intensely emotional, and extremely lovable." Kaiden Collins (11th grade): "Project Hail Mary is a spectacular, beautiful, and emotional masterpiece that blends a heavy emotional setting with lighthearted humor." Derek Roberts (12th grade): "Ok, ok, there's just so much to say! I think the most unbelievable part of the movie is that so many different countries actually agreed to work together to save the world - but, looking beyond the few inconsistencies I noticed, 'Project Hail Mary' entertained and immersed me in a way most films fail to. The beautiful and (mostly) practical effects drew me in and made me care for Rocky more than I ever expected to!" Gabrielle Rodet (11th grade): "I think this movie was a beautiful representation of how love and friendship can transcend normal boundaries." As you can see, I am always surrounded by insightful, introspective, and intelligent students! Although only teenagers, they are courageous in their vulnerability and willingness to do the hard work that movies are consistently urging us to do. Here are my .00000030 Bitcoins (equal to 2¢): I have always been a fan of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller; their writing and directing chemistry is so refreshing. From "Lego Movie" to "Into the Spider-verse," they are full of energy and pure-excitement. "Project Hail Mary" is quite a departure from their "norm," but the energy and excitement are still evident! Their desired tone is a feat: a hard sci-fi, dramatic pre-apocalypse, buddy comedy ... and they make this balancing act look easy! The screenplay by Drew Goddard is equal parts tender and entertaining. The composition by Daniel Pemberton was well-paced and often quite moving. The cinematography by Greig Fraser was immense yet intimate. The production design by Charles Wood was full of engaging details. The practical effects team behind Rocky, the extra-terrestrial pal, did an especially memorable job; their work is flawlessly fantastic! Don't get me started on Ryan Gosling; that guy is just so ... likeable. If Morgan Freeman could READ the phone book, Ryan Gosling could make us believe he LOVED one. So charming! Sandra Hüller was wonderfully complicated as Eva Stratt, the government official running this last-ditch-effort. James Ortiz was amazingly effective as Rocky's voice actor and puppeteer. As my students have already stated so eloquently, "Project Hail Mary" is an epic of heart and soul ... and spaceships. It can be seen at Regal today! REPORT CARD: Project Hail Mary

Grade: A …

Assessment: A robust reminder of the power of the human spirit