Screenwriter's Series: Drew Goddard
The Screenwriters Series will examine the filmography of a screenwriter with the hope of finding out what helped them break into the industry or continue to find success. "Story By" credits will not be used: only films with official WGA Screenplay credit per IMDb will be used. This includes screenplays with multiple writers that may or may not have collaborated.
THIS MONTH'S SCREENWRITER: Drew Goddard
MOVIE: The Martian (2015)
Starring:
Matt Damon as Mark Watney
Jessica Chastain as Melissa Lewis
Jeff Daniels as Teddy Sanders
Michael Pena as Rick Martinez
Sean Bean as Mitch Henderson
Kate Mara as Beth Johanssen
Sebastian Stan as Chris Beck
Kristen Wiig as Annie Montrose
Chiwetel Ejiofor as Vincent Kapoor
Donald Glover as Rich Purnell
Director: Ridley Scott
Budget: $108 Million
Box Office:
Opened: $54.3M
Final: $228.4M
Plot:
Botanist Mark Watney is left behind on Mars, presumed dead, after a storm forces a team of astronauts to cut their mission short and head back to earth. Alone, Watney must use all his smarts to not only survive on Mars, but to make contact with NASA as well, in an effort to be rescued.
The Script:
The draft of the script that I was able to read was the shooting script, so it stuck pretty closely to the final product that we saw on screen. What I want to commend Goddard for here, and what many other writers could learn, is pacing and handling of the main character in relation to the plot.
Not only is the script a fast read, it is an entertaining one as well. Leaving your main character alone for large chunks of the movie with no one to talk to is a hard task for a writer because you inevitably have to fall back on the character talking to themselves. This forces the internal to become external and is often helped by on the nose dialogue. While that's the case here, because it's so scientific and most of the audience won't understand why Watney is doing what he is doing, it's enthralling. Helping move things along is that much of what he is doing is seen through time lapse. Plus it helps that Watney has a good sense of humor to add to the mix.
Once again, Goddard shows how deep his understanding of writing is and uses it to his advantage.
My Review:
I like 3/4 of this film. Like really like it. This is honestly Matt Damon's best performance and I was completely engaged by the science of how he survives on Mars. His journey to being rescued is engaging and full of tension. The cinematography is flat out stunning as well and the fact that it wasn't even NOMINATED just blows my mind (I looked at the nominees and would have happily seen it take the place of eventual winner The Revenant, Carol or The Hateful Eight) Where the film loses me is in his rescue, which seems to abandon any of the realism that had been established previously for a cheesy set piece. From what I understand, it happened this way in the book as well so I can't fault Goddard for sticking to the source material.
Critical reception:
91% on Rotten Tomatoes
Black Film Critics Circle Awards Winner- Best Adapted Screenplay
Hugo Awards Winner- Best Dramatic Presentation Long Form
National Board of Review Winner- Best Adapted Screenplay
Nevada Film Critics Society Winner- Best Adapted Screenplay
Screenwriters Choice Awards, Online Winner- Best Adapted Screenplay
St. Louis Film Critics Association Winner- Best Adapted Screenplay
Utah Film Critics Association Awards Winner- Best Adapted Screenplay
Academy Award Nominee- Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay
AACTA International Awards Nominee- Best Screenplay
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films Nominee- Best Writing
Alliance of Women Film Journalists Nominee- Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay
Awards Circuit Community Awards Nominee- Best Adapted Screenplay
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards Nominee- Best Adapted Screenplay
Central Ohio Film Critics Association Nominee- Best Adapted Screenplay
Denver Film Critics Society Nominee- Best Adapted Screenplay
Georgia Film Critics Association Nominee- Best Adapted Screenplay
Golden Schmoes Awards Nominee- Best Screenplay of the Year
Houston Film Critics Society Awards Nominee- Best Screenplay
Huading Award Nominee- Best Global Writing for a Motion Picture
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards Nominee- Best Adapted Screenplay
Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards Nominee- Best Screenplay Adapted
North Carolina Film Critics Association Nominee- Best Adapted Screenplay
Online Film & Television Association Nominee- Best Writing, Screenplay based on Material from Another Medium
Online Film Critics Society Awards Nominee- Best Adapted Screenplay
Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards Nominee- Best Screenplay Adapted from Other Material
San Diego Film Critics Society Awards Nominee- Best Adapted Screenplay
San Francisco Film Critics Circle Nominee- Best Screenplay, Adapted
Satellite Awards Nominee- Best Screenplay, Adapted
Seattle Film Critics Awards Nominee- Best Screenplay, Adapted
USC Scripter Award Nominee
Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Awards Nominee- Best Adapted Screenplay
Writers Guild of America Nominee- Best Adapted Screenplay
Trivia:
Goddard was originally going to direct the film but left to work on The Sinister Six film.
Up Next: Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)