Interstellar (3/31/2015)

Rated PG-13 for some intense perilous action and brief strong language.

Starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, Jessica Chastain, Casey Affleck and John Lithgow

Directed by Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight trilogy, Inception and Memento)

Mind blowing!

Interstellar chronicles the adventures of a group of explorers who make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage.

I want to begin by saying that if the only thing I know about a film is that it is directed by Christopher Nolan, I’m going to go see it. In my opinion, he is one of the most brilliant, talented directors in Hollywood.

Like Inception and Memento, Interstellar is insanely smart and mind blowing.

Over the years Jonathan and I have argued the legitimacy of Matthew McConaughey. For years his roles seemed to be based on whether or not he would need to take his shirt off. Films like Reign of Fire and Magic Mike seemed to be his wheelhouse. Then he starred in HBO’s True Detective and Dallas Buyers Club, and proved to me and to the rest of the world that he was a legitimate actor. If you did not get a chance to see that series of films I would encourage you to check out Interstellar because he once again shows that he can be a serious actor. The rest of the cast including Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, Jessica Chastain, Casey Affleck and John Lithgow are all strong and incredible to watch.

I’d rather not tell you much more about the plot of the film. I don’t want to ruin the experience for you. And believe me, it is an experience. You won’t need to understand every scientific concept presented here to enjoy the movie. All you will need to understand is the importance of loving relationships — in this case, family relationships — to love this film.

Hans Zimmer’s beautiful score works seamlessly with the action sequences, the heartwarming scenes and the gorgeous outer-space environments. It’s a movie that takes you on a journey through the stars, but more importantly on a journey of love that will have you thinking about this movie long after the credits roll. Interstellar is “Worth Buying.”

Should Kids See It?
There is no sex or nudity in this film. There are 2 F-words and several other profanities.

The film deals with the extinction of humanity and depicts a future Earth that suffers huge dust storms and is running out of food. It is implied that many millions have died.

There are also several emotionally intense scenes involving a father leaving his family behind. And the action scenes involving astronauts involving several different life threatening scenarios will probably be too intense for younger viewers.

Conversation Starter:

1. How would you describe the relationship between Cooper and Murph?


2. Why is that relationship so strong?


3. Why was trust so important between Cooper and Murph?


4. How would you describe your relationship with your parents?


5. What are some things you can do to strengthen that relationship?