For as much as the book and movie strive for scientific accuracy, the most realistic aspect of The Martian is that the entire world would band together in an effort to save Matt Damon. The Martian is celebrating its 10th anniversary and remains widely beloved by fans for its charm and likability, largely due to the lead performance of the previously mentioned and always endearing Matt Damon in possibly his best performance. However, Damon had the groundwork laid out for him, thanks to a witty and entertaining script written by the great Drew Goddard, which itself was based on the fantastic 2011 novel by the ultimate sci-fi writing luminary, Andy Weir. The two would later reunite with Goddard, adapting Weir’s other excellent space outing, Project Hail Mary, which is set to be released next year.
At the time of its release, while getting significant praise from critics (cemented by a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes), some were critical of the film’s comedic tone in contrast to its survivalist story. It was a point of contention for some when the film was nominated and eventually won at the 2016 Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. Even Ricky Gervais would make a crack about it when introducing Matt Damon on stage at a certain point in the show. Branding the film as a comedy may seem reductive, but the comedic tone is crucial to the theme of both the book and film, as well as to the character of Mark Watney himself.
There are more than a fair share of movies that share the premise of a lone individual who has to bravely fight against the elements of nature for their survival. The closest film companion that The Martian would share a shelf with would probably be Cast Away, and with stories like these, they often like to hammer home the peril and direness of the situation, which…fair enough. They are stories about life-or-death scenarios that usually rely on the ingenuity of the protagonists to make it out alive, and that basic premise doesn’t lend itself to comedy. Depending on how broad the films aim to be, they might even throw in a loved one as a driving force for getting back. This isn’t the case with The Martian, nor is it with Mark Watney.
The entire thesis of the story is being optimistic in the face of a harsh reality. Mark Watney is fully aware that he could die at any moment due to the dire realities of space exploration, and he makes that clear several times throughout the film, as well as in his final monologue. He’s consciously aware of the danger that surrounds him, but he allows himself to control his response to it, and that response is to stay positive and try to find the humor in it. His buoyant personality isn’t a sign of naïveté; it’s a means to keep his state of mind leveled and his priorities in line. When things go wrong, he still allows himself to be disheartened by it.
When the airlock explodes and all of his potato crops die from Mars’ atmosphere, he doesn’t immediately go into making light of the situation (though he does eventually). He enters the Rover, takes a moment to take in the severity of the problem, and screams and pounds the ceiling out of pure rage. It’s probably his most human and relatable moment because it’s only a few seconds, but you feel his frustration in that quick outburst. Of course, after he gets that out of his system, he goes back to problem-solving mode, fixes The Hab, and cleans up the mess.
The other main idea that the film hammers home is the desire people have to help others when something goes wrong. It’s omitted from the final film, but the final passage of the book has Mark Watney reflecting on his experiences on Mars and how millions of dollars were spent across multiple countries’ space agencies to get him home. It’s probably one of the book’s most quoted lines, “They did it because every human being has a basic instinct to help each other out.”
That’s why the story doesn’t have a villain. It could have easily taken a satirical turn, where the agencies are only helping Mark because of the PR ramifications if they don’t, or the positive budgetary outlays they’ll receive if they do. But they don’t do that. Jeff Daniels’ character, Teddy, by all accounts, should be the villain of the story and is the closest the story gets to an antagonist. The only reason that’s the case is that he’s worried about potentially having the deaths of five astronauts on his conscience rather than just one. Nothing is done with malice, and it’s clear he isn’t happy with his decision; it’s just a tough call that someone has to make, and he’s the one who makes it. Once the plan is changed and the crew decides to save Mark, he doesn’t attempt to stop them or somehow become a straw man to elicit more drama. He goes along with it and helps them because his core intention is to get everyone home safely.
That’s probably the reason why The Martian feels so timeless and consistently rewatchable. It’s about having awareness of a problem, not romanticizing it, and not letting emotions get in the way; instead, focusing on the process of fixing it. There’s no cynical edge or social commentary. It’s not trying to manipulate the audience into taking sides on an ethical argument. It has a clear-cut goal of a protagonist who wants to survive because he enjoys living, and an entire group of people trying to help save him because it’s the right thing to do. It's a story about being optimistic in the face of overwhelming odds and the human desire to help others, and it's exactly that lack of ambiguity that makes it so easy to come back to even a decade later.
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