WONDERFUL! Come join us for the uncut reaction on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/twerkethicshow/posts/project-hail-166212318

Sandra Hüller, who played Eva Stratt, described the role as one of her softest, saying that Stratt acts with her whole heart and a total understanding of the crushing weight she carries, not because she is cold or uncaring. She is extremely pragmatic and has been given an insane amount of power to solve the crisis.

Gosling never looked better than that last shot with the turn and clap.

The “Rocky hate Mark” line was ad libbed. The lead puppeteer, James Ortiz, and Gosling developed a rapport, and did lots of ad libbing.  Gosling’s friend Mark was on set that day, so Gosling threw in the bit about Mark, and Ortiz hit it out of the park.

They were intending on casting a name actor to voice Rocky, but they loved what Ortiz brought to the character.  They were able to use some of the on-set sound.

Rocky was a puppet with rods and animatronics. There were up to 6 total Rocketeers operating him at a time. When he couldn’t be operated, like when he was in the ball, the puppeteers created reference footage, using a smaller table-top Rocky with reference dots, so the animators could keep his motions consistent.

Eva isn't cold, she's willing to make the hard decisions and stick by them.  When others would be scrapping for power or paralyzed by fear and grief she makes the hard trolly problem decisions to try and save the most people with the least loss.  Everyone likes to think they'd be logical and practical but she's the one that is actually being those things.  She loves people enough to do what it takes to save as many as possible.

Stratt singing came about when Ryan heard the actress sing in her room and convinced her to do it for the movie. She picked the song.

The book is incredibly witty. Weir does dry comedy so well. Highly recommend reading it or even listening to the audio book.

The book is funny, too, entirely because of Grace. I laughed out loud more than once. He's just so real and relatable. It's very easy to see yourself in him.

I love the bit where Yao tells Grace he just has to find someone to be brave for, and although Grace is forced on the Hail Mary, in the end he chooses to find Rocky instead of returning to Earth because he found someone to be brave for: Rocky

Choosing to use Rocky's lead puppeteer for his voice too is one of the best decisions ever made on a film set.

I need Grace's entire wardrobe from this film. Especially that fox cardigan

The Cardigan comes in a kit to be knitted.  Emma Stone who has done 3 movies with him says he can eat more Twizzlers than anyone and keeps them in his pocket.  The humor is the same and the movie is more about the relationship and cooperation, if you want all the science read the book.

Gosling wanted this to be the "ET" for his kid's generation.  Real sets, no green screens, Rocky is a puppet most of the time and Gosling does all the wire work.  Marking of: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeUyot032b0&t=489s

27:49 I mean you can just look that up and have a discussion after the movie. Also watch the credits of the film to know who composed the music.

The book humor is the same! Weir js great at using comic relief in such science heavy books.

One of my favorite little details that’s only mildly hinted in the movie is that Grace doesn’t swear out of habit of teaching kids. So throughout the book he uses dozens of silly non-swears. He’s so wholesome!

Rocky also has some other great jokes that didn’t make it into the movie

The Rocky voice is the voice of the lead puppeteer, James Ortiz.  He was the one mostly working with Ryan on the set as Rocky. The directors thought he was perfect so they didn't re-voice Rocky and gave him credit for the acting.

Every time I watch a reaction to this movie, I relisten to music by Kris Kristofferson!! phenomonal musician and songwriter!  and Grace finally found his "non-water based" lifeform in Rocky

One small bit of foreshadowing, when Grace wrote on the white board and was contemplating the question "Who would I die for?" the very next scene was Rocky appearing at his ship in his ball.

Movie candy: Milk Duds and Junior Mints. Bodies in space essentially freeze-dries as any residual water boils out/off.

I listened the audiobook before I saw the film. Never saw any previews. I'd never even heard of Ryan Gosling because I see maybe two films a year. So I  had no clue it was going to feature an alien until I reached that part of the book.