Classic and Indie Film Series Under the Stars: SUNSHINE (2007)

I really wanted to do some indie science fiction this month. But that's actually a little more difficult than it sounds. There's lots of excellent science fiction movies out there, but generally it is very difficult to make science fiction on an indie budget. That actually narrows the field quite a bit. My first thought was to introduce all of you to a favorite cult film of mine from the mid- 1980's called THE QUIET EARTH (1985), and I do highly recommend that film from New Zealand to you as a great example of thoughtful science fiction on a low-budget. But the more I thought about it the more I realized that the themes of isolation and the folly of science in THE QUIET EARTH have been explored (although perhaps not quite so well) in many films before and after. There are many others of course, including numerous classics. But our last few screenings have leaned heavily on classics and I really wanted something more modern.

And so I decided on this one, which although I suspect many of you have never heard of it, I consider it one of the best science fiction films of the last 25 years. It was made by two Brits that would later go on to be nominated for multiple Academy Awards including, most notably, a Best Director win for the Best Picture winning SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE in 2009. That director's name is Danny Boyle, and along with his frequent collaborator Alex Garland, they have produced an extraordinary string of magnificent and thought provoking genre and mainstream films over the last couple of decades, many on limited budgets and without the participation of the major studios.

SUNSHINE is the story of the doomed crew of a spaceship on a desperate mission to deliver a "solar bomb" into the heart of our own sun because it has started to shut down, threatening to turn Earth into a frozen hunk of ice, destroying all life. The gravity of their mission is not lost on the heroic scientific crew who all realize that on this uncharted expedition they are all expendable and all that matters is the successful completion of their task. Most of the first half of the film deals with the psychological and isolationist pressure put on that crew, which includes Cillian Murphy, recent winner of Best Actor for OPPENHEIMER (2023), Rose Byrne (BRIDESMAIDS (2011)), and Captain America himself, Chris Evans, all of them before they became major stars. As the pressures mount among the crew, SUNSHINE transforms into an almost existential fight for survival, and includes one of the most harrowing (and yes, brutal) final 20 minutes I've ever seen put on film.

Had SUNSHINE been made by a major studio, it would have cost three times its estimated $40 million budget. Although the film was ultimately a box office disappointment, blame for which I put squarely on the shoulders of its American distributor Fox Searchlight for trying to make it look like an ARMAGEDDON (1998) retread (which it wasn't), critics loved the film, and over the years its become one of those movies that film people will knowingly wink and share among themselves like a kind of cinephile secret handshake (including me).

So come join the club for one of your new favorite movies no one has ever heard of. Once you've seen it, it's a hard movie to forget.

However--I should probably add a content warning here. For the most part, SUNSHINE is a talky, psychological drama. But when it shifts gears, it does so with a vengeance. What's weird is that the low budget special effects and brief but somewhat gruesome scenes of violence are not the most harrowing part of this movie. At certain points towards the end of the film you will care about these characters a great deal. And it is that gnawing feeling of certainty that there is no way everyone is going to survive this ordeal that makes SUNSHINE a masterpiece of tension and suspense that has few equals.

Presenting our Indie & Classic Backyard Movie Under the Stars Series, where we'll all get together during good weather armed with our bug spray and lawn chairs to watch a variety of classic and independent films.

RSVP's will open Monday March 24 at 12:01 in order to give everybody a chance to get the announcement.

I have the movies. I have the projector. I have a sort of giant (for a backyard at least) 10 foot screen. I even have a long, narrow but semi-deep backyard with a giant oak tree that will silently watch over us as we relive our youth at the drive-in.

There will be free hot dogs, movie candies, movie nachos, and popcorn. Feel free to bring other stuff if you want, including your own lawn chair. I have some spares and some blankets, but not enough for a full house. BYOB. I'll have some soft drinks and water as well.

We'll socialize for about an hour before the movie, which will start promptly at dusk (about 8:20 pm). I will be playing some classic and indie film trailers until it gets dark enough to see the projector.

RAIN POLICY - I'll post here if we have to reschedule for weather or other unforeseen events. Just check here before you head this way.

CARPOOLS - My parking around here really is limited thanks to overbuilding on nearby lots, so carpooling is encouraged.

In keeping with the general idea of this group, we will have a short discussion about the film, its stars, and the filmmakers before and after the movie. I hope you'll participate. If I have time I might even put together some film trivia with prizes.

Hope to see you there.