“The Martian”

The 88th Academy Awards 2016 will take place at the Dolby Theatre at the Hollywood & Highland Center on Sunday, February 28, 2016.  As we do every year, Hollywood on the Potomac will do our winners pick via the process of elimination.  First up in the Best Picture category is THE MARTIAN:  Simon Kinberg, Ridley Scott, Michael Schaefer and Mark Huffam, producers starring Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels and Kate Mara.  A short description without giving away the store is from IMDb: “During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive.”

Here’s the take: The Martian is a great family movie, although too scary for young children.  Some of the action seems plausible scientifically, but most of it doesn’t.  With today’s technology, however, guess you could say that anything is possible – eventually.  Matt Damon, who is nominated for Best Actor, does a fine job but what’s not to like about Matt Damon……all of his movements, words, inflection are perfect but will get to that when the Best Actor category comes up.

Matt Damon