Interstellar, directed by Christopher Nolan and written by Christopher and Jonathan Nolan, is a 2014 science fiction epic that explores humanity’s desperate search for a new home amidst a dying Earth. The film garnered critical acclaim for its visual effects, winning the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, and received nominations for Best Original Score, Best Production Design, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Sound Editing. While initial reviews were mixed, Interstellar has since become regarded as one of the greatest sci-fi movies of all time.
The core of “What Is The Movie Interstellar About” revolves around the protagonist, Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), a former NASA pilot. He is tasked with leading a perilous mission through a wormhole near Saturn. This wormhole is believed to lead to potentially habitable planets in another galaxy, offering a last-ditch effort to save humanity from extinction caused by a global blight destroying Earth’s crops.
The Two Plans
Dr. Brand (Michael Caine) outlines the two-pronged strategy NASA has devised:
- Plan A: This ambitious plan involves Cooper transmitting quantum data collected from the black hole back to Earth. The aim is to enable scientists to develop a gravitational propulsion theory, allowing massive spacecraft to transport the Earth’s population to a new home.
- Plan B: A more pragmatic approach, Plan B entails the crew locating the remnants of the Lazarus missions, a group of astronauts previously sent through the wormhole to assess potential planets. If a habitable planet is found, they would establish a colony using frozen embryos, essentially ensuring the survival of humanity’s genes, even if the people of Earth perish.
Setting and Timeline
While the exact timeframe is never explicitly stated, the film strongly suggests that Interstellar is set in a not-so-distant future. Examining the Interstellar script reveals clues about the timeline.
The dialogue implies that baseball, a symbol of normalcy, was still played during Cooper’s father-in-law Donald’s (John Lithgow) childhood. However, by the time Cooper was a child, societal collapse had progressed to the point where such leisure activities were no longer possible.
Based on this, we can deduce that Interstellar likely takes place roughly 40 to 70 years after 2014. This is based on the assumption that Cooper is around 40 years old and that the societal decline occurred sometime before his birth, but not so long before that Donald wouldn’t remember a time of stability.
The Harrowing Water Planet
The Endurance crew decides to investigate Miller’s planet first, as it’s the most recently transmitting signal. The planet’s proximity to the supermassive black hole Gargantua results in extreme time dilation – one hour on the surface equates to seven years on Earth.
Cooper, Brand (Anne Hathaway), and Doyle (Wes Bentley) venture onto the surface to locate Miller’s transponder. Brand discovers it, but a colossal tidal wave, caused by Gargantua’s gravitational pull, sweeps in. Doyle is killed, and Cooper and Brand barely escape. They realize that Miller had died mere moments before their arrival due to the severe time dilation.
Cooper’s Sacrifice and Family
Cooper leaves behind his family on Earth: his daughter Murph (Mackenzie Foy/Jessica Chastain), his son Tom (Timothée Chalamet/Casey Affleck), and his father-in-law, Donald. As time passes, the relationships within Cooper’s family becomes strained.
Murph and Tom represent contrasting perspectives. Murph dedicates herself to solving the gravitational equation and saving humanity, while Tom focuses on the family farm and dismisses science. These opposing viewpoints highlight the positive and negative aspects of their characters.
Mann’s Deception
Matt Damon plays Dr. Mann, the captain of the Lazarus mission. Following the failed water planet mission, Cooper faces a critical choice: travel to Dr. Edmunds’ planet or Dr. Mann’s planet.
Cooper chooses Mann’s planet. Upon arrival, they find Mann in cryosleep. It quickly becomes evident that something is amiss with Mann. Driven to desperation after years of isolation, Mann attempts to hijack the mission for his own survival, regardless of the consequences.
The Unveiling of Plan A
Back on Earth, Dr. Brand reveals a shocking truth to Murph: Plan A was always a deception. The necessary technology to evacuate Earth’s population simply didn’t exist.
Cooper, unaware of this revelation, intends to return to Earth, while Mann, Brand, and Romilly would remain on Mann’s planet to establish a colony. However, Mann’s planet proves uninhabitable, and he needs the Endurance to reach Edmunds’ planet. This leads to a deadly confrontation.
The Docking Maneuver
Brand and Cooper manage to escape Mann’s treachery, but Mann attempts to dock with the Endurance, resulting in an explosion that damages critical systems.
Cooper performs a daring and seemingly impossible docking maneuver to save the Endurance, sacrificing weight and fuel in the process.
Gargantua: The Black Hole
The Interstellar black hole, named Gargantua, is central to the film’s climax. Nolan and his team consulted with theoretical physicist Kip Thorne to create a scientifically accurate depiction of a black hole.
A common misconception is that black holes and wormholes are the same. However, wormholes are theoretical tunnels connecting distant points in spacetime, while black holes are regions of spacetime with immense gravity from which nothing, not even light, can escape.
Beyond the Event Horizon
The black hole scene is where Interstellar delves into theoretical physics. The event horizon is the boundary beyond which nothing can escape a black hole. Nolan explores what might happen if someone were to cross this boundary.
In Interstellar, Cooper enters the black hole and finds himself in a tesseract, a structure created by advanced beings, allowing him to interact with Murph across spacetime.
The Ending Explained
To save Brand, Cooper slingshots around Gargantua, generating enough energy to send the Endurance to Edmunds’ planet. This maneuver sends him into the black hole. Inside, he discovers he can communicate with Murph through gravity, sending her the quantum data needed to solve the gravitational equation.
Later, Cooper awakens on “Cooper Station,” a space station orbiting Saturn. He reunites with an elderly Murph, who has successfully saved humanity. The Interstellar meaning lies in the blend of scientific exploration and the enduring power of human connection. It’s a story about traversing the cosmos and fighting for love and survival.
