The Cold Equations (1996)

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

It took a little while to warm to this film but once the real drama began to unfold I was hooked. The lead characters are believable and there is some good acting on show from the lead actors. Don't watch this expecting great effects or stunning cinematography but those things are not needed for most of the film's length. Its a play set in a spacecraft. A drama that engages the intellect as well as the emotions, as one would expect from a film based on classic 50s sci fi. ------SPOILERS below------ Although the main story is about the coldness of space and the physical laws that make it, the tone only hinted at this..if only Tarkovsky could have had a go at it.. The developing relationship between the two main characters is the films strength. But its weakness is that the bad corporation story feels tagged on- there either needed to be more of it or none of it. The cutaways to the courtroom and back to the drama work well. Unfortunately the final scene felt a little lame.

This should have been a short 1/2 hour show. They tried to stretch a great sci-fi short story to movie length - and they failed. WARNING: SPOILERS Basically; highly efficient space ships are used to deliver emergency medical supplies to stop a deadly plague. To save costs, fuel is calculated precisely. All things are considered; weight of craft, weight of cargo, distance of trip, landing fuel needs etc.etc. A girl stow away is found on the ship. The only solution is to jettison her into space (there are no emergency space-suits, and no other spacecraft that may save her) Unfortunately, for the show to work you have to like the actress - but The girl (Poppy Montgomery) is completely unlikeable, and you will cheer when she is finally blasted into cold space and finally shut-up.

The comments of others who have read the story have disapproved of the movie and I understand that. But if you are a fan of science fiction, I think you have to be grateful for this movie. I saw the movie before I read the story and I was blown away. How rare is it for a movie to actually include math and physics--correct physics? This movie could even be used to teach things like acceleration, mass, and energy conservation. I also think the actors did a good job. Montgomery not only sold the terror of impending death in the vacuum of space, but she also sold me on her determination to sacrifice herself. Understanding that it is a low-budget (I believe made for the SciFi Channel) movie, I appreciate it. I hope more good science fiction stories are made into movies, as faithfully as possible.

This film is the third, and worst, adaptation of one of the best SF shorts I have ever read.The original story had some very clear messages: People are responsible for their actions and there are consequences; Life isn't fair; Neither is death; Sometimes, one has to make tough choices.Unfortunately, by the time Geiger and Burger got through with it, it had become an overly long, rambling true love in space soap opera.The short story generated a good bit of controversy when it was published in 1954.I can't recommend this film to anyone who has read Tom Godwin's story.