The Space Between Us

“The Space Between Us” opens with an astronaut crew in space, undergoing a 4 year mission to live on Mars. Something goes askew, and one of the females discovers she’s pregnant! The pregnancy is kept secret for fear of losing funding of the groundbreaking expedition

Unfortunately, the mother dies, and her son Gardner Elliott (Asa Butterfield, “Ender’s Game”) is orphaned and raised by a group of astronauts and scientists being dubbed the first child born on Mars. We see him grow up on Mars into a teenager. He longs for Earth, and and to find his father. His desire to go to Earth is further sparked by a Internet visual chat with a teenage girl Tulsa (Britt Robinson). Gardner’s desires are soon realized, and he arrives on Earth and seeks out Tulsa, despite numerous warnings regarding his health in Earth’s atmosphere compared to Mars.

While a very intriguing topic and story, there is a lot lacking in this film. The highlight is the acting of Asa Butterfield. I found his innocence and intrigue very genuine, compelling, and heartfelt; he kept me watching when everything else in the film seemed to be rushed and repetitive. The other actors, especially Tulsa come off as somewhat unauthentic. The Boy Meets Girl chemistry seems forced, due to Robinson’s acting in this quite literal star-crossed romance. For such a unique spin on the genre, it seems very predictable, which was a disappointment.

As for objectionable content, there is some, but not a lot. There is moderate use of profanity. There is a non overt sexual encounter. There is violence, and a pretty vivid birth scene.

As for biblical truth, there is a lot to be discerned from this film. The story deals with death in a very real way—the death of a mother. A child’s longing for a father really rang true for me. I was raised by a single mother, and I was surrounded by children who had a mother and father, and I longed for my father. Today, in a society that undermines the value of fathers in the home, this film hits a truth that every child deserves a mother and a father. Without both, a child will be lacking. That may not be a popular opinion, but, as Christians, we know that it is true.

Another issue dealt with is, what you do with your life while you’re alive on Earth. As Christians, we need to be vigilant in spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ! There’s a great quote that says “God does not have fans; we are all players, get in the game!” So what are you doing for the kingdom of Christ? Are you spreading the gospel at every opportunity, like you share your favorite restaurant or your favorite movie or food? Do you bring Christ to work with you, to tell people what he’s done for you? I know that I struggle with this. We don’t know how long we have on this Earth, but we know, as Christians, what we’re supposed to do while we’re here, seek to save the lost!

If you’re a fan of Asa Butterfield, you’ll probably enjoy watching him in this film, because he does not disappoint. However, the surrounding cast and the pedantic storyline may leave you underwhelmed.

Violence: Mild to Moderate / Profanity: Moderate—OMG (1), Oh G*d (1), God (1), d*mn (1), d*ck (1), a** (4), cr*p (2) / Sex/Nudity: Moderate to Heavy—cleavage, pregnancy out of wedlock, man in his underwear, male puts hand on female’s bare knee and then her bare thigh, kissing, unmarried couple apparently naked in a sleeping bag, fornication

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.