Dr Ryan Stone, an engineer on her first space mission, and Matt Kowalski, an astronaut on his final expedition, have to survive in space after they are hit by debris while spacewalking.Dr Ryan Stone, an engineer on her first space mission, and Matt Kowalski, an astronaut on his final expedition, have to survive in space after they are hit by debris while spacewalking.Dr Ryan Stone, an engineer on her first space mission, and Matt Kowalski, an astronaut on his final expedition, have to survive in space after they are hit by debris while spacewalking.
- Won 7 Oscars
- 240 wins & 187 nominations total
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Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe film's cascade of debris is a very real possibility. This scenario is known as the Kessler syndrome, named after N.A.S.A. scientist Donald J. Kessler who first proposed the theory in 1978. A cascading Kessler syndrome involving an object the size of the International Space Station would trigger a catastrophic chain-reaction of debris. The orbiting debris field would make it impossible to launch space exploration missions or satellites for many decades.
- GoofsWhen Kowalski asks Stone to let go of him because the rope will not hold them both, that could never happen because they are both in the same orbit around the earth. A short simple tug would have brought him back to her. Additionally, once they are drifting away from the ISS, disconnecting from Kowalski would not cause her to rebound back toward the ISS unless another force pulled her back in its direction. At most she would stop when the ropes reach the end of their slack, in which case Kowalsky would also have stopped.
- Quotes
Matt Kowalski: Listen, do you wanna go back, or do you wanna stay here? I get it. It's nice up here. You can just shut down all the systems, turn out all the lights, and just close your eyes and tune out everyone. There's nobody up here that can hurt you. It's safe. I mean, what's the point of going on? What's the point of living? Your kid died. Doesn't get any rougher than that. But still, it's a matter of what you do now. If you decide to go, then you gotta just get on with it. Sit back, enjoy the ride. You gotta plant both your feet on the ground and start livin' life. Hey, Ryan? It's time to go home.
- Crazy creditsThe director thanks his mother during the end credits, in Spanish: "a mi mamá, gracias".
- ConnectionsFeatured in Filmselskabet: Episode #4.1 (2013)
Starring two unknowns by the names of George Clooney and Sandra Bullock, Gravity puts the two A-listers together as a medical engineer and an astronaut that must work in tandem to survive once a freak accident leaves them adrift in space.
Their struggle takes place after debris from a Russian satellite comes speeding through their orbit ripping their space shuttle to shreds causing Dr. Ryan Stone (Bullock) to float untethered in space. Coming to her aid is astronaut Matt Kowalsky (Clooney) who estimates that the debris will again circle the earth and again zip past their location in approximately 90-minutes. Their mission quickly changes into a race to survival 600km above the earth where help from anyone outside of each other is impossible.
Alfonso Cuarón is chiselling himself quite a career. He was last behind the camera for Children of Men (2006) which was nominated for three Academy Awards and he was also responsible for the best film in the Harry Potter film series with Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004). But Gravity is his best work to date.
Bullock carries the film (expect some murmurs for a Best Actress nomination) and Gravity centers on the two main characters only. There are no other developed characters. Two other astronauts and a radio voice from Houston, Texas are the only other character influences and their parts wouldn't amount to 2 minutes if strung in order.
With only two actors to carry the entire 90-minute runtime, the movie relies heavily on its visuals of space and the various orbiting stations with the earth always prominent in the background. And the visuals are fantastic. There are no side-stories, sub-plots, unnecessary fluff or sexual tension between the characters. Just a desperate attempt to make the most of the oxygen they have left.
Gravity is the best 3D film ever. Ever. Add to the mix the incredible visuals and perfect sound (both loud and quiet) and you have a faultless mix. Gravity will contend for Oscar's in Visual Effects, Sound and Editing.
Cuarón incredibly is able to give his audience a sense of claustrophobia whether his cast are inside an orbiting capsule or in the vast darkness of space. And as the astronauts deal with each new developing tragedy, the audience will themselves be gasping for air rooting for the character's success in each new attempt at survival.
With still a few months left in the year, it's too early to call a film the year's best. But Gravity will definitely be there on many lists at the year's conclusion. It's that breathtaking. It's that good.
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- Sep 13, 2013
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Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Languages
- Also known as
- Gravedad
- Filming locations
- Space(Earth's orbit)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $100,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $274,092,705
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $55,785,112
- Oct 6, 2013
- Gross worldwide
- $773,031,617
- Runtime1 hour 31 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1