The Space Between Us

This Valentine’s Day everyone's talking “Fifty Shades Darker”. Based on how good “Fifty Shades of Grey” was, I figured I’d go for what I assumed was a safer bet, “The Space Between Us”. A little sci-fi, some romance… how could you go wrong?
16-year-old Gardner Elliot (Asa Butterfield) is the first boy born on Mars. After arriving on Earth, he clandestinely meets up with his long-distance friend Tulsa (Britt Robertson) Together they begin looking for Gardner’s father, with concerned authorities (including Gary Oldman and Carla Gugino) desperate to bring the increasingly ill teen back home.
I think this film could’ve worked, but you would’ve had to re-write the entire thing. This is a story about a young man who grew up without a father and goes on a search to find him. Oh yeah, and he grew up Mars. The quest that Gardner and Tulsa go on, it’s only interesting because Gardner’s Martian upbringing means his weakened physiology might kill him at any moment. Mostly it’s subpar drama.
I understand what they were trying to get at, but making this story into a teenage romance was not the right choice. Tulsa and Gardner are 16. That means neither of them has a car or any money.  Spoiler alert - click to reveal textTo travel, they need to steal a number of vehicles and avoid the authorities since Gardner’s not old enough to take control of his life. There are so many close calls and stolen cars that it becomes almost comical. Further hindering the film is the leads, who don’t have much chemistry. Interstellar love feels more like teenage infatuation.
Give me this premise and I could’ve fixed it. Firstly, I’d drop the quest for the dad. I would make Gardner into a man, someone who’s at least 21 and has been talking to Tulsa for years. I’d make a tough drama about a guy who has to ask himself a serious question. Can I leave my home, travel through space and risk living in a world that a) I don’t understand and b) might be dangerous to me, for a woman I’ve fallen in love with, but never actually met? That sounds a whole lot more interesting than a couple of teenagers sticking their tongues out at the authorities and investigating a photo. It gets worse once you realize that the would-be tension is going to be alleviated by Gardner, who, having grown up on Mars knows nothing about social interactions... despite his exposure to movies and the internet.

If it was bigger, bolder then you'd be able to forgive the predictable turns it takes. Even with the unexpected development towards the end, I foresaw the conclusion."The Space Between Us" features competent performances (even if the chemistry isn't there) and isn't a chore to watch, but it won't stir much emotion within you. (Theatrical version on the big screen, February 14, 2017)