The MARTIAN

Stranded on Mars, astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon), must use his knowledge of science to survive until a rescue crew arrives. What were some of the challenges he faced?
How does Mark manage to hold on to his sanity during the long period of isolation on Mars?
The review by Matt Zoller Seitz writes about the use of humor in The Martian, how did the film use humor?
The Seitz review also notes the sprouting potatoes as recurring images throughout The Martian, what do you think the sprouts might symbolize?
The review from The Verge points out The Martian tells two different stories: Mark’s struggle to survive on Mars and the people back on Earth trying to help him (I suppose one could include the crew of the Ares III as a third plot line). Was the director (Ridley Scott) successful in making all these stories engaging? Why or why not?
The Martian makes it clear space travel is expensive, a lot of time and resources go into rescuing Mark. Is human exploration of the solar system something you support for the future? Or should private industry/governments devote their resources to other challenges here on Earth? What are the benefits of exploring space?

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