Favorite Characters: Mike Watney (The Martian)

The Martian is a cracking good movie, and much of the credit for that is down to its endlessly engaging protagonist.  Whether he’s being brainy, badass, or befuddled, eliciting laughs or laments, Watney fires on all cylinders as a character.  This is so much more than a story about “a man stuck on Mars,” “an astronaut stuck on Mars,” or even “an astronaut botanist stuck on Mars.”  This is, at all times, a story about Mark Watney stuck on Mars, absolutely specific in every detail.

One of Watney’s most rootable traits is, naturally, his extreme capability and determination.  This is a man almost certainly destined to die alone on another planet, but he’ll be damned if he doesn’t go down swinging.  Throughout the film, Watney continually meets the myriad challenges of surviving on the Red Planet with limited resources head-on.  He “sciences the shit” out of all his supplies to make them last longer, he repurposes pieces of equipment to make himself alive in inventive ways, and he uses his own waste to make things grow on a planet that doesn’t support life.  Every day during his time on Mars, he pushes himself further and finds new means holding on.  He’s incredibly smart and endlessly resourceful, and he has nerves of adamantium.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about Watney is his ability to maintain his sense of humor amidst punishing, almost entirely hopeless situations.  In the video logs he makes (to leave records for history, as well as to keep track of his progress for his own review and benefit, and probably at least a little bit to keep from going crazy,) his running commentary tends frequently toward the smartass.  He jokingly boosts his ego, calling himself “the greatest botanist on this planet.”  He condemns his captain, not for leaving him behind on Mars, but for having only disco music on her computer.  Even in low moments, he’s likely to turn first to a bit of gallows humor.  That spirit is just tremendous.

But of course, Watney isn’t Superman.  His experiments don’t always work out (the first time he tries to make water, he sets himself on fire,) and his attitude isn’t uncrackable.  There are times when he lashes out at his own stupidity or recklessness.  He sometimes finds himself – most understandably – unable to smile, when he gives in to the despair and allows himself to feel the enormity of his predicament.  That’s only natural, and I don’t begrudge Watney a second of his anger, depression, or terror.  And let’s face it; as a character, he delivers on this front as well.  When he composes a message for his parents in the event that he can’t get back to Earth, his grief is all the more affecting because we’ve grown accustomed to his sarcasm and tenacity.

In all probability, the basic premise of The Martin would have made a fine movie in any form.  The story that plays out back at NASA, as well as on the returning spaceship, makes for an excellent movie; I’d have been quite happy to see these people trying to rescue any astronaut from Mars, and any astronaut’s struggle to stay alive and find a way to get home is bound to have been interesting.  However, it’s the character of Watney specifically – his personality, his humor, his reactions – that take this fine premise and this excellent, interesting plot and make it into a fantastic movie.