one of my favorite things about Ryland, is that he genuinely doesn't believe he's the right person for the job. And i understand that. He's terrified. But i also love that the story builds up to that memory, it spends every scene before that memory, showing us how goddamn smart, and perfect, for the job he is.
One little thing i loved in the movie was that it shows how he really is there for everything. And he has the same ideas as the other scientists, when they're trying to figure out how to make zero gravity tools, and they bring in another scientist, Ryland kinda shuffles up and into the conversation and is like "you're thinking centrifuge right?"
Like, he had all the ideas. He knew the best methods. Even that one scientist that hated him in the book, she went to him because she'd seen that he knew his shit and could help her with her problem. And he did.
Like, i love love love so much that the book and the movie were like, look at this guy. He might be messy. And he might not always have the best methods, especially when his memory is spotty. But he knows his shit. He very clearly should be here doing this. He's theeee guy.
And then they slap you with that memory of him saying "no. I can't do this." And i personally like the movie version better, when Stratt says, "I'm doing this because i believe you can do this." Like, she had so much faith. She KNEW he could do it. He was the right guy for it.
I just love that they SHOW US he's the guy for this. And then tell us, he never wanted to be. But it didn't matter what he wanted. Because he's there. And he's doing it. And then he meets another living being and is proved RIGHT. His theory of life was RIGHT.
But he gets that memory back and DESPITE everything he's done, on his own, and then with Rocky. He still believes he's a coward. It very visually changes him. Remembering that about himself. It wrecks him for a minute.
But, he has Rocky. And in the book. Rocky tells him it's fate that they met. He doesn't know what fate means to humans, not really. But what he describes is fate. The fact that both their species were at just the right stage of development to get both of them there. In that moment. Together.
And it was hard. And it was messy. And people from both their worlds died. But they met. And they learned to communicate with an alien species. They reached out to each other with hope. And it worked.
This man who thinks he's a coward. Despite all the evidence to the contrary, swallows what he "knows" about himself. And he saves everyone. He saves two worlds. Because he found someone to be brave for. But really, he found two people to be brave for. Because he was brave for himself too. Even if he didn't see it that way.
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