NOTE: Comments below are about the movie. I know there is also a novel. I am very curious to learn to what degree the novel does or does not suffer from these plot problems.
The end ruined it. Wild improbability piled upon wild improbability. The overall plot and theme could have been achieved without such insipid false drama.
Movies get 1-2 suspensions of disbelief. #1 was that she fell for the personal assistant service scam. That was fine--a small stretch, but plausible, especially for an "out there" person like her, and it was a brilliant plot device that plays into topical concerns about privacy and online scams. Suspension #2 was the idea that she could stage a comeback and design the next-gen South Pole station. That's a huge stretch--comeback alone would be big, but designing a polar station when she has no bona fides is really out there. That's okay--that is the one huge thing that makes it a compelling story and entertaining movie. But everything else should be plausible, in service of the bets already placed on incredible things.
For instance, if her family had tried to meet up with her in Antarctica but failed, I think it would have achieved the same ultimate emotional and plot effect. It would have shown they cared about her and literally would have gone to the ends of the earth to help her. Likewise the attempt to stow away and get to the pole. Much more reasonable if she had tried (that's wild enough) and failed, but in failing, attracted just enough attention for her bid to be considered for the architectural "commission" to be taken seriously.
The end ruined it. Wild improbability piled upon wild improbability. The overall plot and theme could have been achieved without such insipid false drama.
Movies get 1-2 suspensions of disbelief. #1 was that she fell for the personal assistant service scam. That was fine--a small stretch, but plausible, especially for an "out there" person like her, and it was a brilliant plot device that plays into topical concerns about privacy and online scams. Suspension #2 was the idea that she could stage a comeback and design the next-gen South Pole station. That's a huge stretch--comeback alone would be big, but designing a polar station when she has no bona fides is really out there. That's okay--that is the one huge thing that makes it a compelling story and entertaining movie. But everything else should be plausible, in service of the bets already placed on incredible things.
For instance, if her family had tried to meet up with her in Antarctica but failed, I think it would have achieved the same ultimate emotional and plot effect. It would have shown they cared about her and literally would have gone to the ends of the earth to help her. Likewise the attempt to stow away and get to the pole. Much more reasonable if she had tried (that's wild enough) and failed, but in failing, attracted just enough attention for her bid to be considered for the architectural "commission" to be taken seriously.
Strengths
- Cate Blanchette's performance is great.
- The Micro$oft employee husband was really well-calibrated, very human and not at all a tech/geek caricature.
Other Complaints
- There is NO WAY that a mother-daughter relationship so enmeshed would: A) be a strong, healthy relationship; B) result in such a likeable, self-aware 15-year old.
- The idea that Bernadette could, on the basis of one abortive family intervention, very quickly chart a clear path to fixing herself. It would have been much better if they worked in some mental health counseling between the breakdown and recovery.
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