Gravity is a 2013 science fiction thriller film directed by Alfonso Cuarón, who also co-wrote, co-edited, and produced the film. It stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as American astronauts who attempt to return to Earth after the destruction of their Space Shuttle in orbit.

Gravity
A closeup of an astronaut with the planet earth in its reflection. Text on the top left reads "Don't Let Go". Cast members followed by title, credits, and its release date appear on the bottom.
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAlfonso Cuarón
Written by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyEmmanuel Lubezki
Edited by
Music bySteven Price
Production
companies
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
Release dates
  • August 28, 2013 (2013-08-28) (Venice)
  • October 4, 2013 (2013-10-04) (United States)
  • November 7, 2013 (2013-11-07) (United Kingdom)
Running time
91 minutes[1]
Countries
  • United Kingdom
  • United States[2]
LanguageEnglish
Budget$80–130 million[3][4]
Box office$723.2 million[5]

Cuarón wrote the screenplay with his son Jonás and attempted to develop the film at Universal Pictures. Later, the distribution rights were acquired by Warner Bros. Pictures. David Heyman, who previously worked with Cuarón on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), produced the film with him. Gravity was produced entirely in the United Kingdom, where British visual effects company Framestore spent more than three years creating most of the film's visual effects, which involve over 80 of its 91 minutes.

Gravity opened the 70th Venice International Film Festival on August 28, 2013, and had its North American premiere three days later at the Telluride Film Festival. Upon its release, Gravity was met with widespread critical acclaim, with high praise for its direction, visuals, cinematography, acting, and score. Considered one of the best films of 2013, it appeared on numerous critics' year-end lists, and was selected by the American Film Institute in their annual Movies of the Year list.[6] The film became the eighth-highest-grossing film of the year with a worldwide gross of over $723 million, against a production budget of around $100 million.

Gravity received a leading 10 nominations at the 86th Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actress (for Bullock), and won a leading 7 awards, including Best Director (for Cuarón). At the 67th British Academy Film Awards, the film received a leading 11 nominations, including Best Film and Best Actress in a Leading Role (for Bullock), and won a leading 6 awards, including Outstanding British Film and Best Director (for Cuarón). It also received 4 nominations at the 71st Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama (for Bullock), with Cuarón winning Best Director.

At the 19th Critics' Choice Awards, the film received 10 nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actress (for Bullock), and won a leading 7 awards, including Best Sci-Fi/Horror Movie, Best Director (for Cuarón) and Best Actress in an Action Movie (for Bullock). Bullock also received a nomination for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role, while the film won the 2013 Ray Bradbury Award,[7] and the 2014 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation. Since its release, it has been cited as among the best films of the 2010s and the 21st century.[a]

Plot

edit

The Space Shuttle Explorer, commanded by veteran astronaut Matthew "Matt" Kowalski, is in Earth orbit to service the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Dr. Ryan Stone is aboard on her first space mission, to perform a set of hardware upgrades on the Hubble. During a spacewalk, Mission Control in Houston warns Explorer's crew about a rapidly expanding cloud of space debris accidentally caused by the Russians having shot down a presumed defunct spy satellite (see Kessler syndrome) and orders the crew to return to Earth immediately. Communication with Mission Control is lost shortly after as more communication satellites are disabled by debris.

Debris strikes the Explorer and Hubble, tearing Stone from the shuttle and leaving her tumbling through space. Kowalski, using a Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU), rescues Stone and they return to the Explorer, discovering that the Shuttle has suffered catastrophic damage and the rest of the crew are dead. Stone and Kowalski decide to use the MMU to reach the International Space Station (ISS), which is in orbit about 1,450 km (900 mi) away, Kowalski estimating that they have 90 minutes before the debris field completes an orbit and threatens them again.

On their way to the ISS, the two discuss Stone's home life and her daughter, who died young in an accident. As they approach the station, they see that the ISS's crew has evacuated using one of its two Soyuz spacecraft, the remaining Soyuz spacecraft exhibiting damage with its parachute having been deployed in space rendering it unable to return to Earth. Kowalski suggests using it to travel to the nearby Tiangong space station,[N 1] 100 km (60 mi) away, in order to board the Shenzhou spacecraft to return safely to Earth. Out of air and fuel, the two try to grab onto the ISS; the duo's tether snags on one of the station's solar panels. Stone's leg gets entangled in the Soyuz's parachute cords and she grabs a strap on Kowalski's suit, but it soon becomes clear that the cords will not support them both. Despite Stone's protests, Kowalski detaches himself from the tether to save her from drifting away with him. Stone is pulled back towards the ISS, while Kowalski floats away.

Stone enters the space station via the airlock of the Pirs module. She cannot re-establish communication with Kowalski or Earth, and concludes that she is now the sole survivor. Inside the station, a fire breaks out, forcing her to rush to the Soyuz. As she maneuvers the Soyuz away from the ISS, the tangled parachute tethers snag, preventing the spacecraft from leaving; Stone performs a spacewalk to cut the cables, succeeding just as the debris field returns, destroying the station. Stone angles the Soyuz towards Tiangong, but soon discovers that the Soyuz's engine has no fuel.

After an attempt at radio communication with an Inuit on Earth, Stone resigns herself to her fate and shuts off the cabin's oxygen supply to commit suicide. As she begins to lose consciousness, she experiences a hallucination of Kowalski entering the capsule and telling her to rig the Soyuz's soft landing rockets to propel the capsule towards Tiangong. Stone regains the will to go on, restoring the spacecraft's oxygen flow and rigging the landing rockets to propel the capsule towards Tiangong.

Unable to dock with Tiangong, Stone ejects herself from the Soyuz and uses a fire extinguisher as a makeshift thruster to travel to the rapidly deorbiting Tiangong. Stone manages to enter Tiangong's Shenzhou capsule just as the station enters the upper atmosphere, undocking the capsule just in time.

The Shenzhou capsule re-enters the atmosphere successfully, despite damage during its descent, and lands in a lake. Radio communication from Houston informs Stone that she has been tracked on radar and that rescue crews are on their way. Stone opens the hatch but is unable to exit due to water rushing in. She takes a deep breath and holds it until the capsule sinks, allowing her to swim through the hatch. She sheds her Sokol space suit that is weighing her down, and crawls onto the beach before standing up triumphantly and walking away.

Cast

edit
Sandra Bullock in 2013 (left) and George Clooney in 2016
  • Sandra Bullock as Dr. Ryan Stone,[16] a medical engineer and mission specialist from Lake Zurich, Illinois, who is on her first space mission.[17] According to Cuarón, Stone is "a character who lives in her own bubble", and in the film "she's trapped in her space suit."[18] Bullock's role was extremely demanding and daunting. She called the experience "lonely" and said there was "frustrating, painful isolation" on set, but in the best way,[19] and described her working day on the shoot as a "morose headspace".[20] She was cast in 2010, just a few months after finalizing her divorce from Jesse James.[21] The Hollywood Reporter estimated that Bullock would earn at least $70 million based on theatrical returns alone for the film.[22]
  • George Clooney as Lieutenant Matthew "Matt" Kowalski,[16] the commander of the team. Kowalski is a veteran astronaut planning to retire after the Explorer expedition. He enjoys telling stories about himself and joking with his team, and is determined to protect the lives of his fellow astronauts.[23]
  • Ed Harris (voice) as Mission Control in Houston, Texas.[16][24]
  • Orto Ignatiussen (voice) as Aningaaq,[16] a Greenlandic Inuk fisherman who intercepts one of Stone's transmissions. Aningaaq also appears in an eponymous short, written and directed by Gravity co-writer Jonás Cuarón, which depicts the conversation between him and Stone from his perspective.[25][26]
  • Phaldut Sharma (voice) as Shariff Dasari,[16] the flight engineer on board the Explorer.[27]
  • Amy Warren (voice) as the captain of Explorer.[16]
  • Basher Savage (voice) as the captain of the International Space Station.[16]

Themes

edit

Although Gravity is often considered to be a science fiction film,[28] Cuarón told the BBC that he does not consider it such, rather seeing it as "a drama of a woman in space".[29] According to him, the main theme of the film was "adversity"[20] and he uses the debris as a metaphor for this.[18]

Despite being set in space, the film uses motifs from shipwreck and wilderness survival stories about psychological change and resilience in the aftermath of a catastrophe.[30][31][32][33] Cuarón uses the Stone character to illustrate clarity of mind, persistence, training, and improvisation in the face of isolation and the consequences of a relentless Murphy's law.[28] The film incorporates spiritual or existential themes, in the facts of Stone's daughter's accidental and meaningless death, and in the necessity of summoning the will to survive in the face of overwhelming odds, without future certainties, and with the impossibility of rescue from personal dissolution without finding this willpower.[31] Calamities occur but only the surviving astronauts see them.[34]

The impact of scenes is heightened by alternating between objective and subjective perspectives, the warm face of the Earth and the depths of dark space, the chaos and unpredictability of the debris field, and silence in the vacuum of space with the background score giving the desired effect.[33][35] The film uses very long, uninterrupted shots throughout to draw the audience into the action, but contrasts these with claustrophobic shots within space suits and capsules.[31][36]

Human evolution and the resilience of life may also be seen as key themes of Gravity.[21][30][37][38] The film opens with the exploration of space—the vanguard of human civilization—and ends with an allegory of the dawn of mankind when Ryan Stone fights her way out of the water after the crash-landing, passing a frog, grabs the soil, and slowly regains her capacity to stand upright and walk. Director Cuarón said, "She's in these murky waters almost like an amniotic fluid or a primordial soup, in which you see amphibians swimming. She crawls out of the water, not unlike early creatures in evolution. And then she goes on all fours. And after going on all fours she's a bit curved until she is completely erect. It was the evolution of life in one, quick shot".[38] Earlier imagery depicting the formation of life includes a scene after Stone enters the space station airlock, and rests in an embryonic position, surrounded by a rope strongly resembling an umbilical cord. The film also suggests themes of humanity's ubiquitous strategy of existential resilience; that, across cultures, individuals must postulate meaning, beyond material existence, wherever none can be perceived.

Some commentators have noted possible religious themes in the film.[39][40][41][42] For instance, Robert Barron in The Catholic Register summarizes the tension between Gravity's technology and religious symbolism. He said, "The technology which this film legitimately celebrates ... can't save us, and it can't provide the means by which we establish real contact with each other. The Ganges in the sun, the Saint Christopher icon, the statue of Budai, and above all, a visit from a denizen of heaven, signal that there is a dimension of reality that lies beyond what technology can master or access ... the reality of God".[42]

Production

edit

Development

edit

As a child, Alfonso Cuarón had an affinity for space programs, dreamed of becoming an astronaut, and would watch live Moon landings on television.[20] He was seven years old when Apollo 11 landed on the Moon in 1969 and was profoundly influenced by Neil Armstrong. At that time, his grandmother bought a new television in order to be able to see the Moon landing.[43] He watched space films, such as A Trip to the Moon (1902), and was further drawn to films featuring the technology of space exploration and trying to honor the laws of physics, such as Marooned (1969) and Woman in the Moon (1929).[18]

In 2008, funding ran out on a project entitled A Boy and His Shoe written by Cuarón and his son Jonás. They wrote a first draft of what would become Gravity in three weeks. After they finished the screenplay, Cuarón attempted to develop his project at Universal Pictures, where it stayed in development hell.[44] When co-chairmen Marc Shmuger and David Linde were ousted from Universal in 2009, Cuarón asked for the project to be released, and then Warner Bros Pictures chief Jeff Robinov stepped in. After the rights to the project were sold, it began development at Warner Bros. Three years later, when the movie was still unfinished, Robinov was let go.[17][45][46]

In 2014, author Tess Gerritsen filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros. for breach of contract, alleging that the film Gravity is an adaptation of her 1999 novel of the same name.[47] The suit was dismissed twice in 2015.[48][49]

Writing

edit

Cuarón co-wrote the screenplay with his son Jonás.[18] However, Cuarón never intended to make a space film. Before conceiving the story, he started out with a theme: adversity. He would discuss with Jonás survival scenarios in hostile, isolated locations, such as the desert (Jonás wrote a desert film, Desierto, which was released in 2015).[20] Finally, he decided to take it to an extreme place where there was nothing: "I had this image of an astronaut spinning into space away from human communication. The metaphor was already so obvious."[20] Scott Frank did an uncredited rewrite of the screenplay.[50]

Casting

edit
 
Costumes worn by Sandra Bullock (left) and George Clooney (right) and designed by Jany Temime

For the female role, Cuarón was in search of a lead that could "carry" the film in a manner akin to Tom Hanks's character in Cast Away, being the only person onscreen for a large part of the movie, and he began looking at a wide range of actors for the role.[17] In 2010, Angelina Jolie, who had rejected a sequel to Wanted (2008), was in contact with Warner Bros. to star in the film.[17][51] Scheduling conflicts involving Jolie's Bosnian war film In the Land of Blood and Honey (2011), and a possible sequel to Salt (2010) led Jolie to end her involvement with Gravity, leaving Warner Bros. with doubts that the film would get made.[17] The studio approached her for a second time to reconsider her former decision, but Jolie again declined.[52]

In mid-2010, Marion Cotillard screen-tested for the part but instead went on to accept a role in another sci-fi film, Inception and the comedy–drama Little White Lies.[53] Scheduling conflicts with the television series Gossip Girl in Manhattan and the film The Town in Boston prevented actress Blake Lively from getting the part.[53] In September 2010, Cuarón received approval from Warner Bros. to offer the role without a screen test to Natalie Portman, who was praised for her performance in Black Swan (2010) at that time.[54] Portman rejected the project because of scheduling conflicts. Other stars considered to some degree included Naomi Watts, Carey Mulligan, Scarlett Johansson, Sienna Miller, Abbie Cornish, Rebecca Hall, and Olivia Wilde.[52] Warner Bros. then approached Sandra Bullock for the role, and she was cast in October 2010.[17]

In March 2010, Robert Downey Jr. had entered discussions to be cast in the male lead role, but he left the project that November to star in How to Talk to Girls—a project in development with Shawn Levy attached to direct.[55][56] In December, with Bullock signed for the co-lead role, George Clooney replaced Downey.[23]

Filming

edit
 
The landing scene was filmed at Lake Powell, Arizona.

Made on a production budget of $100 million, Gravity was shot digitally using Arri Alexa Classic cameras equipped with wide Arri Master Prime lenses. Most of the film is computer generated.[57] In the majority of shots the only elements captured with a camera are the faces.[57] The final scene, which takes place on Earth, was shot on an Arri 765 camera using 65 mm film to provide the sequence with a visual contrast to the rest of the film.[58] CGI elements were shot at Pinewood and Shepperton Studios in the United Kingdom.[59] The landing scene was filmed at Lake Powell, Arizona—where the astronauts' landing scene in Planet of the Apes (1968) was also filmed.[60]

Principal photography began in London, on May 9, 2011.[61] The film contains 156 shots, with an average length of 45 seconds—fewer and longer shots than in most films of its length.[62] Although the first trailer had audible explosions and other sounds, these scenes are silent in the finished film. Cuarón said, "They put in explosions [in the trailer]. As we know, there is no sound in space. In the film, we don't do that."[63] The soundtrack in the film's space scenes consists of the musical score and sounds astronauts would hear in their suits or in the space vehicles.[64]

For most of Bullock's shots, she was placed inside a large mechanical rig with thousands of LED bulbs to simulate outer space.[65] Getting into the "lightbox" rig took a significant amount of time, and so Bullock stayed in it for up to 10 hours a day, communicating through a headset.[65] Costume Designer Jany Temime said the spacesuits were fictitious – "no space suit opens up at the front – but we had to do that in order for her to get out. So I had to redesign it and readapt all the functions of the suit for front opening."[66] Cuarón said his biggest challenge was to make the set feel as inviting and non-claustrophobic as possible, including having a large celebration each day when Bullock arrived.[65] Shooting long scenes in a simulated zero-g environment was a challenge, and so they used computer-generated imagery for the spacewalk scenes and automotive robots to move Bullock's character for interior space station scenes.[65] Shots and blocking had to be planned well in advance for the robots to be programmed, which caused the production period to last for four and a half years.[65] Cuarón had initially assumed it would take about a year to complete the film after completing the script.[20] The lightbox was named one of 2013's best inventions by Time magazine,[67] and is suggested as a breakthrough in entertainment technology comparable to the motion-capture technology of Avatar (2009), the battle-scene software of Lord of the Rings (2001–2003), and the "bullet time" effect of The Matrix (1999).[68]

Warner Bros started screening the movie to test audiences well before it was finished, with crude animation instead of finished special effects. Initial feedback asked for monsters or aliens. Cuarón refused. It was only at the 2012 Comic-Con, where the opening sequence was successfully showcased, the studio was finally convinced the project could succeed.[45]

Cinematography

edit
 
The uninterrupted 13-minute opening scene started with a clear view of brightly lit Earth similar to this NASA picture. The sequence took many months to design and years to shoot.

Cuarón wanted to do long takes, in part because the producers wanted to film it like an IMAX-style Discovery Channel documentary.[18] However, the long takes are deceptive as 'invisible cuts' were utilised to stitch shots together during editing.[69] As with his previous films, Emmanuel Lubezki did not use prior footage as the starting point of his work on Gravity. Instead, he carried out a search of images from NASA and Roscosmos. He and his team put together a large collection of photographs and picked what was best for the film.[70] Lubezki said that they based the visuals on descriptions from astronauts, with some artistic license in depicting how the stars looked during the daytime in space. He wanted to incorporate the stars as much as possible to feel as deep as possible and avoid plain darkness and two dimensional feeling.[70]

The 13-minute opening scene was challenging for the team to shoot. Cuarón asked Lubezki to start the film with a brightly lit Earth, adding shadows and dusk as the threat grows stronger. The light was constantly changing from one frame to the other with the actors spinning around the shuttle, the shuttle itself spinning, and the Earth spinning as well as orbiting around the Sun all simultaneously. It took many months to design it and years to shoot it.[70] When the team designed the sequence, Lubezki had in mind one of his favorite cinematographers, Vittorio Storaro, and how he utilized lighting in his films.[71]

Visual effects

edit
 
Framestore office exterior in London, March 2014, after Gravity BAFTA wins

Visual effects were supervised by Tim Webber at the British VFX company Framestore, which was responsible for creating most of the film's visual effects—except for 17 shots. Framestore was also heavily involved in the art direction and, along with The Third Floor, the previsualization. Tim Webber stated that 80 percent of the film consisted of CGI—compared to James Cameron's Avatar (2009), which was 60 percent CGI.[72] To simulate the authenticity and reflection of unfiltered light in space, a manually controlled lighting system consisting of 1.8 million individually controlled LED lights was built.[73] The 3D imagery was designed and supervised by Chris Parks. The majority of the 3D was created by stereo rendering the CGI at Framestore. The remaining footage was converted into 3D in post-production—principally at Prime Focus, London, with additional conversion work by Framestore.

Music

edit

Steven Price composed the incidental music for Gravity. In early September 2013, a 23-minute preview of the soundtrack was released online.[74] A soundtrack album was released digitally on September 17, 2013, and in physical formats on October 1, 2013, by WaterTower Music.[75] Songs featured in the film include:[76]

In most of the film's official trailers, Spiegel im Spiegel, written by Estonian composer Arvo Pärt in 1978, was used.[78]

Release

edit
 
David Heyman, Sandra Bullock, and Alfonso Cuarón at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con promoting Gravity

Gravity had its world premiere at the 70th Venice International Film Festival on August 28, 2013, and had its North American premiere three days later at the Telluride Film Festival.[79] It was released in the US on October 4, 2013, and in the UK on November 1, 2013.[80][81] The film's US release coincided with the beginning of World Space Week, which was observed from October 4 to 10. The film was originally scheduled to be released in the US on November 21, 2012, before being rescheduled for a 2013 release to allow the completion of extensive post-production work.[82]

Home media

edit

Gravity was released on digital download on February 11, 2014, and was released on DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D on February 25, 2014, in the United States and on March 3, 2014, in the United Kingdom.[83] As of March 16, 2014, Gravity has sold 908,756 DVDs along with 957,355 Blu-ray discs for $16,465,600 and $22,183,843, respectively, for a total of $38,649,443.[84] Gravity was also offered for free in HD on Google Play and Nexus devices from late October 2014 to early November 2014.

A "special edition" Blu-ray was released on March 31, 2015. The release includes a "Silent Space Version" of the film which omits the score composed by Steven Price.[85]

Reception

edit

Box office

edit

Gravity emerged as one of the most successful sci-fi films of all time, and the biggest box office hit of both Sandra Bullock and George Clooney's careers.[86] It became the highest-grossing feature film in October history, surpassing the animated Puss in Boots[87] and holding the record until 2019's Joker.[88] Bullock's previous highest-grossing film was Speed ($350.2 million) while Clooney's benchmark was Ocean's Eleven ($450.6 million).[86]

Preliminary reports predicted the film would open with around $40 million in the US and Canada.[89][90] The film earned $1.4 million from its Thursday night showings,[91] and reached $17.5 million on Friday.[92] Gravity topped the box office and broke the record held by Paranormal Activity 3 (2011) as the highest-earning October and autumn openings, grossing $55.8 million from 3,575 theaters.[93] The film also surpassed Batman & Robin (1997) for having Clooney's highest opening weekend and The Heat for having Bullock's highest opening weekend respectively.[94] 80 percent of the film's opening weekend gross came from its 3D showings, which grossed $44.2 million from 3,150 theaters. $11.2 million—20 percent of the receipts—came from IMAX 3D showings, the highest percentage for a film opening of more than $50 million.[95] The film stayed at number one at the box office during its second and third weekends.[96][97] IMAX alone generated $34.7 million from 323 theaters, a record for IMAX opening in October.[3]

Gravity earned $27.4 million in its opening weekend overseas from 27 countries with $2.8 million from roughly 4,763 screens. Warner Bros. said the 3D showing "exceeded all expectations" and generated 70 percent of the opening grosses.[3] In China, its second largest market, the film opened on November 19, 2013, and faced competition with The Hunger Games: Catching Fire which opened on November 21, 2013. At the end of the weekend Gravity emerged victorious, generating $35.76 million in six days.[98] It opened at number one in the United Kingdom, taking £6.23 million over the first weekend of release,[99] and remained there for the second week.[100] The film's high notable openings were in Russia and the CIS ($8.1 million), Germany ($3.8 million), Australia ($3.2 million), Italy ($2.6 million) and Spain ($2.3 million).[3] The film's largest markets outside North America were China ($71.2 million),[101] the United Kingdom ($47 million) and France ($38.2 million).[102] By February 17, 2014, the film had grossed $700 million worldwide.[103] Gravity grossed $274,092,705 in North America and $449,100,000 in other countries, making a worldwide gross of $723,192,705—making it the eighth-highest-grossing film of 2013.[5] Calculating in all expenses, Deadline Hollywood estimated that the film made a profit of $209.2 million.[104]

According to the tracking site Excipio, Gravity was one of the most copyright-infringed films of 2014 with over 29.3 million downloads via torrent sites.[105]

Critical response

edit

Cuarón shows things that cannot be but, miraculously, are, in the fearful, beautiful reality of the space world above our world. If the film past is dead, Gravity shows us the glory of cinema's future. It thrills on so many levels. And because Cuarón is a movie visionary of the highest order, you truly can't beat the view.

Richard Corliss of Time[106]

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 96% based on 364 reviews, with an average rating of 9.0/10. The website's critical consensus states: "Alfonso Cuarón's Gravity is an eerie, tense sci-fi thriller that's masterfully directed and visually stunning."[107] On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out based on reviews, the film has a weighted average score of 96 out of 100, based on 49 critics, indicating "universal acclaim", and making it the second-highest scoring widely released film of its year.[108] In CinemaScore polls conducted during the opening weekend, cinema audiences gave Gravity an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.[95] CinemaScore later issued an apology for the grade, saying they should have limited the poll to 3D showings instead of both 2D and 3D screenings (The Hollywood Reporter said it was "playing like an A+ film").[109]

Matt Zoller Seitz, writing on RogerEbert.com, gave the film four out of four stars, calling it "a huge and technically dazzling film and that the film's panoramas of astronauts tumbling against starfields and floating through space station interiors are at once informative and lovely".[30] Justin Chang, writing for Variety, said that the film "restores a sense of wonder, terror and possibility to the big screen that should inspire awe among critics and audiences worldwide".[110] Richard Corliss of Time praised Cuarón for playing "daringly and dexterously with point-of-view: at one moment you're inside Ryan's helmet as she surveys the bleak silence, then in a subtle shift you're outside to gauge her reaction. The 3-D effects, added in post-production, provide their own extraterrestrial startle: a hailstorm of debris hurtles at you, as do a space traveler's thoughts at the realization of being truly alone in the universe."[106]

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave the film five out of five stars, writing "a brilliant and inspired movie-cyclorama ... a glorious imaginary creation that engulfs you utterly."[111] Robbie Collin of The Daily Telegraph also awarded the film five out of five stars.[112]

Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave the film four out of four stars, stating that the film was "more than a movie. It's some kind of miracle."[113] A. O. Scott, writing for The New York Times, highlighted the use of 3-D which he said, "surpasses even what James Cameron accomplished in the flight sequences of Avatar". Scott also said that the film "in a little more than 90 minutes rewrites the rules of cinema as we have known them".[33] Quentin Tarantino said it was one of his top ten films of 2013.[114] Empire, Time and Total Film ranked the film as the best of 2013.[115][116][117]

Critics have compared Gravity with other notable films set in space. Lindsey Weber of Vulture.com said the choice of Ed Harris for the voice of Mission Control is a reference to Apollo 13.[118] Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter suggests the way "a weightless Stone goes floating about in nothing but her underwear" references Alien (1979).[35] Other critics made connections with 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968).[119] James Cameron praised the film and stated, "I think it's the best space photography ever done, I think it's the best space film ever done, and it's the movie I've been hungry to see for an awful long time".[65] Empire Online, AskMen and The Huffington Post also considered Gravity to be one of the best space films ever made.[120][121][122] While The Huffington Post's Lauren Duca later included Gravity on the site's list of "8 Movies from the Last 15 Years That Are Super Overrated",[123] another of the site's film critics, Christopher Rosen, placed it at the top of his list of Best Movies of 2013.[124] Gravity was included on the top ten lists of 93 critics and topped the list of 22 of them.[125]

Accolades

edit

Gravity received a leading 10 nominations at the 86th Academy Awards (with American Hustle), including Best Picture, Best Actress for Bullock, and Best Production Design.[126] The film won a leading seven Academy Awards: for Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing.[127][128][129] Its seven wins makes it the most Oscar-awarded film of the 2010s decade, and is second only to Cabaret (1972) in receiving the most Academy Awards in the ceremony despite not winning Best Picture.

Cuarón won the Golden Globe Award for Best Director, and the film was also nominated for Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Actress – Drama for Bullock and Best Original Score.[130][131]

Gravity received a leading 11 nominations at the 67th British Academy Film Awards, including Best Film, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Actress in a Leading Role. Cuarón was the most-nominated person at the awards; he was nominated for five awards, including his nominations as producer for Best Film awards and editor.[132][133] Despite not winning Best Film, Gravity won a leading 6 awards, including Outstanding British Film, Best Director, Best Original Music, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, and Best Visual Effects.[134][135]

Gravity also won the 2014 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation.[136]

Scientific accuracy

edit

Cuarón has stated that Gravity is not always scientifically accurate and that some liberties were needed to sustain the story.[137][138] Despite this, the film has been praised for the realism of its premises and its overall adherence to physical principles, although several inaccuracies and exaggerations were still noted.[139][140][141] According to NASA Astronaut Michael J. Massimino, who took part in Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Missions STS-109 and STS-125, "nothing was out of place, nothing was missing. There was a one-of-a-kind wirecutter we used on one of my spacewalks and sure enough they had that wirecutter in the movie."[142]

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin called the visual effects "remarkable" and he hoped that the film would stimulate the public to find an interest in space again, after decades of diminishing investments into advancements in the field:[143]

I was so extravagantly impressed by the portrayal of the reality of zero gravity. Going through the space station was done just the way that I've seen people do it in reality. The spinning is going to happen—maybe not quite that vigorous—but certainly we've been fortunate that people haven't been in those situations yet. I think it reminds us that there really are hazards in the space business, especially in activities outside the spacecraft.[143]

Former NASA astronaut Garrett Reisman said:

The pace and story was definitely engaging and I think it was the best use of the 3-D IMAX medium to date. Rather than using the medium as a gimmick, Gravity uses it to depict a real environment that is completely alien to most people. But the question that most people want me to answer is, how realistic was it? The very fact that the question is being asked so earnestly is a testament to the verisimilitude of the movie. When a bad science fiction movie comes out, no one bothers to ask me if it reminded me of the real thing.[144]

Former astronaut Chris Hadfield was critical of Gravity's portrayal of astronauts, particularly its depiction of Bullock's character, saying "When she's faced with a problem, she's panicking and has no idea what to do. George Clooney is driving around like some sort of space cowboy and he's the only one who has any idea what's going on. I think it set back a little girl's vision of what a woman astronaut can be (to) an entire generation."[145] In contrast, Vanessa Reich-Shackelford from Westcoast Women in Engineering, Science and Technology while considering the character of Dr. Ryan Stone wrote: "I came to realize that writers Alfonso (also director) and Jonás Cuarón had created one of the most positive representation of a woman in STEM on screen so far."[146]

Technical observations

edit
 
A diagram showing the orbits of the International Space Station and Hubble Space Telescope

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, astronomer and skeptic Phil Plait, and veteran NASA astronaut and spacewalker Scott E. Parazynski have offered comments about some of the most "glaring" inaccuracies.[141][147][148] The Dissolve characterized these complaints as "absurd", problems "only an astrophysicist would find".[149]

In the movie, an impact in one orbital plane is shown to affect characters present at a different orbital plane. Also, these characters are depicted as being able to travel to a third orbital plane relatively easily. In reality, the debris field created by a destroyed communications satellite would likely not impact the Hubble Space Telescope which is where the shuttle Explorer is at the beginning of the film. Likewise, the significant differences between orbital parameters of the Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station would have made it impossible to travel between the two spacecraft (which is what the movie has the heroes do using only Kowalski's MMU) without precise preparation, planning, calculation, the appropriate technology, and a large quantity of fuel at the time.[b][140][141][148][150]

Further examples of differences from reality include:

  • Several observers (including Plait and Tyson) said that in the scene in which Kowalski unclips his tether and floats away to his death to save Stone from being pulled away from the ISS, Stone would simply need to tug the tether gently to pull Kowalski toward her. According to the film's science adviser Kevin Grazier and NASA engineer Robert Frost, however, the pair are still decelerating with Stone's leg caught in the parachute cords from the Soyuz. The cords stretch as they absorb her kinetic energy. Kowalski thinks that the cords are not strong enough to absorb his kinetic energy as well as hers, and that he must release the tether to give Stone a chance of stopping before the cords fail and doom both of them.[151]
  • By the time Tiangong-1 was launched in 2011, the Space Shuttle had been retired from service.[152]
  • Stone is shown not wearing liquid-cooled ventilation garments or even socks, which are always worn under the EVA suit to protect against extreme temperatures in space. Neither was she shown wearing space diapers.[141] Unlike real space suits, Stone can open her suit in the front, by herself.[66]
  • Stone's tears first roll down her face in micro-gravity, and are later seen floating off her face. After being pushed from her eye by her eyelid, the surface tension is not sufficient for the tears to continue adhering to her jawline.[153] However, the film correctly portrays the spherical nature of drops of liquid in a micro-gravity environment.[140]
  • Kowalski's use of the MMU as his personal jet pack zipping around the spacewalking scene was criticized by Time's Jeffery Kluger as being unrealistic. NASA's spacewalks are strictly choreographed in advance.[154]

Despite the inaccuracies in Gravity, Tyson, Plait and Parazynski all said they enjoyed watching the film.[141][147][148] Astronaut Cady Coleman advised Sandra Bullock on the film.[155]

Notes

edit
  1. ^ This Tiangong Space Station discussed here is Tiangong-1.
  1. ^ Attributed to multiple references:[8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]
  2. ^ The Hubble Space Telescope previously had an altitude of about 559 kilometres (347 mi) and an orbital inclination of 28.5 degrees. As of the release of the film, the International Space Station had an altitude of around 420 kilometres (260 mi) and an orbital inclination of 51.65 degrees. Communications satellites are in much higher orbits than either.

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "Gravity (12A)". British Board of Film Classification. August 23, 2013. Archived from the original on July 20, 2020. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
  2. ^ "Gravity (2013)". BFI. Archived from the original on April 11, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d Finke, Nikki (October 6, 2013). "Bullock-Clooney-Cuaron's $55M 'Gravity' Domestic Weekend Soars To October Record And Big $27.4M Internationally; 'Runner Runner' Flops $7.8M". Deadline Hollywood. (Penske Media Corporation). Archived from the original on July 22, 2015. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
  4. ^ "2013 Feature Film Production Report" (PDF). The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 21, 2018. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  5. ^ a b "Gravity (2013)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on August 9, 2019. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  6. ^ Hammond, Pete (December 9, 2013). "AFI Awards 2013: Top 10 Films List Is Good News For Major Studios". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 20, 2014. Retrieved December 16, 2017.
  7. ^ "2013 Nebula Nominees Announced". Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. February 25, 2014. Archived from the original on March 1, 2014. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  8. ^ "The best films of the 2010s: the 50 movies of the decade". Time Out Worldwide. December 10, 2019. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  9. ^ "The 100 best movies of the decade, ranked". Insider. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  10. ^ Pantoja, Kevin (August 28, 2021). "The 10 Best Movies Of The 2010s, According To Screen Rant". ScreenRant. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  11. ^ Potier, Laura (December 31, 2019). "100 decade-defining films of the 2010s". Outtake Magazine. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  12. ^ "The 100 best films of the 21st century (so far)". Time Out Worldwide. February 6, 2022. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  13. ^ Bradshaw, Peter; Clarke, Cath; Pulver, Andrew; Shoard, Catherine (September 13, 2019). "The 100 best films of the 21st century". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  14. ^ Murrian, Samuel R. (January 3, 2024). "We Ranked the 101 Best Science Fiction Movies of All Time, From 'Metropolis' to 'Dune'". Parade.
  15. ^ Grow, Kory (January 1, 2024). "The 150 Greatest Science Fiction Movies of All Time". Rolling Stone. No. 44 "Gravity (2013)".
  16. ^ a b c d e f g Chang, Justin (August 28, 2013). "Venice Film Review: 'Gravity'". Variety. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  17. ^ a b c d e f Kroll, Justin (October 6, 2010). "Sandra Bullock in talks for 'Gravity'". Variety. Retrieved April 27, 2013.
  18. ^ a b c d e Roaper, Caitlyn (October 1, 2013). "Why Gravity Director Alfonso Cuarón Will Never Make a Space Movie Again". Wired. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  19. ^ Zeitchik, Steven (September 9, 2013). "TIFF 2013: Sandra Bullock calls making 'Gravity' 'lonely'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 18, 2016. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  20. ^ a b c d e f Rose, Steve (February 6, 2014). "Sandra Bullock: the pain of Gravity". The Guardian. Archived from the original on April 16, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  21. ^ a b Stern, Marlow (October 8, 2013). "Alfonso Cuaron Explains the Darwinian Ending of 'Gravity'". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on December 17, 2013. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  22. ^ Galloway, Stephen (February 26, 2016). "Sandra Bullock to Make $70 Million (At Least) for 'Gravity'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  23. ^ a b McNary, Dave (December 16, 2010). "Clooney to replace Downey Jr. in 'Gravity'". Variety. Retrieved April 27, 2013.
  24. ^ Pearlman, Robert Z. (October 4, 2013). "'Gravity' Hidden History: Five Space 'Easter Eggs' in Astronaut Movie Out Now". space.com. Archived from the original on December 19, 2014. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  25. ^ Abramovitch, Seth (November 20, 2013). "'Gravity' Spinoff: Watch the Other Side of Sandra Bullock's Distress Call". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  26. ^ "Aningaaq". YouTube. November 21, 2013. Archived from the original on May 13, 2016. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  27. ^ Vikaas, Kishwer (October 18, 2013). "Q&A with 'Gravity"s Other Star: UK Actor Phaldut Sharma". The Aerogram.com. Archived from the original on July 4, 2014. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  28. ^ a b Berardinelli, James (October 3, 2013). "Gravity – A Movie Review". ReelViews. Archived from the original on August 21, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2013.
  29. ^ "Oscars: Gravity 'not sci-fi', says Alfonso Cuaron". BBC News. February 28, 2014. Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  30. ^ a b c Zoller Seitz, Matt (October 4, 2013). "Review: Gravity". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2014.
  31. ^ a b c Rodriguez, Rene (October 3, 2013). "Gravity". The Miami Herald. Archived from the original on October 15, 2013. Retrieved October 6, 2013.
  32. ^ Hornaday, Ann (October 3, 2013). "'Gravity' works as both thrilling sci-fi spectacle and brilliant high art". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved August 29, 2017.
  33. ^ a b c Scott, A.O. (October 3, 2013). "Between Earth and Heaven". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
  34. ^ LaSalle, Mick (October 4, 2013). ""Gravity" review: powerful images – and drama". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on May 29, 2023. Retrieved October 6, 2013.
  35. ^ a b McCarthy, Todd (August 28, 2013). "Gravity: Venice Review". The Hollywood Reporter.
  36. ^ Turan, Kenneth (October 3, 2013). "Review: "Gravity" has powerful pull thanks to Sandra Bullock, 3-D". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 29, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  37. ^ Woerner, Meredith (October 8, 2013). "Gravity's ending holds a deeper meaning, says Alfonso Cuaron". io9. Archived from the original on November 15, 2015. Retrieved December 17, 2013.
  38. ^ a b Obias, Rudie (October 9, 2013). "Alfonso Cuarón Talks Gravity's Visual Metaphors, And George Clooney Clarifies His Writing Credit". Giant Freakin Robot. Archived from the original on April 9, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2014.
  39. ^ Weiss, Jeffrey (October 8, 2013). "'Gravity' film Philosophizes About Existence for the 'Nones'". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on December 26, 2016. Retrieved November 23, 2013.
  40. ^ O'Neil, Tyler (October 9, 2013). "Christian Reviewers Call New Film 'Gravity' an Allegory for God, Jesus". The Christian Post. Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved November 23, 2013.
  41. ^ Barron, Robert (October 8, 2013). "Gravity: A Commentary". YouTube. Archived from the original on April 9, 2023. Retrieved November 23, 2013.
  42. ^ a b Barron, Robert (October 17, 2013). "Gravity opens the door to the reality of God". The Catholic Register. Archived from the original on November 4, 2014. Retrieved November 23, 2013.
  43. ^ Appelo, Tim (February 18, 2014). "Alfonso Cuaron on How Angelina Jolie and Robert Downey Jr. Almost Starred in 'Gravity'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  44. ^ "Why 'Gravity' Could be the World's Biggest Avant-Garde Movie". October 7, 2013. Archived from the original on October 25, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  45. ^ a b "Nervous Studios, Bad Testing, Unproven Effects: The Making of 'Gravity'". The Hollywood Reporter. January 10, 2014. Archived from the original on October 25, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  46. ^ "Is Jeff Robinov Headed to Sony Pictures?". October 25, 2013. Archived from the original on October 25, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  47. ^ Gardner, Eriq (April 30, 2014). "Tess Gerritsen Sues Warner Bros. Over 'Gravity'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 8, 2021. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  48. ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (February 2, 2015). "Judge downs Gravity lawsuit from bestselling author Tess Gerritsen". The Guardian. Archived from the original on November 19, 2020. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  49. ^ "Tess Gerritsen Fails Again in 'Gravity' Lawsuit Against Warner Bros". The Hollywood Reporter. June 15, 2015. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  50. ^ Keefe, Patrick Radden (December 25, 2023). "How a Script Doctor Found His Own Voice". newyorker.com. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
  51. ^ Brodesser-Akner, Claude (February 25, 2010). "Angelina Jolie Says No to 'Wanted 2', Killing the Sequel". Vulture. New York Media. Retrieved April 27, 2013.
  52. ^ a b Fleming, Mike Jr. (September 1, 2010). "Angelina Jolie Pass Puts 'Gravity' In Shaky Orbit For Warner Bros". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  53. ^ a b Ridley, Jane (October 8, 2013). "5 actresses who almost starred in 'Gravity'". New York Post. Archived from the original on September 5, 2016. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  54. ^ Fernandez, Jay A. (September 8, 2010). "Natalie Portman offered lead in 3D survival story". Thomson Reuters. Archived from the original on February 1, 2016. Retrieved April 27, 2013.
  55. ^ Rosenberg, Adam (April 27, 2013). "Robert Downey Jr. In Talks To Star In 'Children of Men' Director Alfonso Cuaron's 'Gravity'". MTV. Viacom Media Networks. Archived from the original on October 9, 2013.
  56. ^ Kit, Borys (November 17, 2010). "Robert Downey Jr. Eyeing 'How to Talk to Girls'". The Hollywood Reporter. Reuters. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  57. ^ a b "Gravity". October 2013. Archived from the original on October 26, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  58. ^ "Emmanuel Lubezki, ASC, AMC and his collaborators detail their work on Gravity, a technically ambitious drama set in outer space". American Cinematographer. Vol. 94, no. 11. American Society of Cinematographers. November 2013. Archived from the original on January 2, 2014. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
  59. ^ "Gravity: Pinewood filming locations". Pinewood Studios. Archived from the original on October 5, 2013. Retrieved October 6, 2013.
  60. ^ "What Is The Mind Blowing Connection Between 'Gravity' And 'Planet Of The Apes'?". Badass Digest. Archived from the original on December 2, 2013. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
  61. ^ Dang, Simon (April 17, 2011). "The Playlist: Producer David Heyman Says Alfonso Cuarón's 3D Sci-Fi Epic 'Gravity' Will Shoot This May". IndieWire. Archived from the original on October 26, 2011. Retrieved April 27, 2013.
  62. ^ Raup, Jordan (April 11, 2012). "Alfonso Cuaron's 2-Hour 'Gravity' Revealed; 17-Minute Opening Take Confirmed". The Film Stage. Archived from the original on June 30, 2013. Retrieved November 18, 2013.
  63. ^ Child, Ben (July 22, 2013). "Comic-Con 2013: five things we learned". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on March 24, 2014. Retrieved July 22, 2013.
  64. ^ "Observations on film art". davidbordwell.net. November 12, 2013. Archived from the original on October 8, 2014. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  65. ^ a b c d e f Cohen, David S.; McNary, David (September 3, 2013). "Alfonso Cuaron Returns to the Bigscreen After Seven Years With 'Gravity'". Variety. Retrieved October 6, 2013.
  66. ^ a b "Spectre and Gravity costume designer Jany Temime in conversation". Film Doctor. October 25, 2015. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
  67. ^ "Gravity's Lightbox: The 25 Best Inventions of the Year". Time. November 13, 2013.
  68. ^ Entertainment Science: Data Analytics and Practical Theory for Movies, Games, Books, and Music. p 138 By Thorsten Hennig-Thurau, Mark B. Houston, Springer Verlag, 2018. ISBN 978-3-319-89292-4
  69. ^ Travers, Ben (May 14, 2014). "How'd They Do That? 10 Secrets of 'Gravity' Exposed at AMPAS Event Honoring the Film's Tech Wizards". Indie Wire. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  70. ^ a b c Moakley, Paul (February 28, 2014). "Behind the Moving Image: The Cinematography of Gravity". Time. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  71. ^ Giardina, Carolyn (February 14, 2014). "'Gravity' Cinematographer Reveals How He Got Those Astonishing Shots". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  72. ^ "Gravity". Framestore. Archived from the original on November 4, 2014. Retrieved October 22, 2013.
  73. ^ Trianni, Francesca (October 7, 2013). "Tech Breakthroughs in Film: From House of Wax to Gravity". Time. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  74. ^ "'Gravity' Soundtrack Preview Highlights 23 Minutes of Steven Price's Nerve-Rattling Score". Huffington Post. September 5, 2013. Archived from the original on October 7, 2013. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  75. ^ "'Gravity' Soundtrack Details". Film Music Reporter. August 28, 2013. Archived from the original on September 1, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2013.
  76. ^ "Gravity (2013) – Song Credits". Soundtrack.net. Archived from the original on September 23, 2013. Retrieved October 7, 2013.
  77. ^ "Gravity (2013) – Soundtracks". IMDb.com. Archived from the original on September 18, 2018. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
  78. ^ Wickman, Forrest (May 9, 2013). "Trailer Critic: Alfonso Cuarón's Gravity". Slate. Archived from the original on March 11, 2014. Retrieved May 12, 2013.
  79. ^ "George Clooney and Sandra Bullock to open Venice film festival". BBC News. July 3, 2013. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  80. ^ "UPDATE: Warner Bros. and IMAX Sign Up to 20 Picture Deal!". ComingSoon.net. CraveOnline. April 25, 2010. Archived from the original on November 1, 2011. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
  81. ^ "Gravity sets UK release date". ScreenDaily. Archived from the original on September 4, 2014. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  82. ^ Vary, Adam (May 14, 2012). "Sandra Bullock, George Clooney sci-fi drama 'Gravity' moved to 2013". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 15, 2012.
  83. ^ Brew, Simon (January 21, 2014). "Gravity DVD and Blu-ray release date confirmed". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
  84. ^ "Gravity". The Numbers. Archived from the original on November 6, 2014. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  85. ^ Franich, Darren (November 11, 2014). "'Gravity' is getting a scientifically accurate 'Silent Space Version'". Entertainment Weekly.
  86. ^ a b Oldham, Stuart (November 16, 2013). "'Gravity' Rises to $500 Million at Worldwide Box Office". Variety. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  87. ^ McClintock, Pamela (November 3, 2013). "Box Office Milestone: 'Gravity' Rockets Past $400 Million Mark Worldwide". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  88. ^ "Top October Movies at the Domestic Box Office". Archived from the original on October 25, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  89. ^ Stewart, Andrew (October 4, 2013). "Box Office: 'Gravity' Tracking for a $40 Mil-Plus Bow With Record 3D Sales". Variety. Retrieved October 6, 2013.
  90. ^ Smith, Grady (October 3, 2013). "Box office preview: 'Gravity' headed for a stellar debut". Entertainment Weekly. CNN. Archived from the original on November 4, 2014. Retrieved October 6, 2013.
  91. ^ McClintock, Pamela (October 4, 2013). "Box Office: 'Gravity' Takes Flight With $1.4 Million Thursday Night". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 6, 2013.
  92. ^ Mendelson, Scott (October 5, 2013). "Friday Box Office: 'Gravity' Earns $17.5m, Rockets Towards $50m". Forbes. Retrieved October 6, 2013.
  93. ^ Subers, Ray (October 7, 2013). "Weekend Report: Houston, 'Gravity' Does Not Have a Problem". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on October 7, 2013. Retrieved October 7, 2013.
  94. ^ Knegt, Peter (October 7, 2013). "'Gravity' Finally Takes George Clooney's Opening Weekend Record Away From 'Batman & Robin,' But Can It Top 'Oceans' For His Best Overall?". IndieWire. Archived from the original on January 26, 2022. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  95. ^ a b Cunninghham, Todd (October 6, 2013). "'Gravity' soars to record-breaking box-office blast-off". MSN Entertainment. Archived from the original on October 6, 2013. Retrieved October 6, 2013.
  96. ^ Subers, Ray (October 13, 2013). "Weekend Report: 'Gravity' Holds, 'Captain' Floats, 'Machete' Bombs". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on January 22, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  97. ^ Subers, Ray (October 20, 2013). "Weekend Report: 'Gravity' Wins Again, 'Carrie' Leads Weak Newcomers". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on January 22, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  98. ^ Coonan, Clifford (November 26, 2013). "China Box Office: 'Gravity' Soars Past 'Catching Fire'". The Hollywood Reporter. (Prometheus Global Media). Retrieved July 19, 2015.
  99. ^ "Space thriller Gravity takes £6.23 million at UK box office on opening weekend". Evening Standard. January 16, 2014. Archived from the original on May 25, 2018. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  100. ^ Sandwell, Ian (November 18, 2013). "Gravity stays top of UK Box office". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on November 22, 2013. Retrieved November 19, 2013.
  101. ^ Bai Shi (Beijing Review) (February 9, 2014). "Hollywood Takes a Hit". english.entgroup.cn. EntGroup Inc. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
  102. ^ "Gravity – Foreign By Country". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on February 5, 2014. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
  103. ^ @boxofficemojo (February 17, 2014). "'Gravity' has now earned over $700 million worldwide" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  104. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (March 21, 2014). "2013 Most Valuable Blockbuster Tournament Tip-Off – #1 'Iron Man 3' Vs. #16 'The Conjuring'; #8 'Gravity' Vs. #9 'Man Of Steel'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 21, 2015. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
  105. ^ Spangler, Todd (December 28, 2014). "Top 20 Most Pirated Movies of 2014 Led by 'Wolf of Wall Street,' 'Frozen,' 'Gravity'". Variety. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
  106. ^ a b "Gravity at the Venice Film Festival: Dread and Awe in Space". Time. August 28, 2013. Retrieved October 2, 2013.
  107. ^ "Gravity (2013)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on March 28, 2014. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  108. ^ "Gravity Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on September 5, 2013. Retrieved September 19, 2013.
  109. ^ McClintock, Pamela (October 18, 2013). "CinemaScore in Retreat as Studios Turn to PostTrak". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
  110. ^ Frater, Patrick (August 14, 2013). "'Gravity' Review: Alfonso Cuaron's White-Knuckle Space Odyssey". Variety. Retrieved August 28, 2013.
  111. ^ Bradshaw, Peter (November 7, 2013). "Gravity Review". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited. Archived from the original on December 3, 2014. Retrieved February 17, 2015.
  112. ^ Collin, Robbie (November 7, 2013). "Gravity, review: 'heartachingly tender'". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on January 11, 2022. Retrieved February 17, 2015.
  113. ^ Travers, Peter. "Gravity". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
  114. ^ "Quentin Tarantino's Top 10 Films of 2013 – So Far". The Quentin Tarantino Archives. October 5, 2013. Archived from the original on October 8, 2013. Retrieved October 7, 2013.
  115. ^ "The 50 Best Films of 2013". Empire. December 3, 2013. Archived from the original on December 11, 2013. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
  116. ^ "Top 10 Best Movies". Time. December 4, 2013.
  117. ^ "Best movies of 2013". Total Film. December 11, 2013. Archived from the original on December 14, 2013.
  118. ^ Weber, Lindsey (October 6, 2013). "Did You Catch Gravity's Apollo 13 Shout-out?". Vulture. Archived from the original on October 8, 2013. Retrieved October 7, 2013.
  119. ^ Morgenstern, Joe (October 3, 2013). ""Gravity" Exerts Cosmic Pull". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on October 24, 2016. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  120. ^ "The 301 Greatest Films of All Time". Archived from the original on July 1, 2014. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
  121. ^ Butler, Tom. "Gravity Review The Best Space Movie Ever?". Askmen.com. Archived from the original on August 15, 2023. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
  122. ^ Kim, Jonathan (October 4, 2013). "ReThink Review: Gravity – The Best Space Movie Since 2001". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on August 15, 2023. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
  123. ^ "8 Movies From The Last 15 Years That Are Super Overrated". Huffington Post. June 12, 2014. Archived from the original on February 25, 2017. Retrieved October 4, 2014.
  124. ^ "One More List of 2013's Best Movies". December 20, 2013. Archived from the original on October 25, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  125. ^ Jason Dietz, "2013 Film Critic Top Ten Lists" Archived April 1, 2015, at the Wayback Machine, Metacritic, December 8, 2013.
  126. ^ "2014 Oscar Nominees". AMPAS. January 16, 2014. Archived from the original on July 24, 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
  127. ^ "Oscar Winners 2014 Complete List". Oscar.go.com. Archived from the original on September 9, 2014. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
  128. ^ "Oscar Winners 2014 List". The Daily Telegraph. London. March 3, 2014. Archived from the original on January 11, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
  129. ^ "Gravity dominates, but 12 Years a Slave wins best film". The Guardian. March 3, 2014. Archived from the original on March 7, 2018. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
  130. ^ "Golden Globe Awards 2014: Nominees Announced For 71st Annual Golden Globes". The Huffington Post. December 12, 2013. Archived from the original on December 12, 2013. Retrieved December 12, 2013.
  131. ^ Leopold, Todd (January 13, 2014). "'12 Years,' 'Hustle' win film Globes". CNN. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
  132. ^ "2013 Nominations" (PDF). BAFTA. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 8, 2014. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
  133. ^ "Bafta Film Awards 2014: Full list of nominees". BBC News. January 8, 2014. Archived from the original on May 23, 2014. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
  134. ^ "BAFTA Awards: '12 Years A Slave' Wins Best Film But 'Gravity' Carries Most Weight With Six Total Nods; Chiwetel Ejiofor & Cate Blanchett Take Actor Wins; 'American Hustle' Scores 3 Including For Jennifer Lawrence". BAFTA. February 16, 2014. Archived from the original on July 16, 2014. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
  135. ^ "Gravity wins outstanding British film". The Guardian. February 16, 2014. Archived from the original on April 7, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
  136. ^ "2014 Hugo Award Winners". The Hugo Awards. August 17, 2014. Archived from the original on August 19, 2014. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
  137. ^ Pearlman, Robert Z. (October 3, 2013). "'Gravity' Reality Check: Alfonso Cuarón, Sandra Bullock Talk Fact vs. Fiction". Space.com. Archived from the original on December 7, 2013. Retrieved October 4, 2013.
  138. ^ France, Lisa Respers (October 8, 2013). "5 things that couldn't happen in 'Gravity'". CNN. Archived from the original on December 2, 2013. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
  139. ^ "What's behind the science of 'Gravity'?". CNN. September 28, 2013. Archived from the original on October 2, 2013. Retrieved October 2, 2013.
  140. ^ a b c Margot, Jean-Luc (September 28, 2013). "How realistic is 'Gravity'?". UCLA. Archived from the original on October 8, 2013. Retrieved October 8, 2013.
  141. ^ a b c d e Watkins, Gwynne (October 8, 2013). "An Astronaut Fact-checks Gravity". Vulture. Archived from the original on October 10, 2013. Retrieved October 12, 2013.
  142. ^ "Gravity: Ripped from the Headlines?". Space Safety. October 3, 2013. Retrieved October 3, 2013.
  143. ^ a b "'Gravity' Review by Astronaut Buzz Aldrin". The Hollywood Reporter. October 3, 2013. Retrieved October 7, 2013.
  144. ^ Reisman, Garrett. "What Does A Real Astronaut Think Of 'Gravity'?". Forbes. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
  145. ^ Chris, Jeffrey (March 26, 2020). "NASA Astronaut Looks Back at 'Gravity': It's Harmful for Girls Who Want to Go to Space". IndieWire.
  146. ^ "Depictions of Women in STEM: Dr. Ryan Stone – Westcoast Women in Engineering, Science and Technology". Simon Fraser University. July 4, 2017. Archived from the original on February 3, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  147. ^ a b Watercutter, Angela (October 7, 2013). "Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson Fact-Checks Gravity on Twitter". Wired. Archived from the original on October 7, 2013. Retrieved October 8, 2013.
  148. ^ a b c Plait, Phil (October 4, 2013). "Bad Astronomy Movie Review: Gravity". Slate. Archived from the original on December 22, 2013. Retrieved October 24, 2013.
  149. ^ "One Year Later: Gravity". The Dissolve. Archived from the original on November 11, 2014. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  150. ^ Bennett, Jeffrey (2017). Life in the universe. United States: Pearson. p. 40. ISBN 978-0-13-408908-9.
  151. ^ Dewey, Caitlin (October 21, 2013). "Here's what 'Gravity' gets right and wrong about space". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 26, 2015. Retrieved August 29, 2017.
  152. ^ Cooper, Quentin (October 28, 2013). "Why Gravity is junk science". BBC Future. Archived from the original on March 16, 2016. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
  153. ^ Hadfield, Chris (April 11, 2013). "How Astronauts Cry in Space (Video)". Space.com. Archived from the original on September 4, 2013. Retrieved October 22, 2013.
  154. ^ Kluger, Jeffrey (October 1, 2013). "'Gravity' Fact Check: What the Season's Big Movie Gets Wrong". Time.
  155. ^ "NASA Astronaut Helped Actors Prepare for "Gravity"". Universe Today. September 27, 2013. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
edit