Cooper’s First Sacrifice
The movie’s central theme revolves around the main character, Cooper, a single husband farmer and former astronaut, whose first decision is to leave his family behind in order to join an important mission led by NASA to save humanity's uncertain future. As a father, Cooper wants to provide for his family especially to his daughter Murphy, whose emotional connection is unlike any other character in the movie. But as an experienced astronaut, Cooper is aware of the risks on earth, and is aware that the mission could save humanity’s survival.
In this following ABC News interview, famously known actor Matthew McConaughey describes the role of a dad, that one of the hardships of Cooper’s journey is to leave his family behind, with the intent of saving humanity, but struggles with the idea of an unsure future ahead his exploration with no guaranteed way back home. Later McConaughey adds the moral of the story, “This story is not all about the science and the space exploration that takes part in it… it’s about the sacrifice people make, especially emotional ones” (McConaughey, ABC News). As much as the movie explores the four corners of our universe and the option for human survival through scientific illustrations. The obstacles faced, highlight that survival requires someone more than courage, it demands as much grief as determination. By leaving it all on planet earth, Cooper embodies the difficult reality that survival in the world comes at the cost of personal comfort and sacrifice. Setting the tone in Interstellar, that ultimately survival is never gratis. It is not handed down or earned by luck, but established through suffering, the sacrifices and breaking of the self. Only by traversing through that hardship does humanity earn the right to live, reminding the audience the virtue that existence is never guaranteed, but gained with perseverance.
