Script of the Week: Story of Your Life by Eric Heisserer
It’s the type of story that leaves you questioning the material for hours after you read as you try to decipher the pieces of the puzzle presented on the page. It has been the most surprising read of the year so far. From its synopsis on the Black List:
Based on the short story by Ted Chiang. When alien crafts land around the world, a linguistics expert is recruited by the military to determine whether they come in peace or are a threat. As she learns to communicate with the aliens, she begins experiencing vivid flashbacks that become the key to unlocking the greater mystery about the true purpose of their visit.
I expected typical Science Fiction fare, but this is so much more. It is the stuff that great Science Fiction is made of. It reflects on our humanity in the context of an Alien Invasion and presents a profound understanding of who we are and where we are headed. It is also impossible to describe without major spoilers. The plot line is too intertwined with the ending twist and I would be doing the film a disservice to explain it.
What I will say is that this script presents a human race with serious choices to make about how we live and relate to each other. It argues however that there is hope for us still and that the future is ahead of us and perhaps even above us.
Sometimes a Good Notion 