# Moon with Sam Rockwell (And Kevin Spacey is a robot) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 19, 2009, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moon-with-sam-rockwell-and-kevin-spacey-is-a-robot/500276 "2009-06-19T07:29:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moon-with-sam-rockwell-and-kevin-spacey-is-a-robot/500276/1 "2009-06-19T07:29:57Z")
This movie has thus far had a very small release in New York and other cities and should be getting a wider release in the coming weeks. I saw it the other night because I was bored (I hadn’t read the reviews going in) and was pleasantly surprised. It’s the rare kind of science fiction film that actually succeeds as a straight character drama without gimickry or action-movie hijinks. It reminded me a lot of _Gattaca_, another underrated dysto-pic. Our hero Sam plays a solitary astronaut on a three-year contract to harvest Helium isotopes from the far side of the moon. He lives in a moon base with his multi-purpose robot pal Kevin Spacey. Then _things_ begin happening involving a crashed lunar rover, visions of a teenage girl, and a Mysterious Conspiracy. The plot points are obvious and you will probably figure out what’s going on pretty early in the film, but it is enjoyable, tense and funny anyway. ETA: Oh yeah: [Trailer](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIexG8179K8). ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moon-with-sam-rockwell-and-kevin-spacey-is-a-robot/500276/2 "2009-06-19T07:41:30Z")
This movie looks cool, but I came in here to say . . . The Thread title makes me wish there was a T.V. show called **Moon with Sam Rockwell** , wherein each week Sam Rockwell and a special guest bare their asses at people. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moon-with-sam-rockwell-and-kevin-spacey-is-a-robot/500276/3 "2009-06-19T21:47:20Z")
Houston, we have a bump. ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moon-with-sam-rockwell-and-kevin-spacey-is-a-robot/500276/4 "2009-06-19T22:23:43Z")
I think that movie looks very cool. I heard about it a month or so ago and it sounded cool then. I probably will try to go see it…BEFORE I GO TO AFGHANISTAN… Ugh… ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moon-with-sam-rockwell-and-kevin-spacey-is-a-robot/500276/5 "2009-06-22T17:06:24Z")
I saw it last night. It was enjoyable and I totally agree with the OP that it’s refreshing to see a Sci-Fi without Hollywood action bullshit. I will say that it felt more like an episode of some TV show (maybe Outer Limits), than a feature length movie. As noted, you figure out pretty early on what’s going on and the rest of the 1.5 hour movie is just playing it out to it’s conclusion. Sam Rockwell is great. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moon-with-sam-rockwell-and-kevin-spacey-is-a-robot/500276/6 "2009-06-23T07:32:18Z")
I just saw it and I agree with **Jayrot** as they agree with the OP. I’m also impressed by what I imagine must have been a rather demanding job for the director (although I don’t really know anything about how anything really works). ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moon-with-sam-rockwell-and-kevin-spacey-is-a-robot/500276/7 "2009-06-23T07:48:14Z")
Looks not unlike _Silent Running_. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moon-with-sam-rockwell-and-kevin-spacey-is-a-robot/500276/8 "2009-06-23T11:58:13Z")
Possible spoiler ahoy! Is this the film where he discovers that he’s actually a replicant or clone? And he’s actually going to die? ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moon-with-sam-rockwell-and-kevin-spacey-is-a-robot/500276/9 "2009-06-23T12:22:10Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Is this the film where he discovers that he’s actually a replicant or clone? And he’s actually going to die? Yeah. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moon-with-sam-rockwell-and-kevin-spacey-is-a-robot/500276/10 "2009-06-24T06:31:42Z")
Just got back…I liked it, but I was hoping for more. Like Identity, it reveals the “twist” far too early, making everything after just draaaag. Also, I wasn’t impressed with the way the main character(s) acted…it wasn’t realistic at all; they accepted the fact of who they were far too easily, without much apparent emotional reaction. I was impressed with the effects, given the almost-nothing budget. ---
**Author:** ![jharvey963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@jharvey963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jharvey963)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moon-with-sam-rockwell-and-kevin-spacey-is-a-robot/500276/11 "2009-06-24T16:19:14Z")
I saw it last weekend. I thought Sam Rockwell’s acting was great (to my untrained eye, anyway). I really liked the two different personalities he played - for the same person. I found them both believable and consistent, based on “when” they found out the truth/twist. J. ---
**Author:** ![TheMerchandise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b487fb/32.png) [@TheMerchandise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMerchandise)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moon-with-sam-rockwell-and-kevin-spacey-is-a-robot/500276/12 "2009-06-24T20:44:04Z")
I saw it and liked it. I didn’t know anything about it before I bought the ticket; hadn’t seen a trailer or read a review. I kinda thought I had heard Kevin Spacey was in it. I love seeing movies like this, where everything is a big surprise. My boyfriend had trouble hearing the newscaster-type recordings at the very end of the movie, right before the credits start. Can someone confirm that The clone leaked everything and a trail/congressional hearing was underway? ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moon-with-sam-rockwell-and-kevin-spacey-is-a-robot/500276/13 "2009-06-30T10:34:44Z")
> [@TheMerchandise](#): > > The clone leaked everything and a trail/congressional hearing was underway? Something like that; there was only bits and pieces. But my favorite one was from what sounded like a call-in radio show: “He’s either a lunatic or an illegal immigrant! Either way we should lock him up!” Heheh. Lunatic. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moon-with-sam-rockwell-and-kevin-spacey-is-a-robot/500276/14 "2009-07-23T17:00:00Z")
Saw it last night, and enjoyed it very much. But then, I like character studies. If you’re thinking about going to see this and find comments like this > [@Red Barchetta](#): > > Just got back…I liked it, but I was hoping for more. Like Identity, it reveals the “twist” far too early, making everything after just draaaag. worrying, skip it. It’s not a movie about the plot or the twist, it’s a movie about the character Sam Rockwell plays and how his mind works. Don’t go in looking for a lot of action or drama, because that’s not his character. The most violent thing that happens in the movie is Sam (the character’s name is Sam, too) gets punched in the face. Later, he overthrows a table. There’s the lunar equivalent of a car crash. That’s about it. Everything else happens behind Sam’s eyes, and Rockwell does a fantastic job of presenting it. > [@](#): > > Also, I wasn’t impressed with the way the main character(s) acted…it wasn’t realistic at all; they accepted the fact of who they were far too easily, without much apparent emotional reaction. I’ll respond to this behind a spoiler: It made immediate sense to me that in the interest of not having someone loose his shit in their very expensive space station, Lunar Industries would pick a guy who could handle discovering that he merely one of many clones created to run the facility with a certain amount of calm. And given that they can implant memories, they might even have turned that calm up to 11 to make sure he would behave in a manageable way. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moon-with-sam-rockwell-and-kevin-spacey-is-a-robot/500276/15 "2009-07-23T18:49:28Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > I’ll respond to this behind a spoiler: > > It made immediate sense to me that in the interest of not having someone loose his shit in their very expensive space station, Lunar Industries would pick a guy who could handle discovering that he merely one of many clones created to run the facility with a certain amount of calm. And given that they can implant memories, they might even have turned that calm up to 11 to make sure he would behave in a manageable way. Someone doesn’t have to “lose their shit” in order to behave in a more believable fashion. They were far too calm and conforming for me to find it believable to any degree. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moon-with-sam-rockwell-and-kevin-spacey-is-a-robot/500276/16 "2009-07-23T18:52:32Z")
> [@Red\_Barchetta](#): > > Someone doesn’t have to “lose their shit” in order to behave in a more believable fashion. They were far too calm and conforming for me to find it believable to any degree. To each his own, **Red**. I wasn’t arguing with you, simply noting that I had a different reaction. ---
**Author:** ![duality72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duality72/32/3910_2.png) [@duality72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duality72)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moon-with-sam-rockwell-and-kevin-spacey-is-a-robot/500276/17 "2009-07-23T19:33:39Z")
Saw it last weekend. Another vote for good thoughtful sci-fi film which there aren’t nearly enough of these days. ---
**Author:** ![Delayed\_Reflex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/delayed_reflex/32/3172_2.png) [@Delayed\_Reflex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Delayed_Reflex)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moon-with-sam-rockwell-and-kevin-spacey-is-a-robot/500276/18 "2009-08-12T18:36:58Z")
I just saw this yesterday - anyone else seen it in the past few weeks? I too enjoyed it more than I was expecting. Not sure if this necessarily needs spoiler tags, but just in case: [spoiler]It generated some good discussion amongst my friends regarding the ethics of cloning, planned obsolescence (though in this case it is unknown whether the clones degrade due to design choices or constraints), robot programming and sacrifices for the greater good of humanity (I thought the naming of the harvesters after Matthew/Mark/Luke/John was a nice touch). My first thoughts regarding Sam’s response to seeing his double was similar to **Red Barchetta** , in that I thought in general they acted far more nonchalantly than would be expected. However, suppose cloning was widespread on Earth at that time - then it might be plausible for Sam to have a “Ah shit, I can’t believe it happened to me” sort of reaction rather than the “WHO THE FUCK IS THAT?!?” reaction. [/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moon-with-sam-rockwell-and-kevin-spacey-is-a-robot/500276/19 "2009-08-12T18:41:23Z")
D’oh! I’ve got one day left before it vanishes from SF. Gonna have to check it out… ---
**Author:** ![dada2fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ccd318/32.png) [@dada2fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dada2fish)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moon-with-sam-rockwell-and-kevin-spacey-is-a-robot/500276/20 "2009-08-12T19:08:56Z")
I heard this movie was directed by David Bowies son, Duncan. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moon-with-sam-rockwell-and-kevin-spacey-is-a-robot/500276.md?page=2)