They sent a rover to Mars for a 90-day mission, but Opportunity stayed alive and rolling for an additional 15 years, becoming as beloved as family to the folks on the ground who sent her there.
The surprisingly moving documentary, Goodnight Oppy follows Opportunity’s historic trip to the Red Planet, and while there’s plenty of easy-to-digest science to absorb, what you may remember most is the way you feel so warmly toward a vehicle that lived its life millions of miles away.
Director Ryan White has a distinguished filmography already, but I’ll bet Oppy will climb to the most acclaim and possibly an Academy Award. It has already been nominated for the Critics Choice Documentary Awards in multiple categories.
What White has also skillfully achieved is making the brilliant (I’m talking genius level) engineers and scientists relatable. At first, it seems almost too cutesy – the way they keep calling the machine “her” and “she”. But it doesn’t take long to understand the depth of their emotion.
When a success occurs, they jump and yell and slap backs like Europeans at a Soccer match.
When things get tough, they don’t dissolve into tears – they do what, in reality, is their life’s work: problem solving. Over those unexpected 15 years, the folks on the ground follow her every move, navigate perilous routes, and fix things that break.
But when the time comes to say Goodnight to Oppy, there’s a lump in every throat, and at least a small tear in every eye. Including mine.
Goodnight Oppy has a limited theatrical release on November 4th before coming to Amazon Prime on November 23rd | 3 ½ out of 4 Stars | Rated PG
Be ready for the splicing of old ‘home’ movies, recent interviews, and recreation of what is believed to have happened to the two robots. Am guessing that if you followed the many years of Oppy’s adventures, it will be very entertaining. I did not and found it to become tiresome. (2 out of 4 stars)