the underdog of movies

Deep Impact really did get screwed over.

Not only did it have to deal with the reaction it was always going to get ("Typical disaster movie. Eh."), but being released at the same time as Armageddon gave it an extra reaction to contend with ("I've just seen Bruce Willis do this. Why bother seeing the Tea Leoni version?"). So hardly anyone actually saw it.

Which is a pity, because it's kind of incredible.

And while it might technically be a disaster movie - given the whole comet-wiping-out-all-life-on-earth thing - it's certainly not a traditional one. In traditional disaster movies, the hero runs around dealing with the disaster and its consequences in a very heroic and manly fashion. In Deep Impact, the disaster only hits in the last few minutes of the movie - and most of the main characters aren't remotely concerned with trying to stop it.

Instead, the point of the movie is that the comet has been announced, and the main characters are concerned with:
- surviving the comet's impact
- dying with dignity
- coping with military rule
- presenting a brave face to the country, in hopeless circumstances
- blowing up the comet before it hits Earth (okay - a few of the main characters are doing disaster-movie stuff)

It's basically a study of humanity and what we would actually do in this kind of situation. And it makes me cry every time I watch it.


Pity that no-one else ever saw it...