Jump to content

Source Code

From Alfawiki
Source Code
Company typeFilm
IndustryMotion picture
Founded2011
FounderDuncan Jones (director), Ben Ripley (screenplay)
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Duncan Jones (director), Ben Ripley (screenwriter), Jake Gyllenhaal (lead actor)
ProductsScience fiction action thriller film
Number of employees
N/A

Source Code is a 2011 science fiction action thriller helmed by director Duncan Jones with a screenplay by Ben Ripley. The movie features Jake Gyllenhaal portraying a U.S. Army officer who repeatedly enters a virtual eight-minute reconstruction of a train bombing to uncover the identity of the terrorist responsible. The cast also includes Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, and Jeffrey Wright in key supporting roles.

The film debuted on March 11, 2011, at South by Southwest and was subsequently distributed by Summit Entertainment on April 1, 2011, across North America and Europe. It garnered favorable reviews from critics and achieved commercial success, earning over $147.3 million worldwide against a production budget of $31.9 million.

Plot

Captain Colter Stevens, a pilot in the U.S. Army, awakens aboard a Metra commuter train bound for Chicago, confused and inhabiting the identity of a schoolteacher named Sean Fentress. After expressing bewilderment to his companion Christina Warren, the train suddenly explodes, resulting in the death of all passengers.

Stevens then finds himself in a dim cockpit where Air Force Captain Colleen Goodwin briefs him on his mission: to identify the individual who planted the bomb on the train. Initially convinced that he is part of a simulation, Stevens locates the explosive device but fails to pinpoint the bomber before the train detonates once more.

He soon discovers that the explosion was real and one in a series of coordinated attacks. Sent back repeatedly to eight minutes before the blast, Stevens pursues a suspect off the train but encounters a dead end and is fatally struck by another train. Upon his next awakening, he experiences a failure in the capsule’s power source.

Dr. Rutledge, who leads the project, reveals that "Source Code" operates by reconstructing events from residual memories left behind by passengers who died eight minutes prior to their deaths. The objective is to identify the bomber and stop an impending second attack in Chicago.

Stevens uncovers that he was declared killed in action two months earlier and is currently sustained on life support connected to neural sensors; all his experiences within Source Code are mental projections within this interface. Rutledge offers to end Stevens’ life after completing the mission, an offer Stevens ultimately accepts.

After several attempts and an arrest for trying to acquire a weapon, Stevens identifies nihilistic domestic terrorist Derek Frost as the bomber through a wallet he drops. He memorizes Frost’s license plate and vehicle information and discovers a dirty bomb inside Frost’s van; Christina follows him but both are shot dead by Frost.

Outside of Source Code, Stevens communicates this critical intelligence to Goodwin, enabling law enforcement to apprehend Frost and thwart the second bombing attempt. However, Rutledge breaks his promise to allow Stevens to die, citing that he remains the only operative capable of entering Source Code.

Goodwin sympathizes with Stevens’ plight and sends him back one final time, pledging to disconnect life support after eight minutes. During this last mission, Stevens defuses the bomb, captures Frost, arranges a date with Christina, reconciles with his father, and sends an email to Goodwin before life support is terminated.

As time moves beyond those eight minutes, Stevens realizes that Source Code creates alternate realities rather than mere simulations. He departs from the train alongside Christina; in this new timeline, Goodwin receives his message and is asked to assist this version of Stevens.

Cast

Pre-production

The character Derek Frost was inspired by David Hahn, who was highlighted in the 2003 documentary The Nuclear Boy Scout. Screenwriter Ben Ripley initially approached studios with the concept of Source Code without a complete screenplay, relying on his background in studio rewrites. After facing early rejection, he completed a spec script that was acquired by Universal Pictures in 2007 and subsequently featured on The Black List as one of the top unproduced scripts.

Following the acclaim of Moon, actor Jake Gyllenhaal championed Duncan Jones to helm Source Code. Jones was attracted to the screenplay’s brisk tempo and intricate narrative challenges, viewing them as stimulating puzzles to unravel.

The film’s conclusion includes a sequence set at Chicago’s Millennium Park and the Cloud Gate, which director Jones designed to symbolize the core themes of the story, effectively bookending the film’s narrative.

Filming

Principal photography occurred from March 1 through April 29, 2010, mainly in Montreal, Quebec. Additional footage was captured in Chicago, Illinois, particularly at Millennium Park and the Main Building of the Illinois Institute of Technology, although all visible signage was digitally removed. Filming plans at the Ottawa Train Station in Ottawa, Ontario were abandoned due to an inability to reach terms with VIA Rail.

Post-production

Editing took place in Los Angeles, with visual effects work commencing by July 2010. The majority of VFX was completed by Montreal-based companies such as Moving Picture Company, Rodeo FX, Oblique FX, and Fly Studio. Composer Clint Mansell, initially slated for his second collaboration with Duncan Jones, withdrew from scoring due to scheduling conflicts.

Theatrical

Source Code had its premiere at South by Southwest on March 11, 2011. It was distributed theatrically in North America by Summit Entertainment starting April 1, 2011, followed by a release in France on April 20, 2011.

Home media

The film became available on DVD and Blu-ray in the United States on July 26, 2011. The UK release followed on August 15, 2011, offering DVD, Blu-ray, and a combined edition that included a Blu-ray/DVD "Double Play" featuring a lenticular slipcover.

Box office

With a production budget of $32 million, Source Code grossed $54.7 million domestically (US and Canada) and $92.6 million internationally, accumulating a worldwide total of $147.3 million.

Opening across 2,961 theaters in North America, it debuted with $14.8 million and secured second place during its opening weekend.

Despite robust box office performance, director Duncan Jones revealed that studio accounting indicated the film did not generate profit, attributing this outcome to Hollywood’s financial reporting methods.

Critical reception

According to Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 92% approval rating derived from 266 critiques, with an average score of 7.5 out of 10. The general consensus reads: "Director Duncan Jones and the charismatic Jake Gyllenhaal deliver a clever and gratifying sci-fi thriller by uncovering the human element within the action." On Metacritic, the movie earned a score of 74/100 based on 41 reviews, signifying "generally favorable reviews." Audience feedback collected by CinemaScore resulted in an average grade of "B."

Many reviewers drew parallels between Source Code and the 1993 movie Groundhog Day, as well as Tony Scott's 2006 science fiction film Déjà Vu, highlighting common themes such as altering past events and emotional investment in rescuing victims. It has also been characterized as a blend of Groundhog Day and Murder on the Orient Express," although some critics feel this description does not fully capture its distinctive "mind game" qualities.

Richard Roeper from the Chicago Sun-Times described it as "Confounding, exhilarating, challenging – and the best film I have seen so far in 2011." Roger Ebert awarded it 3.5 out of 4 stars, praising it as "an ingenious thriller" that compensates for its improbable aspects by engaging viewers with its complexity. Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times commended Ben Ripley’s "cleverly crafted" screenplay alongside Duncan Jones’s precise direction, emphasizing the cast’s convincing portrayal of the narrative. CNN lauded Ripley’s script as "ingenious," drawing comparisons between the film’s fragmented narrative style and Christopher Nolan’s Memento, while also noting Gyllenhaal’s captivating performance.

Awards and nominations

Year Organization Category Nominee(s) Outcome
2011 Scream Awards Best Science Fiction Actor Jake Gyllenhaal Template:Nom
Bradbury Award Bradbury Award Ben Ripley and Duncan Jones Template:Nom
2012 Hugo Award Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form Template:Nom
Visual Effects Society Awards Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Feature Motion Picture Annie Godin, Louis Morin Template:Nom

See also

External links

Retrieved from "https://www.alfawiki.org/index.php?title=Source_Code&oldid=39944"