President Barack Obama might be the leader of the free world, but even he needs to relax and watch a movie now and again. During 2015, he liked quite a few flicks, but there was one choice that stood out far above the rest: The Martian. It's the President's choice for best film of 2015.
Forgive us for our lack of surprise, but the Ridley Scott helmed drama about the spirit of human ingenuity and co-operation is exactly what we would have pegged as Obama's top film of the year. Though some of us imagine that Tomorrowland may have been a close second, as People also had the scoop on First Lady Michelle Obama's Disney-flavored favorite film of the year. Apparently, FLOTUS's top pick out of the cinematic crop of the year was Disney / Pixar's Inside Out, so it's not all serious matters of life and death in the Obama family screening room.
You can expect plenty of politics to come into play when people on both sides of the aisle get a load of the Obama's favorite films of the year. While Inside Out does fit in with the administration's focus on mental well-being and the welfare of children in this modern age, The Martian probably has some thinking very deeply about the cuts to NASA that the President put into effect back in 2013. Of course, in the case of the President, his favorite of 2015 could also vindicate his administration's decision to keep the International Space Station afloat for another 9 years, so let's not get totally negative here. Instead, let's relive one of many moments that made The Martian such a memorable film.
This is definitely a departure from President Obama's top pick of 2014, which was Richard Linklater's slower, more psychologically oriented Boyhood. But just like the common moviegoer, the president of the United States has tastes that are varied, yet well defined. Another previous best film pick of President Obama's years in office was 2012's Argo - which just happened to be the film he announced the top honors for at the 85th Academy Awards.
Perhaps President Obama's seal of approval might cause The Martian to experience a bump in the polls for the Golden Globes, and subsequently the Academy Awards of 2016. It'll take more than the word of the President to send Mark Watney's tale of survival on the Martian surface back to the top of the pack, but surely it's a good start. The Martian is still in some theaters, with a home video release date slated for January 12th, 2016.
