Topher Tracking Issue 03: Interstellar
Meet the Parents
Guys, we’ve all been there. You meet your dream girl girl, the one who checks all your boxes. But there’s one catch: her family is CRAAAZZYY!
This is the plot line for Topher Grace’s character Getty in Interstellar (2014), Christopher Nolan’s epic about a crew of astronauts searching for a new planet for humankind after our OG earth has become too toxic to live on (topical!)
I first saw Interstellar in Year I of the pandemic, and I’m semi-ashamed to admit I forgot Topher was in it. But hey, even the biggest Topher fan can sometimes be pleasantly surprised by his presence in a movie.
This time, I watched Interstellar as Nolan intended: in three installments between episodes of Bridgerton. So apologies in advance if I’m hazy on the details. If someone could clarify for my which one Timothy Chalamet was in, that would be great.
Topher’s character is a friend (and maybe more) of (Oscar winner!) Jessica Chastain, who is the daughter of one of the astronauts, played by Matthew McConaughey (are you getting all this? At some point the Queen of England shows up too, I think).
This is why I love Topher. The man clearly loves movies and does not have a big ego. He is willing to take a small role to work with Christopher Nolan, a modern auteur.1
Topher officially enters the film at the 1:31:25 mark, which is before Matt Damon! He appears to play a medical doctor who works in the same building as Chastain’s astrophysicist (?)
One thing to note about the world of Interstellar. We learn at the beginning that most people are farmers, and only a select few, the brightest of the bright, go to college.
Not to be rude but… I’m not sure if Topher’s giving me “genius” energy in this movie. It’s not that think his character is dumb - He looks like he could been a mid-tier student in your AP French class. But, like, a genius? IDK2
Topher and Jessica are colleagues with some spicy tension between them. She confides in him that they’re all certainly going to die, and he’s totally into it. They’re ready to repopulate the earth, if you know what I’m saying
The only problem? Her brother is an asshole Casey Affleck type, and her dad is stuck in a black hole with a nonbinary robot. Don’t you hate when that happens?
Topher accompanies Jessica to her family’s home to try to convince them to leave because they are literally dying from breathing in dust, and Casey immediately clocks him.3
Topher and Jessica manage to sneak back into the house, and she figures out how to save Earth with the help of her Space Ghost Dad. Meanwhile, Topher waits outside with a crow bar to fight her Bostonian brother in case he comes back.
Jessica takes her findings back to the lab and yells “Eureka!” And then she gives Topher a big smooch.
See, guys, getting along with your girlfriend's family is WORTH IT!
Anyway, Interstellar was an okay time, but it didn’t feature nearly enough Topher Grace. I give it 4/10 Tophers. See ya later!
TBH, I’m Nolan-Neutral. Nopher is a much bigger fan. But I cannot deny The Dark Knight was a cultural reset.
Chastain, on the other hand, I buy as a lady genius. Her clothes are so schlubby!
Physical assault is having a moment, y’all!
Hey Hunter, this is a good one! Wish I had more time to see these series, or whatever they're called these days :-) And Topher is a handsome guy...