Discovering ‘Another Earth’
Ashley Jo Will

The philosophical implications of a planet that is a mirror image of our own is dwelt upon in the film, “Another Earth”, released on video Nov. 29, 2011. The planet is first seen as a tiny blue star and increasingly grows in size as it comes closer to Earth. Rhoda is 17 years old and has been accepted into MIT. The film begins with Rhoda celebrating with friends and contemplating the beauty of Jupiter. Although she has been drinking, Rhoda decides to drive home. This choice will haunt Rhoda for the rest of her life.

On the way home, Rhoda listens to a hip-hop station. The music is interrupted when the DJ announces a newly discovered planet is visible in the sky and tells his listeners to find it and make a wish. He also says scientists have determined that conditions seem favorable to life. Rhoda becomes distracted and searches the night sky for a tiny blue star. With her attention not focused on driving, Rhoda does not see the vehicle ahead and a head-on collision ensues. The accident causes John Burroughs, a musician and professor at a university, to be in a coma while his wife, son and unborn child die. Rhoda soon begins her term of four years in prison. Her identity isn’t revealed to John since she was a minor at the time of the accident.

When Rhoda is released, she is mostly silent. The guilt of her actions has eaten away at her. Rhoda’s parole officer tells her she has a great mind, but Rhoda says she would rather work with her hands. Rhoda doesn’t want a job that involves a lot of talking or being around people. She chooses a job as a janitor in a school. Rhoda does not have any friends or anyone close to her who she feels comfortable expressing her emotions to. Suicide seems like a welcome option to erase her guilt. Rhoda walks to the scene of the accident and reflects for a moment. As Rhoda leaves, she notices a man place a toy robot near the intersection where she just was. This prods Rhoda to research details of the accident and who she has affected.

Rhoda discovers who the man was at the scene of the accident. She discovers his address and intends to go to his house and apologize for ruining his life. When Rhoda reaches his house, she loses the courage to admit to her wrongdoing. Rhoda noticed the piles of trash bags in John’s yard and tells him that she is at his house for a trial cleaning service. John immediately shuts the door in her face but the notion of free cleaning entices him and he allows Rhoda to enter his house. His house is very dirty since John had stopped caring about the upkeep of his home after the loss of his family. Empty alcohol bottles litter the furniture as the remnants of John’s attempts to drown his sorrow with the intoxicating substance. Rhoda keeps returning to clean because she wants to make John’s life better. It’s the least she can do after destroying his family.

In the meantime, Rhoda has submitted an essay in a contest for a ticket to travel to Earth 2. She is not hesitant at all about exploring the strange new world. There is much controversy surrounding travel to this planet that is a mirror of our own. Protesters say it would be like a modern-day Tower of Babylon. There is also the bizarre idea of meeting yourself. People on the newscast ask, “If you met yourself, what would you say?” When the SETI director is able to contact Earth 2, she finds herself talking to her other self, who is also the director of SETI. She tests the woman and discovers they have the same birthday and memories. John notes that perhaps the people of Earth 2 think of themselves as Earth 1 and our planet as Earth 2. This notion seems probable since the people there appear to be exact replicas of ourselves.

John and Rhoda become quite close and the spark of a romantic relationship is lit. This does not hinder Rhoda from the desire to reveal the truth about herself. Rhoda has wanted nothing more than to escape Earth 1 until she hears a theory that the synchronicity for the two Earths was broken when they noticed each other. Rhoda now dwells on the possibility that Rhoda on Earth 2 did not kill John’s family. Perhaps John is a better choice to fly to Earth 2 for the opportunity to see his family once more. “Another Earth” is a drama about guilt, revenge and forgiveness. It is a quiet movie that focuses on the inward thoughts of Rhoda’s conscience by viewing her actions. One drawback of the film is that the hint of a serious intimate relationship with John, unknowingly with the girl who has ruined his life, is extremely awkward. Nonetheless “Another Earth” will definitely cause the audience to think about the philosophical implications of another you and if that other you would be different or better in some way due to divergent choices.