Everyone now knows that Passengers (Sony, 12.21) is saddled with a gnarly ethical issue. When engineer Chris Pratt is aroused from hibernation aboard a massive star cruiser in the midst of a 120-year voyage to a planet called Homestead II, he realizes he’s been accidentally revived — the other 4999 passengers will be in hibernation for another 80 years. Faced with a life of absolute loneliness and certain to die before the ship arrives, Pratt decides to wake up journalist Jennifer Lawrence, whom he’s fallen in love with after watching her video profile and reading her articles. On one hand his loneliness problem is solved — on the other he’s a creep and a kind of murderer.

HE commenter “Jeff” has mentioned that in a just-posted Fight In The War Room podcast, Indiewire critic David Ehrlich says that Passengers “would have been better served if Pratt died in Act Three and Lawrence then realized herself that she needs to wake someone up too to avoid a lifetime alone.” Good ending! Another scenario was subsequently suggested by HE commenter “Mr. Sunset Terra Cotta“, to wit: “Even if Pratt doesn’t die in Act Three, Lawrence decides she needs to wake someone else up to have an affair with when Pratt starts wearing thin.” Even better!