The Martian's Intelligent Design

Director Ridley Scott lays out Author Andy Weir's premise with breath-taking speed during the first few minutes of the film: astronauts abandon Mars during a storm, leaving for dead a crewmate who spends the rest of the film trying to survive alone.  Once he finds a way to contact NASA, all earth  becomes engaged in his rescue.

Weir created The Martian on his personal blog, accepting readers' help online to solve each insurmountable obstacle threatening the protagonist.  In Ridley Scott's lavish film, scene after scene shows us astronauts, suits, and many species of Geek collaborating via social media to find ways past dead-ends.   The film is all the more enjoyable for being a meta-mirror of the manner of the story's creation, ending up explicitly celebrating the power of patient creative problem-solving and community.