Hey there guys n gals. Look, I really hate to revisit this and I know I'll probably take some sh*t for it (but I can handle it), but I needed to post this...
The following is taken DIRECTLY from the 'making-of' book, "Interstellar: Beyond Time and Space". I'm sad to say I obviously must have missed this when I first flicked through the book at Christmas, or I wasn't paying full attention or something. Anyway, here ya go:
(with reference to the infamous shot)
"BELOW: In an emotional moment, Cooper and his daughter Murph (Mackenzie Foy) stand hand in hand in a cornfield at their family farm."
So I was right!! It isn't Donald!!! (or Nelson. Or Tom). Can't believe I didn't see this before! And before you say "oh that's just the author's interpretation", I refuse to believe that somebody could go on record making a statement like that in an offical book without authorization (as he never prefaces the comment by saying "in my opinion" or "who is this? Cooper?" or whatever. It is written very firmly as if it is fact. And I believe the only way he could be allowed to write this is if it is indeed,
FACT.
So, what the hell? One last time now that uncertainty has been thrown out of the equation - how and why is this Cooper??!!! And please don't compare this to the BD case artwork as none of that was ever filmed (or at least, the footage has never been seen by the public if it exists. It wasn't in the trailer) so this isn't the same. This was filmed, and whether it was just for the trailer or cut from the film none of us know unless you were there. But either way it's not important. What's important is why choose to feature Cooper? Shouldn't he have been on the rocket that we now know he himself was watching hurtling into the air? Oooh, unless of course he DIDN'T get on the rocket and chose to tell old MyCocaine "F that, homie. If you think I am going to leave my beautiful daughter and invisible son to go on some nutso Fantastic Voyage, you're more senile than you look!". Hence the "Alternate Timeline", or a "Flash-Sideward glimpse into what COULD have happened" if that is more palatable. Or is this simply a mistake, "plothole", etc? There had to be some sort of thought process behind this surely? When Nolan was saying "ok Matt you stand there, and Mackenzie if you could please stand over there to his right. Great." he must have considered what he was doing and why. You don't just smoke a joint and say "you know what would be cooool?!......." At least I don't
think he does that.
I'm not looking for an argument or abuse. Remember we are all on the same side (ie, most of us like/love the movie). I am simply updating this thread with new, concrete information that I haven't found elsewhere, and posing the question once more seen as though in the past some of you either weren't convinced it was Cooper or weren't sure (and I think at least one person seemed certain it was Donald (or Nelson)
). Well now you know.
EDIT: Oh and maybe I should post this in the relevant threaad but I am close to finishing my full read-through of the book and wanted to add this:
"Editor Lee Smith estimates a million feet of film was shot before being honed down to 14,000 feet"
WOW. So i think it's safe to say that it is entirely possible that the scene was cut from the actual movie. The difference between 1,000,000 and 14,000 is astonishing. My guess is that there were a bunch more "alternate scenes" including (dare I say it) the one from the BD case art, to form a larger storyline. Makes total sense in a mind-boggling Sci-Fi flick too, even if only shot from the POV of Cooper's conscience and difficult decison he had to make. A "what-if" if you like.