Cosmic

Dr. Dinah Drax is waiting at the plane and excitedly greets Liam and Florida. On board, Liam is surprised to find that the plane doesn’t have rows, but comfortable and spacious seating instead. He’s introduced to the other fathers and their children, including Hasan and his father, Eddie, who’s proud of Hasan’s money-making abilities; Max and his father, Monsieur Martinet, who both believe in success; and Samson Two and his father, who are both reading complicated books.

As all the other dads brag about their children’s talents, Liam only says that Florida wants to be famous one day, which the other dads find strange. It occurs to Liam then that he must act proud of Florida to be convincing. He takes out a book that he stole from his father on parenting teens, and reads about the importance of listening to one’s children. When the plane lands in the Gobi Desert in China, Florida suddenly realizes that she isn’t in England and takes out her anger on Liam. Liam tries to explain away the situation, as he always does, but the only thing that stops Florida’s panic is hearing that she’ll be needed for some photos.

A minibus comes to take the participants to Infinity Park, where the rocket and their lodging are located. Liam and Florida discover that they have their own bungalow unit, complete with brand-new technology. The entire wall is a television screen, and they spend the night watching TV, eating ice cream, pretending to be famous, and having a water fight. The awakening the next morning is rough, but they’re called to meet at the Possibility Building at eight o’clock sharp. In his bag, Liam finds his dad’s broken St. Joseph statue and a photo of him with his parents; they’re items his parents put there, and he ends up taking them with him to space.

Liam and Florida find a high-tech car in their driveway, and after arguing and hesitating, they get in. Liam clumsily drives to the Possibility Building, and people honk at him as he goes. When they arrive, they enter and discover that the thrill ride is a real, functioning rocket ship called the Infinite Possibility. The rocket is so huge that clouds form around it, and all anyone can do is ask about the paint and color. Dr. Dinah Drax explains that she wants to give a gift to the next generation: the possibility to start life anew on another planet. She thinks that having children as astronauts will give them more time to find a new planet to live on, and explains that the fathers won’t join their children in space. Dr. Drax says that the rocket is “almost” safe and that it will only be in space for a few moments. When Liam realizes that he won’t be on the mission, he feels deeply disappointed and jealous of Florida.

Liam fills out forms about Florida while she goes inside the rocket to look around. He realizes that he knows almost nothing about her and puts down that she had chronic obesity and arthritis as a child. Afterward, all the dads go golfing together, which Liam considers the most boring game in the world. It’s clear that he knows nothing about it, and he celebrates when he drives the ball way beyond the green. Monsieur Martinet appears to realize that Liam is a child, but no one else does. All Liam can think about is going on the rocket, and he suggests to Dr. Drax that one of the fathers should go with the children into space. Dr. Drax agrees and decides to have the fathers compete by training to become astronauts and then having the children vote. Later, Florida tells Liam that he has no chance of winning the competition, but Liam is convinced that with some help from Florida, he can. She agrees, but only if he starts calling her “[m]y little princess.”

The group is instructed to head out into the desert to fetch a flag, following the rocket’s massive shadow. They know they must go quickly to get the most out of the shade and leave with little preparation. They’re also given one flare, but are told that if they use it, they’ll all be sent home. On the way, the group quickly discovers how hot it is in the sun, and Florida is the only one who brought sunglasses. When Hasan’s father offers to buy them from her, she declines, but Liam suggests that she lead the group, and she agrees.

When they approach a massive dune, they know they have no choice but to climb it, and Liam manages to motivate everyone by making it fun. He remembers how his dad used to take him to the dunes, and they would jump down them together, and he encourages everyone to do that now. On the other side, they find the flag, and then they march back, feeling triumphant. They share what little food they have, and Hasan’s father pulls out a Thermos filled with ice cream, bribing everyone to vote for him. The sun sets quickly, revealing a huge moon and hundreds of stars. Everyone votes for Hasan’s dad.

The group is tasked with trying on their inflatable spacesuits for the first time, and Mr. Xanadu offers Liam a drink from his flask beforehand. Liam is unaware he’s being given alcohol until he drinks it, and he becomes inebriated, requiring help to get his suit on. Dr. Drax shows everyone how to inflate their suits, and Liam can’t resist bumping into people with it. Soon, everyone’s rolling around on the floor in their inflated suits, and Liam has embarrassed himself.



Later, he wakes up in bed, and Florida tells him he has a hangover. She explains that everyone feels sorry for her for having an “alcoholic” father, and that they taught her how to swim. When Florida implies that Liam is a bad father because he never taught her himself, Liam can’t help pointing out that she’s referring to her real father. This upsets Florida, but they soon reconcile when Liam compliments Florida on her intelligence, telling her that if she puts it in the right places, she could go far with it. Florida decides to keep her interest in celebrities, but to use some of her brain power to learn about science as well. One person votes for Liam that day despite his foibles, but Florida insists that it wasn’t her.