MovieChat Forums > The Road (2009) Discussion > How long would it take the Earth to star...

How long would it take the Earth to start to recover?

posted 7 years ago by Coleburg83 (684)
18 replies | jump to latest

From an asteroid strike/super volcano eruption? In the film it seems about a decade since the disaster and the Earth is still slowly dying...

The ending is supposed to be happy, but it doesn't seem like there is any kind of future for the boy or the family, even if they don't get killed by a gang.

In the book it's implied the family is likely part of a larger group, maybe part of one of the "communes" that is mentioned. Perhaps a place lucky enough to be using green houses and trying to grow food in a controlled environment. But even that would seem pointless if it would take thousands of years for new growth to start. Canned goods don't last nearly as long as people think. All the canned goods in that bomb shelter would have already be long expired.

I'd imagine perhaps the only people in good shape at the moment were those lucky enough to get to the Mountain House food warehouse.

[–] TapDancingTeddy (228) 7 years ago

I have no idea how long a recovery would take and they make it hard to predict since they don't give details on the disaster. However, I can say that if you leave canned goods a long while, the stuff inside goes bad. You're absolutely right that most or all the 10 year old canned stuff in the shelter would've been inedible.

[–] [deleted] 7 years ago

Earth isn't dying. I'm sure some life will remain. But the era of man might be over.

[–] Coleburg83 (684) 7 years ago

It made it clear that all the animals had died. That's the point. If that's the case, it seems like the entire story is pointless because the wife was right.

[–] MillerJones (526) a year ago

If all animals and insects are dead on the planet humans can not live fact.

So that would mean people are just living out years until die of old age, disease, lack of nutrition.

So yes in some way the story is pointless because the end is death for everyone if that is how you look at it but the story is about the journey its the same for us you could say we are all going to die why bother telling any stories.

[–] Kementiri (57) 7 months ago

No all the animals did not die. The family at the end had a dog. So who knows what else survived.

[–] tomservo (204) 7 years ago

Depends on what caused the earth to be so destroyed. After a Nuclear War things would slowly come back together. Within 24 hours after Hiroshima was attacked, they had the power up and running and train cars running. So if it was something, more like an asteroid or super volcano, perhaps not for hundred thousand years. by that time, humanity would've died out and a new species (insects perhaps) would reign supreme. As for the end, the kid was a bit wimpy, not anything like his dad. Odds are, that family ate him.

[–] Snator (125) 3 years ago

He described lights in the sky and a series of loud concussions and fires over the horizon. No mention of fallout or war. So im guessing it was several large meteors hitting earth.

[–] TerraFirma69 (2229) 3 years ago

Yeah that's what I've always been convinced of. It makes perfect sense.

[–] jimmyzimms (74) 5 years ago

Give a read to the paper "survival in the first hours of the cenozoic". Very interesting about the aftermath of the Chicxulub impact.

[–] Snator (125) 3 years ago

"Canned goods don't last nearly as long as people think" -In the army we ate 20+ years old canned food rations consisting of meat, fat and peas, sy yes, it does. "Expiry dates" doesnt nesceserilly mean that it is bad afterwards.

[–] xergan (1067) 2 years ago

true, military stuff is made to last and not getting bad in the sense of making you sick. More likely the flavors and possible the nutritions are dead. So your body literally just burn the mass. You don't get sick, but don't expect to do a yomp afterwards and not fall behind.

[–] corey (768) 7 months ago

Also, a Twinkie in its original, unbroken wrapper will last a million years. Fact.

[–] RoboReCop (3294) 3 years ago

It depends on whom is in control, dear I must say.

[–] JoWilli (19957) a year ago

its dementia Joe so we are screwed....

[–] moviechatterer (15583) a year ago

does the movie or book even say what happened?

[–] Zarkoff (1853) 7 months ago

The book didn't.

[–] moviechatterer (15583) 7 months ago

This was my main gripe with the story
If we dont know what happned we dont know how serious it is , OR wether the actions the characters are taking are appropriate .

[–] moviechatterer (15583) a year ago

Canned goods don't last

they last a lifetime if the seal is not broken
also dried food lasts forever, especially if sealed