This is false mainly. The humans version of choice that is partly what stops them seeing/experiencing their future, they are imcomptible as concepts. So yes she chooses to phone general Shang, but only becuase she hadn't seen the future did she appear to have a choice. Really she didn't have a choice becuase the hetopods had already recieved the help from humans they needed, so she must have already made that call.
Heptopods don't have a choice. It explains this better in the book although I understood this from the movie. Anything explained in the book that doesn't contradict the movie then I guessing it's the same in movie. Anything that in the book that contradicts the movie I'm discarding becuase we are discussing the movie, so I think that's fair.
The story couldn't have played out any differently, becuase it had already be played out.
Not a thorn in my side no. I'm enjoying our exchanges. I agree with you about the discussions thing. Rarely do I come IMDb to discuss any movie, I onky do so when provoked and this movie has provoked me more than any other I've ever watched

I still say it shows a lot of character for the aliens to accept the bomb. Abbott certainly COULD have avoided his own death (but chose not to). Just as Costello (and all the others) choosing not to retaliate.
Look at the "choices" Louise makes. She chooses to make the call to General Shang. She chooses to have a child. She chooses not to specifically tell Ian ALL the details up front about their daughter Hannah.
So just like Louise. who is still "making choices at the moment" The Heptapods are also making choices at the moment.
The "clencher" is that Louise, The Heptapods. and the rest of the humans (and rest of the aliens) were ALWAYS going to make that SAME choice.
So choice can be an "illusion" like humans' perception of time. But that doesn't mean these "mirages" don't exist! After all, the story could have played out differently to where the heptapods attacked (all along). I think this is the significance of the title "Story of your Life"
DoorClosed you must really despise my posts because they are so contrarian to your impressions of the film. I'm sorry for that and don't mean to be this "thorn" in your side. In the end though, its typically telling of a well made film of it inspires discussion and thoughtful opinions afterward. We certainly don't have deep discussions after watching "Fast and the Furious" or most Marvel films, right?

They can't see all time, they do experiance their entire life all at the same time and they have infinite access to it for an infinate amount of time. That heptopod if ineed was killed by the bomb had already died by that bomb

Fair enough but that isn't explaining what actually killed him, whether he knew it was going to happen or not (which I guess he did seeing as they can see all time)

He was not a martyr, he doesn't have free will. He knew he was long die there and then and the only reson he died there and then was becuase he'd already died there and the

It didn't occur to me while watching it that the bomb killed Abbott. It's possible that is what was intended but it's (maybe intentionally) unclear. I guess the main point was just to show that they can die so they are not super god-like beings, they can see future/past events but are still stuck 'now'. If it was intended to be the bomb, then I guess it also shows the heptapod's tolerance and un-vindictive nature because they just accepted it.
Maybe it shows Abbott was a martyr and hung around long enough to push Amy and the guy out of the ship to save them, getting killed in the explosion. Maybe it was the bomb AND that Abbott was old, so more frail and less able to survive the bomb compared to Costello.

Don't you think she reacts a little too sadly if he were just dying of old age? She feels personally responsible as a human to have caused his death and that's why she tears up and apologizes profusely

While I find your analysis interesting, I have to disagree and say it was the explosion. Before the explosion is when the two need to find out the big chunk of info. I think Abbott sacrificed himself to assure they got what they needed and lived to figure it out. Costello swims (or whatever) away before the explosion. If the explosion didn't kill him, then it's implied that Amy Adams' character at least thinks the explosion did because she says, "I'm sorry" followed by a look of remorse then says, "we're sorry"

Huh? Either way, they show the aliens can die. What do you think the significance of the scene was, if not to suggest that Abbott, on reflection, was unwell in some sense?

And that significance is just to show that these aliens can die? That seems like an unnecessary reveal.

I have no counter argument: you're right.

The point was that Abbott was always mean to Costello so he finally cracked and killed him.

We don't know that it died immediately after. It would be odd to have a scene where they make a point of wondering why Abbott was not there, otherwise completely irrelevant to the story, if it wasn't something the viewer wasn't meant to realise had significance later.

It would be an odd coincidence to have it dying immediately after the bomb incident if it wasn't the cause.

And what did he die of? Old age? Not specified or important?
Not (as some of your other responders have been saying) of the explosion. It was implied he died of old age. Note how he was the skinnier one, and he turned up late to meetings.
I think him (her/it?) turning up late was there for a reason.
There was no suggestion that he had been killed, just that he was dead or dying. The significance was just to show even the aliens weren't immortal and understood death.

He died coz of the bomb

Abbott was still willing to sacrifice himself to save Ian and Louise! That says a LOT about the culture of the heptapods versus humans
Tell that to Captain America.

No not really, since the hetopods don't have free will. All it says is that, that hetopods was meant to die

Yes (the still experience "death process"), but also knowing about the pending bomb Abbott was still willing to sacrifice himself to save Ian and Louise! That says a LOT about the culture of the heptapods versus humans, wouldn't you say?

I don't know that there was any. Maybe just to show that despite having all this technology, including the ability to move through time, that they still experience death process.