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Sounds like a simple plot really. Alien, crashes, needs help.
What Starman has though is a brilliantly old school love story feel to it with the modern touch of Sci-Fi to back it up.
We're treated to what I can only describe as the most original take on any film of this kind.
The story is incredibly well handled throughout with the eye for detail, and for having the audience fill out the rest using their own imagination. There's only a handful of scenes that tell the general story behind the Starman, the rest is made up through the viewer's eyes.
It makes the film incredibly interpersonal.
The other thing is the dual story that goes on. We have "Scott" and Jenny on their Bonnie and Clyde style chase across America... the other side of it is the Military that is chasing them.
The Military side is also handled extremely well. There are a number of factors involved than just a bunch of guys hunting the runaway Alien... amongst them is Mark Shermin played by Charles Martin Smith who is a sympathiser of Jenny and the Alien.
Coming to loggerheads several times with the head of the Military over morality and common decency, it adds depth to both sides of the story we're witnessing.
The acting really though makes this film tie together.
Jeff bridges, in what is probably the best acting I've seen from him next to The Big Lebowski. Bridges research into animal behaviour and his natural talent for becoming the character are incredible to watch. He also portrays a wonderful childlike, yet incredibly wise essence at the same time which is a masterful stroke from Bridges.
I loved him in this role.
He's only credited as "Starman" too and it adds mystery to his character.
Karen Allen plays Jenny. She too is on absolute top form as the distraught widower who is thrown into a situation that would kill most people from sheer shock.
Her character change throughout is also brilliantly played by Allen. The character has a kind of realisation in that she never got to say goodbye to Scott... but the Alien, in a way, helps her with that and to get over her grief.
Bridges and Allen are magnificent in this film together.
Charles Martin Smith is also bang on. Playing the Civil Servant working alongside the Military and occasionally losing his rag with the gung-ho attitude of the men in charge. No matter what it may cost him.
CMS is utterly engaging as the nice guy with an attitude who chomps on cigars. Another role I loved in this film.
His final scene is also laugh out loud "stick it to the man" funny.
Richard Jaeckel isn't seen a great deal though for the main antagonist. He's good when seen though and his character lives with the viewer.
As for action exactly, there's not a massive amount on show. Instead we have a number of effects shots, some rotoscoping and matt painting and the occasional camera trick.
What makes the more perilous scenes work though, is the photography and the music that backs it up.
A couple shots are dated slightly though, particularly when the Alien morphs into Bridges.
The editing in this film makes it a hell of a lot more exciting than it could have been.
An example is one scene in particular: a car crash... but it's the aftermath of the crash and what Starman does when the music kicks in that make this film heart pounding.
The fact that you care about the people in the film also adds excitement.
Review #214, Movie #285
Starman
Year Of Release
1984
Director
John Carpenter
Producer
Larry J Franco, Michael Douglas
Writer
Bruce A Evans, Raynold Gideon, Dean Riesner
Cast
Jeff Bridges, Karen Allen, Charles Martin Smith and Richard Jaeckel
Notes
Starman was put into the writing phase alongside another friendly alien film in the late 70s.
Columbia then decided to only pursue one of the two films, Starman, and sold the rights to the second script to Amblin and Universal. That second script was pushed through quickly and became E.T The Extra-Terrestrial.
As a result, Starman was put on hold until 1984, making the development of the film a 5 year project altogether.
Jeff Bridges also studied Ornithology so he could portray the movements of birds. His thinking was that an Alien in a strange body would be jerky and applied the movements to his role before eventually becoming more fluid as the character learns to use his new body.
Having Michael Douglas as Producer was a hint of genius. Many Directors had been considered for the job, including Peter Hyams, John Badham and the late Tony Scott... but Douglas pushed for John Carpenter as he believed he had the right style and stylised vision for the film.
---
Year Of Release
1984
Director
John Carpenter
Producer
Larry J Franco, Michael Douglas
Writer
Bruce A Evans, Raynold Gideon, Dean Riesner
Cast
Jeff Bridges, Karen Allen, Charles Martin Smith and Richard Jaeckel
Notes
Starman was put into the writing phase alongside another friendly alien film in the late 70s.
Columbia then decided to only pursue one of the two films, Starman, and sold the rights to the second script to Amblin and Universal. That second script was pushed through quickly and became E.T The Extra-Terrestrial.
As a result, Starman was put on hold until 1984, making the development of the film a 5 year project altogether.
Jeff Bridges also studied Ornithology so he could portray the movements of birds. His thinking was that an Alien in a strange body would be jerky and applied the movements to his role before eventually becoming more fluid as the character learns to use his new body.
Having Michael Douglas as Producer was a hint of genius. Many Directors had been considered for the job, including Peter Hyams, John Badham and the late Tony Scott... but Douglas pushed for John Carpenter as he believed he had the right style and stylised vision for the film.
---
Aliens from a far away system pick up on Voyager 2 and its cargo of a Gold plated record with greetings messages from the people of Earth, and they follow up on the invitation that we sent all those years ago and send a probe ship to make First Contact.
Jenny Hayden is a widower and is still mourning after her husband Scott died only a short while ago, and one night, she awakens to find an Alien in her home after it is shot down by the Military...
... and when it takes the form of Scott by using hair samples and seeing photographs and a videotape of Scott, Jenny is brought into an adventure of discovery, peril, love and loss as she helps The Starman travel across the USA, so he can go home to his people.
Jenny Hayden is a widower and is still mourning after her husband Scott died only a short while ago, and one night, she awakens to find an Alien in her home after it is shot down by the Military...
... and when it takes the form of Scott by using hair samples and seeing photographs and a videotape of Scott, Jenny is brought into an adventure of discovery, peril, love and loss as she helps The Starman travel across the USA, so he can go home to his people.
---
Sounds like a simple plot really. Alien, crashes, needs help.
What Starman has though is a brilliantly old school love story feel to it with the modern touch of Sci-Fi to back it up.
We're treated to what I can only describe as the most original take on any film of this kind.
The story is incredibly well handled throughout with the eye for detail, and for having the audience fill out the rest using their own imagination. There's only a handful of scenes that tell the general story behind the Starman, the rest is made up through the viewer's eyes.
It makes the film incredibly interpersonal.
The other thing is the dual story that goes on. We have "Scott" and Jenny on their Bonnie and Clyde style chase across America... the other side of it is the Military that is chasing them.
The Military side is also handled extremely well. There are a number of factors involved than just a bunch of guys hunting the runaway Alien... amongst them is Mark Shermin played by Charles Martin Smith who is a sympathiser of Jenny and the Alien.
Coming to loggerheads several times with the head of the Military over morality and common decency, it adds depth to both sides of the story we're witnessing.
The acting really though makes this film tie together.
Jeff bridges, in what is probably the best acting I've seen from him next to The Big Lebowski. Bridges research into animal behaviour and his natural talent for becoming the character are incredible to watch. He also portrays a wonderful childlike, yet incredibly wise essence at the same time which is a masterful stroke from Bridges.
I loved him in this role.
He's only credited as "Starman" too and it adds mystery to his character.
Karen Allen plays Jenny. She too is on absolute top form as the distraught widower who is thrown into a situation that would kill most people from sheer shock.
Her character change throughout is also brilliantly played by Allen. The character has a kind of realisation in that she never got to say goodbye to Scott... but the Alien, in a way, helps her with that and to get over her grief.
Bridges and Allen are magnificent in this film together.
Charles Martin Smith is also bang on. Playing the Civil Servant working alongside the Military and occasionally losing his rag with the gung-ho attitude of the men in charge. No matter what it may cost him.
CMS is utterly engaging as the nice guy with an attitude who chomps on cigars. Another role I loved in this film.
His final scene is also laugh out loud "stick it to the man" funny.
Richard Jaeckel isn't seen a great deal though for the main antagonist. He's good when seen though and his character lives with the viewer.
As for action exactly, there's not a massive amount on show. Instead we have a number of effects shots, some rotoscoping and matt painting and the occasional camera trick.
What makes the more perilous scenes work though, is the photography and the music that backs it up.
A couple shots are dated slightly though, particularly when the Alien morphs into Bridges.
The editing in this film makes it a hell of a lot more exciting than it could have been.
An example is one scene in particular: a car crash... but it's the aftermath of the crash and what Starman does when the music kicks in that make this film heart pounding.
The fact that you care about the people in the film also adds excitement.
---
All in all, a hit at time of release and still holds up strong today.
Full of intrigue and wonderful eye for detail and some of the best acting I've seen in a Sci-Fi movie.
It's also heart wrenchingly touching at times, exciting too, and Bridges is incredibly funny throughout as well when he gets out of his depth or doesn't understand our customs.
A Classic in every sense of the word.
My rating: 100%
Full of intrigue and wonderful eye for detail and some of the best acting I've seen in a Sci-Fi movie.
It's also heart wrenchingly touching at times, exciting too, and Bridges is incredibly funny throughout as well when he gets out of his depth or doesn't understand our customs.
A Classic in every sense of the word.
My rating: 100%
