Starman (1984)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

John Carpenter

Writers:

Bruce A. Evans (writer) &
Raynold Gideon (writer)

Release Date:

14 December 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Romance | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

In 1977 Voyager II was launched into space, inviting all lifeforms in the universe to visit our planet. Get ready. Company's coming.

Plot:

An alien takes the form of a young widow's husband and asks her to drive him from Wisconsin to Arizona. The government tries to stop them.

Plot Keywords:

Alien | Crater | Widow | Sex With Alien | Roadblock

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Jeff Bridges	...	Starman
Karen Allen	...	Jenny Hayden
Charles Martin Smith	...	Mark Shermin
Richard Jaeckel	...	George Fox
Robert Phalen	...	Major Bell
Tony Edwards	...	Sergeant Lemon
John Walter Davis	...	Brad Heinmuller
Ted White	...	Deer Hunter
Dirk Blocker	...	Cop #1
M.C. Gainey	...	Cop #2
Sean Stanek	...	Hot Rodder (as Sean Faro)
George 'Buck' Flower	...	Cook (as Buck Flower)
Russ Benning	...	Scientist
Ralph Cosham	...	Marine Lieutenant
David Wells	...	Fox's Assistant

Also Known As:

John Carpenter's Starman (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Ireland:PG | Australia:PG | Iceland:L | West Germany:12 (f) | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Norway:15 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Arizona, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Jeff Bridges' character (Starman) walks in and buys a Cadillac "cash". In the film Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974), Bridges character (Lightfoot) exclaims that one day he would like to walk up and buy a Cadillac with cash.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Sgt. Lemon, the crew chief on board the C&C helicopter wears the insignia of the 82nd Airborne Division on his right shoulder (indicating combat service). This has been worn with the "Airborne" tab since the end of World War I. Additionally all of the soldiers wear the "First US Army" patch on their left shoulder - the 1st US Army at the time was a headquarters unit at Fort Meade Maryland. And while it makes sense that the C&C chopper would be fitted out this way (Fort Meade is the home of the NSC) it doesn't make sense that the combat forces detailed to them in the southwest US would not be wearing their local insignia.

Quotes:

[Starman and Jenny are looking at a dead deer strapped to the hood of a car]
Deer Hunter: Cried when you saw Bambi?
Starman: Define 'Bambi'?
Deer Hunter: Huh?
Jenny Hayden: He doesn't understand, he's not from around here.
Deer Hunter: [laughs] You don't speaking English, huh? Heh-hey!
[walks away snickering]
Jenny Hayden: [to Starman] Steer clear of that bozo.
Starman: Define 'bozo'?
Jenny Hayden: Jerk.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Deep Impact (1998)

Soundtrack:

All I Have to Do Is Dream

little bit great film

A great little film, much better than I was expecting. Jeff Bridges gives one of his best and strangest performances as the "Starman" with robotic like movements and very funny mimicking of human behaviour. Karenallen is wide eyed and feisty. Only sour point is the over saccharine score by Jack Nitzsche, it hasn't aged well and is now a little painful to listen to. Otherwise this is a wonderful and charming film. (8/10)