The Astronaut's Wife (1999)

User Rating:

4.9/10   

Director:

Rand Ravich

Writer (WGA):

Rand Ravich (written by)

Release Date:

27 August 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

How well do you know the one you love?

Plot:

A pair of shuttle astronauts leave their spacecraft to repair a satellite. There's an explosion. NASA loses contact for two minutes...

Plot Keywords:

Astronaut | Mission | Possession | Apostrophe In Title | Punctuation In Title

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Johnny Depp	...	Commander Spencer Armacost
Charlize Theron	...	Jillian Armacost
Joe Morton	...	Sherman Reese, NASA Representative
Clea DuVall	...	Nan
Donna Murphy	...	Natalie Streck
Nick Cassavetes	...	Capt. Alex Streck
Samantha Eggar	...	Dr. Patraba
Gary Grubbs	...	NASA Director
Blair Brown	...	Shelly McLaren
Tom Noonan	...	Jackson McLaren
Tom O'Brien	...	Allen Dodge
Lucy Lin	...	Shelly Carter
Michael Crider	...	Pat Elliott
Jacob Stein	...	Calvin, 2nd Grade Student
Timothy Wicker	...	Wide Eyed Kid #1
Sarah Dampf	...	Paula, 2nd Grade Student
Charles Lanyer	...	Spencer's Doctor
Gary Cervantes	...	Doctor (as Carlos Cervantes)
Conrad Bachmann	...	Reporter
Rondi Reed	...	Dr. Conlin
Seth Barrish	...	Yuppie Shark
Ellen Lancaster	...	Dried Up Socialite
Julian Barnes	...	Waiter
Priscilla Shanks	...	Woman
Jennifer Burry	...	Second Woman
Susan Cella	...	Third Woman
Linda Powell	...	Fourth Woman
Lyndsey Danielle Bonomolo	...	Screaming Girl
Elston Ridgle	...	Security Guard
Robert Sella	...	Maitre D'
Samantha Carpel	...	Reporter (Video)
Lahai Fahnbulleh	...	Taxi Driver
Stephen Berger	...	Doorman
Michael Luceri	...	Waiter at Party
Ben Van Bergen	...	Storage Facility Client
Edward Kerr	...	Pilot
Cole Sprouse	...	Twin
Dylan Sprouse	...	Twin
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Brian Johnson	...	Excited Fourth Grader
Carl Burrows	...	Businessman (uncredited)
Buck Holland	...	Mission Control (uncredited)
Dawn Landon	...	Nurse (uncredited)

Directed by
Rand Ravich

Writing credits (WGA)
Rand Ravich		(written by)

Produced by
Jody Hedien	....	associate producer
Mark Johnson	....	executive producer
Donna Langley	....	executive producer
Andrew Lazar	....	producer
Diana Pokorny	....	co-producer
Brian Witten	....	executive producer

Original Music by
George S. Clinton

Cinematography by
Allen Daviau

Film Editing by
Timothy Alverson		(as Tim Alverson)
Steve Mirkovich

Casting by
Debi Manwiller
Richard Pagano

Production Design by
Jan Roelfs

Art Direction by
Sarah Knowles

Set Decoration by
Leslie A. Pope

Costume Design by
Isis Mussenden

Makeup Department
Deborah K. Larsen	....	makeup department head
Candy L. Walken	....	hair department head

Production Management
Wendy Cox	....	production supervisor
Rick Reynolds	....	post-production supervisor
Mari-Jo Winkler	....	unit production manager (as Mari-Jo Winkler-Ioffreda)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Paula Case	....	second second assistant director
K.C. Colwell	....	first assistant director
Vince Duque	....	dga trainee
Darin Rivetti	....	second assistant director

Art Department
David H. Allen	....	property master
Russell R. Anderson	....	lead man: Los Angeles
Christopher Casey	....	set dresser
Claudette Didul	....	additional set decorator
Brent Haywood	....	construction coordinator
Tom Hrupcho	....	paint supervisor
Lisa M. Kittredge	....	construction auditor (as Lisa M. Brooks)
Karl J. Martin	....	set designer
Christine Mayer	....	assistant set decorator
Patti McNulty	....	art department coordinator
Joe Ondrejko	....	construction coordinator (as Joseph Ondrejko)
Erik Polczwartek	....	on-set dresser
Peter Rogness	....	art director: New York
Chris Samp	....	set painter
Randall D. Wilkins	....	set designer
Brick Mason	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Marko A. Costanzo	....	foley artist
Kate Eales	....	assistant adr editor
Chris Fielder	....	assistant sound editor
Tom Fleischman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Sean Garnhart	....	sound effects editor
Frank Kern	....	sound editor
Paul Ledford	....	production sound mixer
Hal Levinsohn	....	adr editor
Blake Leyh	....	supervising sound editor
Kimberly R. McCord	....	dialogue editor
Bill Orrico	....	apprentice sound editor
Harry Peck Bolles	....	sound editor
Jay Peck	....	foley artist
Paul Urmson	....	foley editor
Keenan Wyatt	....	boom operator
Jerry Yuen	....	utility sound: New York

Special Effects by
Tony Acosta Jr.	....	mold/silicone technician: unborn twins, Kevin Yagher Productions
Eric Allard	....	special props
Jeffrey P. Buccacio Jr.	....	sculptor: unborn twins, Kevin Yagher Productions
Mitchell J. Coughlin	....	project supervisor: unborn twins, Kevin Yagher Productions
Pamela Cveticanin	....	womb construction: unborn twins, Kevin Yagher Productions
Zach Cveticanin	....	womb construction: unborn twins, Kevin Yagher Productions
Frank Diettinger	....	mold/silicone technician: unborn twins, Kevin Yagher Productions
Jeff Himmel	....	womb construction: unborn twins, Kevin Yagher Productions
Thomas R. Homsher	....	special effects coordinator
Richard Lalonde	....	mechanical technician: unborn twins, Kevin Yagher Productions
Michael Lantieri	....	special effects supervisor
David Miner Jr.	....	mechanical technician: unborn twins, Kevin Yagher Productions
Johanna Pizzo	....	contact lens technician
David Selvadurai	....	mold/silicone technician: unborn twins, Kevin Yagher Productions
Johnnie Spence	....	animatronic designer: unborn twins, Kevin Yagher Productions
Gregory C. Tippie	....	special effects coordinator
Brian Tipton	....	special effects foreman
Mario Torres Jr.	....	sculptor/painter: unborn twins, Kevin Yagher Productions
Mark C. Yagher	....	studio manager: Kevin Yagher Productions
Chris Yee	....	lead technical assistant
Steve Newburn	....	mold department/technician: Amalgamated Dyanmics, Inc. (uncredited)
Chris L. Ward	....	special effects technician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Chris Allen	....	procedural earth: VIFX
Alfredo R. Barcia	....	film scanning and recording technician: SPI
Les Bernstien	....	motion control operator: VIFX
Mark A. Brown	....	digital department manager: VIFX
Randy Brown	....	visual effects compositor
Bela Brozsek	....	3D animator: VIFX
Daniel Aristoteles Collins	....	systems/operations: Rhythm & Hues
John 'D.J.' Des Jardin	....	visual effects supervisor: VIFX
Ivan DeWolf	....	3D digital artist
Linda Drake	....	visual effects supervisor
Andy Gauvreau	....	digital effects: Rhythm & Hues
Scott Giegler	....	3D animator: VIFX
Douglas Harsch	....	procedural earth: VIFX
Bryan Hirota	....	procedural earth: VIFX
Phil Holland	....	scanning & recording operator
Josh R. Jaggars	....	visual effects producer: VIFX
Rimas Juchnevicius	....	digital artist: rotoscope artist and compositor
Chris Juen	....	digital production manager
Dan Kaufman	....	senior technical director
Harry Lam	....	digital supervisor: VIFX
Steve LaVietes	....	technical director: SPI
Didier Levy	....	digital artist
Seth Lippman	....	technical director: SPI
Keith McCabe	....	digital artist
Sean McPherson	....	digital compositing supervisor
Robert Rioux	....	CGI modeler: VIFX
Marc Rubone	....	digital compositor
Allen Ruilova	....	technical director: SPI
Rick Sander	....	digital effects artist
David Santiago	....	effects technical director
David Schaub	....	character animator: SPI
Jeff W. Smith	....	digital compositor
Dottie Starling	....	3D textures: VIFX (as Dortha Starling)
Theo Vandernoot	....	3D senior artist: SPI
Guy Wiedmann	....	visual effects editor
Jeff Wolverton	....	technical director: CGI creature
Serkan Zelzele	....	digital compositor
Patrick Zentis	....	digital compositor: Digital Backlot
Brandon Craig	....	I/O coordinator (uncredited)
Anthony Harris	....	digital color timer (uncredited)
Gary Jackemuk	....	digital compositor: Rhythm & Hues (uncredited)
Paul McGhee	....	film scanning and recording (uncredited)
Eric Person	....	digital compositor (uncredited)

Stunts
Brian Bennett	....	stunts
Jeffrey J. Dashnaw	....	stunts (as Jeff Dashnaw)
Craig Davis	....	stunts
Tim A. Davison	....	stunt coordinator
Dana Hee	....	stunts
Carrick O'Quinn	....	stunts
Jimmy N. Roberts	....	stunts
Troy Robinson	....	stunts
Erik Rondell	....	stunts
Nancy Young	....	stunt double: Ms. Theron

Camera and Electrical Department
Paul C. Babin	....	camera operator
Ken Berkhout	....	rigging electrician
R. Adam Chambers	....	electrician
Tom Connole	....	second camera operator
David Dunbar	....	rigging gaffer
Greg Etherridge	....	electrician
Mary Funsten	....	camera loader
Mike Gerzevitz	....	electrician
Paul Gibilisco	....	second assistant camera
Quinn Grove	....	grip
Tony Hibbard	....	rigging best boy
David Katz	....	video assist operator
William Kennedy	....	rigging electrician
Michael Kenner	....	key grip
Wayne Kosky	....	grip
Steve Lazarus	....	rigging electrician
Michael Lyon	....	best boy electric
Tim Metivier	....	second assistant camera
William Moore	....	gaffer: New York
A. Lee Morris	....	second assistant camera: New York
Juan Morse	....	electrician
Reggie Newkirk	....	first assistant camera
Tony Olivieri	....	first assistant camera: underwater unit
Ross Richardson	....	electrician
Chris Rosen	....	electrician
Chris Scarfi	....	generator operator
Gomidas Semerjian	....	rigging electrician
Michael Tolochko	....	underwater lighting technician
Larry Wallace	....	chief lighting technician
Bennie Zura	....	electrician
David Skutch	....	rigging gaffer: New York (uncredited)

Animation Department
Brent W. Bell	....	mechanical designer (uncredited)

Casting Department
Eyde Belasco	....	casting associate
Sondra James	....	adr voice casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Amy Jo Hoppenfeld	....	set costumer
Susan Kowarsh	....	assistant costume designer (as Susan Kowarsh)
Roseann Milano	....	wardrobe supervisor: New York
Ann Miller	....	set costumer
Barbara Presar	....	assistant costume designer: New York
Faye Sevilla	....	wardrobe coordinator

Editorial Department
Jennifer Apel	....	assistant editor
Matt Boatright-Simon	....	editorial assistant
Adam Geiger	....	apprentice editor
Mato	....	color timer
Bob McMillian	....	color timer
Lila Place	....	apprentice editor
Tia Schellstede	....	assistant editor
William Yeh	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Michael Boriskin	....	music consultant
Paul Broucek	....	music executive
Paul Broucek	....	music supervisor
Mike Flicker	....	music editor
Rick Giovinazzo	....	orchestrator
Suzie Katayama	....	music scoring consultant
Jeff Lingle	....	assistant music editor
Robert Puff	....	music preparation
David Sabee	....	orchestra contractor
Annie Searles	....	music coordinator
John Whynot	....	score mixer
Matt Friedman	....	assistant music editor (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Scott Doyle	....	transportation
Craig Fehrman	....	transportation coordinator
J. Armin Garza II	....	driver: camera car
Walter McClain	....	transportation captain
William Smallwood	....	production driver
Ken Farnell	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Guy Adan	....	unit publicist
Monica Barraza	....	production assistant: New York
Kevin Berman	....	consultant
Cyndi Brenner	....	assistant production coordinator: New York
Carrie Brody	....	production assistant: re-shoots
Jeff Chena	....	stand-in: Mr. Depp
Robert Earl Craft	....	location manager
John DeSimone	....	production coordinator: New York
Cheryl Donaldson	....	assistant: Mark Johnson
Timothy Donohue	....	set production assistant: New York
Leon Dudevoir	....	production executive
Gregory Dunigan	....	production secretary
Johnny Egan	....	production assistant
Dina Farnell	....	production coordinator
Fred Fein	....	stand-in
Anna E. Hayward	....	set production assistant
Gym Hinderer	....	assistant: A. Lazar
Buck Holland	....	assistant: Mr. Depp
JoAnn Fregalette Jansen	....	choreographer
Arik Johnson	....	payroll accountant
Susann Jones	....	assistant: Mark Johnson
T.L. Kittle	....	production assistant
Amanda Ladd	....	payroll accountant
Jenifer Lew	....	assistant: D. Pokorny
Diana Mehoudar	....	dancer
Kim Nickel	....	stand-in: Mrs. Theron
Deborah Parker	....	location manager
Marion Tumen	....	script supervisor
Derek Jan Vermaas	....	assistant production coordinator
Adam T. Weisinger	....	production assistant
Kevin Norman Williams	....	production assistant
Kevin Yagher	....	creator: unborn twins
Zane	....	post-production accountant
William M. DeLuca	....	mechanic (uncredited)
Sean Jordan	....	interactive media (uncredited)
Peter Pamela Rose	....	adr loop group (uncredited)
Bill Timoney	....	adr loop group (uncredited)

Production Companies

• New Line Cinema
• Mad Chance

Distributors

• New Line Cinema (1999) (USA) (theatrical)
• Concorde Filmverleih (1999) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Distribution Company (2000) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• GAGA Humax (2000) (Japan) (theatrical)
• GAGA (2000) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Metropolitan Filmexport (1999) (France) (theatrical)
• RCV Film Distribution (1999) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• RCV Film Distribution (1999) (Luxembourg) (theatrical)
• RCV Film Distribution (1999) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Roadshow Entertainment (1999) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1999) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2000) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Concorde Home Entertainment (2000) (Germany) (DVD)
• New Line Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD) (VHS)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2000) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Roadshow Entertainment Video (2000) (Australia) (VHS)
• Talpa (2007) (Netherlands) (TV)
• United Paramount Network (UPN) (2004) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)

Special Effects

• All Effects Company
• Blue Sky/VIFX
• Global Effects Inc.
• Kevin Yagher Productions
• Rhythm and Hues
• Sony Pictures Imageworks (SPI) (alien effects)

Other Companies

• Bill Dance Casting  extras casting
• C-5  post-production sound
• Central Casting  extras casting
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes and dollies
• Cineric  titles and opticals
• Deluxe Catering  catering
• J.G. Films  negative cutting
• Sound One Corporation  re-recording facility

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, language and a strong scene of sexuality.

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Portugal:M/16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Finland:K-16 | Netherlands:12 (TV rating) | Netherlands:16 | Singapore:M18 (cut) (re-rating) | Singapore:PG (cut) | South Korea:18 | South Korea:15 (cable rating) | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | France:U | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Spain:13 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | USA:R (certificate #36008) | Philippines:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Camarillo Airport - 555 Airport Way, Camarillo, California, USA

Company:

New Line Cinema

Trivia:

In this film as well as in The Devil's Advocate (1997), Charlize Theron's character begins in Florida, then moves to New York (where bad things happen to her).

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Spenser Checks Jill's pulse at the party' he does it in the wrong place. Pulse is checked bellow the thumb, while he checks it under Jill's little finger.

Quotes:

Jillian: He's hiding inside me.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Film Geek (2005)

Soundtrack:

My Way

Nice patient delivery and good ending even if it leaves unsatisfactory questions

Spencer Armacost and Alex Streck are on a mission in orbit to repair a sataleitte when NASA loses touch with them for two minutes. After this two minutes the pair are recovered and return to earth. However Alex dies of heart failure soon after return and his wife, Natalie, kills herself. Soon Spencer's wife Jillian falls pregnant with twins and they move to New York for Spencer to take up a job with a military aerospace firm. However Jillian begins to have doubts that Spencer hasn't been changed by his experience – doubts that are backed up by NASA scientist Sherman Reese.

Playing like a cross between Rosemary's Baby and Contact, this film attracted me to it on the strength that Johnny Depp was in the lead. The plot is interesting as I quite enjoy sci-fi when it is done well, although it maybe doesn't deliver everything you'd expect in terms of thrills. It has a nice slow patient build up throughout the film, we are invited to be unsure if Jillian is losing it or if she's catching on to the reality of her situation. A great performance by Joe Morton helps this uncertainty as he plays a NASA rep who may be unhinged as much as he is informed.

The director uses various tricks to help keep the film feeling tight. Shots flash quickly around the illustrate the panic and confusion in Jillian's head, the camera spins around some key confrontations to make the movement draw out pace etc, but for the most part he has a lowkey tension playing constantly which, for me, worked better than big shocks and scares. The `truth' is revealed a little too early, leaving the film with it's wad blown with still 20 minutes to go, and the climatic confrontation would have worked better with a rant that explains everything in terms of `why' and `who' – but the actual conclusion is pretty cool and maybe it's better we're left wondering.

Depp is OK in the lead but not his best work. He only has to walk round looking menacing and talking with the Texan accent and that's it! Theron is much better and she portrays Jillian so well that the audience aren't sure if she's crazy or not. Her gradual descent is well done and helped by the director. Morton is excellent in what amounts to little more than a cameo and the rest of the cast are pretty good.

Overall this is not a perfect film and is really a bit of a hybrid of genres, but it works pretty well. The slow build up of tension works well, even if it bails out before it should. The ending may be slightly unsatisfying but there's no denying it is a brave attempt. I enjoyed it even if I felt like a bigger ending was in order.