The Astronaut's Wife (1999)

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

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:

Continuity: When Spencer scares Jillian in the bathroom, she drops the abortion pills she was holding and they fall far away from each other. After Spencer slaps her, the pills are closer together.

Quotes:

Jillian Armacost: Do you know the story of the princess whose beloved prince dies in battle? The enemy prince after overrunning the castle finds the princess and forces himself upon her. Months later the princess is with child... but whose? It's either the child of her enemy, the man that killed her husband, the man that raped her...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Film Geek (2005)

Soundtrack:

Moonlight and Roses

Payoff could've been better

Up to about ninety percent through the film, The Astronaut's seems to be on course to being something special. Leads Depp and Theron are very convincing in their roles and they are backed by a very competent supporting cast led by the always reliable Joe Morton (T2, Speed, Bounce, Paycheck, Smallville). The special effects and cinematography are well done and the pacing and building of suspense entice the viewer to unravel the mystery along with the protagonist. Unfortunately the revelation doesn't quite live up to the buildup leaving the viewer more than a little dissatisfied. Despite the letdown I still recommend this movie on the strength of the performances and on the fact that is a rare hybrid of the science fiction and thriller genres. 7/10.