STARMAN - Directed by John Carpenter, starring
Jeff Bridges, Karen Allen and Charles Martin
Smith, written by Bruce A. Evans and Raynold Gideon,
music by Jack Nitzsche, cinematography by Donald M.
Morgan, at the Cheri and suburbs, rated PG-13 (nudity).
When the Voyager I and II spacecrafts were launched in the late summer of 1977,
they each carried a capsule containing a copper record. Each recording included
musical selections, greetings from then UN Secretary- General Kurt Waldheim,
and salutations in 60 languages. The idea to make the Earth known to other
civilizations, if they exist, was conceived by Cornell University scientist
Carl Sagan. At the time, Sagan likened the messages to "throwing a bottle into
the ocean."
In "Starman," a close encounter of the most curious kind, director John
Carpenter assumes that an extraterrestrial got the message.
In one of the most intriguing science fiction films since "E. T.," Carpenter
mixes humor, fantasy, adventure and love into a fascinating extension of
Sagan's idea.
From the opening scene of a spacecraft hurtling through space in rhythm with
the Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction" to the bittersweet finale, "Starman" makes
us believe that someone out there is listening.
When the visitor from another planet is blown off course by American fighter
planes concerned with his violation of our air space, he lands in the piney
Wisconsin woods behind Karen Allen's cabin.
She has spent the evening drowning the death of her husband (Jeff Bridges)
in glasses of red wine but, when she awakens from a drunken stupor, she finds
the alien standing naked in her living room. The starman has cloned himself
into an exact, physical duplicate of her late husband.
Naturally, the FBI, the Air Force and virtually every other government
bureau is trying to locate the alien and they've brought out their big guns,
including a charming, nonconformist played with easygoing aplomb by Charles
Martin Smith.
Although the chase from Wisconsin to Arizona provides the spiney plot, it is
the least interesting element in Carpenter's caper. The beauty of "Starman" is
that it's essentially a love story embroidered with exquisitely crafted
details.
The Starman has superior intelligence and memory but no knowledge of the
English idiom, body language or social customs of Earthlings. He only knows
what he learned from Sagan's record. But, as his journey Westward evolves, he
learns how to swear, make obscene gestures and insult waitresses.
And, in one of the most touching scenes, he magically resurrects a dead deer
from the hood of a redneck's jeep.
Karen Allen as the vulnerable, yet self-willed widow and Charles Martin
Smith as the likable scientist infuse their supporting roles with a dignity and
dimension usually lacking in movies with a science-fiction base. But the big
surprise is Jeff Bridges' understated performance in the title role.
This likable actor, who is usually required to do no more than stand still
and look pretty, is undeniably persuasive as the space creature. As his
character evolves, Bridges delicately softens his movements and subtlely
suggests his growing understanding of Earthlings.
"Starman" is a close encounter of the most curious kind that never
sacrifices hardware for humanity, intelligence for action or character for
caricature.
Copyright © 1984 Globe Newspaper Company