Flight of the Navigator (1986)

Director:

Randal Kleiser

Writers:

Mark H. Baker (story)
Michael Burton (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

30 July 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Come along on the greatest adventure of the summer!

Plot:

In 1978, a boy is moved 8 years into the future and has an adventure with the alien ship that is responsible for that.

Plot Keywords:

Boy | Flying Saucer | 12 Year Old | Alien | Doctor

Awards:

4 nominations

Cast

Joey Cramer	...	David Freeman
Paul Reubens	...	Max (voice) (as Paul Mall)
Veronica Cartwright	...	Helen Freeman
Cliff De Young	...	Bill Freeman
Sarah Jessica Parker	...	Carolyn McAdams
Matt Adler	...	Jeff (16 years)
Howard Hesseman	...	Dr. Faraday
Robert Small	...	Troy
Albie Whitaker	...	Jeff (8 years)
Jonathan Sanger	...	Dr. Carr
Iris Acker	...	Mrs. Howard
Richard Liberty	...	Mr. Howard
Raymond Forchion	...	Detective Banks
Cynthia Caquelin	...	Woman Officer
Ted Bartsch	...	Night Guard Brayton
Gizelle Elliott	...	Female Technician #1
Brigid Cleary	...	Female Technician #2
Michael Strano	...	Technician #3
Parris Buckner	...	Scientist #1
Robyn Peterson	...	Scientist #2
Tony Tracy	...	Observation Guard
Philip Hoelcher	...	NASA Officer
Julio Oscar Mechoso	...	Hangar Guard #1
Butch Raymond	...	Hangar Guard #2
Bob Strickland	...	Control Room Guard #1
Michael Brockman	...	Control Room Guard #2
Louis Cutolo	...	Radar Technician #1
Debbie Casperson	...	Radar Technician #2
Chase Randolph	...	Lieutenant King
John Archie	...	Agent #1
Tony Calvino	...	Agent #2
Rusty Pouch	...	Gas Station Attendant
Robert Goodman	...	Tourist Man
Ryan Murray	...	Tourist child
Keri Rogers	...	Jennifer Bradley
Peter Lindquist	...	Newscaster #1
Jill Beach	...	Newscaster #2
Kenneth Ian Davis	...	Kid in Mustang
Bruce Lake	...	Bixby
Arnie Ross	...	NASA Technician #1
Fritz Bronner	...	NASA Technician #2 (as Fritz Brauner)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tim Blaney	...	Puppeteer (voice)
Tony Urbano	...	Puppeteer
Bob Barker	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Stephen Luscombe	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)

Directed by
Randal Kleiser

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Mark H. Baker		story
Michael Burton		screenplay
Matt MacManus		screenplay

Produced by
Mark Damon	....	executive producer
Malcolm R. Harding	....	co-executive producer
John W. Hyde	....	executive producer
David Joseph	....	co-producer
Jonathan Sanger	....	executive producer
Dimitri Villard	....	producer
Robert Wald	....	producer (as Robbie Wald)

Original Music by
Alan Silvestri

Cinematography by
James Glennon

Film Editing by
Jeff Gourson

Casting by
Jane Feinberg
Mike Fenton
Valorie Massalas

Production Design by
William J. Creber

Art Direction by
Michael Novotny

Set Decoration by
Scott Jacobson

Costume Design by
Mary Lou Byrd

Makeup Department
Philip Goldblat	....	makeup supervisor
Diana Johnson	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Hakon Gunderson	....	production supervisor
Malcolm R. Harding	....	production manager
Hal Harrison	....	post-production manager
Mike Moder	....	executive in charge of production: Norway
Inge Tenvik	....	production manager: Norway

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Randall Badger	....	second assistant director
Peter Bogart	....	assistant director
William J. Creber	....	second unit director
Michelle Marx	....	assistant director: aerial unit
Terry Miller	....	second assistant director
Mike Moder	....	assistant director: Norway

Art Department
John Balling	....	scenic painter
Lewis Bowen	....	stand-by scenic
Thomas Cocheo	....	property master
Thierry Coup	....	set builder
Kenneth J. Creber	....	draughtsman
Gabriel C. Ell	....	construction coordinator
Edward Eyth	....	conceptual artist
George Fidler	....	leadman
Daniel Gluck	....	model maker
Joe Griffith	....	illustrator
David C. Hardie	....	construction foreman
Gary Lee	....	model maker
Kevin Scott Mack	....	set designer
Rox Ann Madera	....	art coordinator
Per Mørk	....	construction manager: Norway
Egil Storeide	....	construction: Norway
Norman E. Weber	....	painter
Scot Broadus	....	model maker (uncredited)

Sound Department
Jim Borgardt	....	adr editor (as Jim Bogart)
D. Rex Downham	....	sound
Gaspar	....	assistant sound editor
Walter A. Gest	....	sound recordist (as Walter Guest)
Jean-Pierre Halbwachs	....	sound trainee
William Hooper	....	sound editor
Michael Hoskinson	....	assistant sound editor
Jan Lindvik	....	sound mixer: Norway
Robert J. Litt	....	sound re-recording mixer
Dessie Markovsky	....	sound designer
Dessie Markovsky	....	supervising sound editor
Steve Maslow	....	sound re-recording mixer
Glenn T. Morgan	....	assistant sound editor
Emile Razpopov	....	sound designer
Emile Razpopov	....	supervising sound editor
Frank Serafine	....	additional sound effects
Mark P. Stoeckinger	....	sound editor
Elliot Tyson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Robert Wald	....	sound designer
Scott Warren	....	boom operator
Tim Webb	....	sound recordist
Bill Young	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Jack Bennett	....	special effects supervisor
John Boisseau	....	special effects
Petter J. Borgli	....	special effects: Norway
Craig Boyajian	....	special effects coordinator: Norway
Renee Brown	....	creature mechanics
Jim Casey	....	creature mechanics
David Goldberg	....	puppet mechanics
Bruce Hanover	....	special effects
Laine Liska	....	creature mechanics
Tony Murchland	....	lighting special effects: Norway
Mike Sorensen	....	puppet mechanics
Joseph Williams	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
Mori Biener	....	computer animation
Bruce A. Block	....	matte cameraman
Craig Boyajian	....	visual effects coordinator
Harold Buchman	....	computer animation
Harold Buchman	....	digital artist
Bradford L. Calhoun	....	computer animation
Patrick DeWarren	....	computer animation
Peter Donen	....	visual effects supervisor
David Emerson	....	optical camera
C. Robert Hoffman III	....	computer animation
John Howard	....	computer animation
Jeffrey Kleiser	....	digital effects supervisor
Douglas R. MacMillan	....	computer animation
Bret Mixon	....	rotoscoping
Rocky Mohoney	....	optical line-up
John Pennie	....	computer animation
Randall Rudd	....	creative director
David W. Sieg	....	computer animation
Joseph Thomas	....	FX animation/animation camera
Joseph Wallikas	....	optical effects supervisor: Norway
Mark Wolf	....	motion control miniature effects
Carl N. Frederick	....	graphics programmer (uncredited)
Tom Gleason	....	model maker (uncredited)

Stunts
Courtney Brown	....	stunt double
Kevin McCoy	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
James H. Armfield	....	still photographer
Jo Banoun	....	electrician: Norway
Christian Berrum	....	electrician: Norway
Jerry Bertolami	....	dolly grip
Gunnar Bøvollen	....	grip: Norway
Peter Lyons Collister	....	director of photography: second unit (as Peter Collister)
Bud Elam	....	motion control photography
Ron Goodman	....	camera operator: Norway
Craig Haagensen	....	camera operator
David R. Hardberger	....	motion control photography
Margaret Herron	....	assistant camera: Norway
Gary Holt	....	gaffer
Jordan Klein Sr.	....	underwater camera operator
Ben Lowe Jr.	....	key grip
William McConnell	....	assistant camera
Gordon Miller	....	second assistant camera
George Muhs	....	motion control photography
Tom Olsen	....	grip: Norway
Pierre Roseman	....	best boy electric
Barry Ryan	....	best boy grip
Fred Valentine	....	electrician
Warner R. Wacha	....	second assistant camera
Peter Wagner	....	key grip: Norway

Casting Department
Barbara Harris	....	adr voice casting
Dee Miller	....	casting: Florida

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Anne Hamre	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Donah Bassett	....	negative cutter
Michael Greenfeld	....	assistant film editor
Frederika Kesten	....	apprentice editor
William J. Meshover	....	assistant film editor
Janice Parker	....	additional editing by
Beverly Pinnas	....	apprentice editor

Music Department
Randy Alsenz	....	synthesist (as Randolph Alsenz)
Dane A. Davis	....	synthesist
John Paul Fasal	....	synthesist
Lori Hollingshead	....	assistant music editor
Kenneth Karman	....	music editor
David Kitay	....	music arranger: source music
Gary Moon	....	music arranger: source music
James Thatcher	....	musician: French horn
Steve Tyrell	....	music producer: source music
Steve Tyrell	....	source music supervisor

Transportation Department
Israel Brinson	....	transportation manager
Denise Cannon	....	transportation co-captain

Other crew
Katrine Amundsen	....	second assistant production: Norway
Steve Austin	....	spaceship designer
John Buckingham	....	mechanic: Norway
Janis Benjamin Collister	....	production coordinator (as Janis Collister)
Doug Dulmage	....	laser effects technician
Torill Ek	....	production assistant: Norway
Will Fowler	....	technical advisor
Al Guthery	....	pilot
Luke Halpin	....	marine services
Knut Haraldsen	....	second assistant production: Norway
Stephen Howell	....	assistant: Randal Kleiser
Trond G. Lockertsen	....	assistant production manager: Norway
Lillian O. MacNeill	....	script supervisor
Jamie Marshall	....	assistant: Mr. Kleiser (as Jaime Marshall)
Tony Miller	....	location accountant
Gardner Monks	....	production assistant
Mark Moormann	....	production assistant
Bridget Murphy	....	production coordinator
Jan Nicholls	....	teacher
Lynn Novatt	....	production assistant
Kjersti Paulsen	....	production assistant: Norway
Derry J. Pearce	....	unit accountant
Amund Prestegaard	....	second assistant production: Norway
Maxine Pryor	....	production secretary: Robby Wald
Marsha Robertson	....	unit publicist
Cathy A. Roszell	....	production assistant
David B. Sharp	....	spaceship designer (as David Sharp)
Sheree Smith-Mullins	....	production assistant
Anthony Stabley	....	production assistant
Sam Tedesco	....	location manager (as Samuel P. Tedesco)
Inger Cecilie Weedon	....	production assistant: Norway
Melissa J.L. Smith	....	sales and marketing coordinator (uncredited)
Sherry Thorup	....	assistant location manager (uncredited)

Production Companies

• New Star
• Producers Sales Organization (PSO)
• Viking Films
• Walt Disney Pictures

Distributors

• Buena Vista Pictures (1986) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1988) (USA) (TV)
• Aquarius TV (2005) (Greece) (DVD)
• Manga Films (2005) (Spain) (DVD)
• Roadshow Home Video (19??) (Australia) (VHS)
• Splendid Film (2003, 2009) (Germany) (DVD)
• Splendid Film (2011) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-Ray)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment Germany (1990) (Germany) (VHS)
• Walt Disney Home Video (1993) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Walt Disney Home Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Walt Disney Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Available Light Productions
• Fantasy II Film Effects (additional special visual effects)
• Hansard (process projection by)
• Omnibus Computer Graphics Center (computer animation) (as Omnibus Computer Graphics)
• Video Image (video and graphics displays)

Other Companies

• Gyrosphere  aerial footage
• Randall Larsen Productions  video editing
• TAJ Soundworks  foley by
• The Design Setters Corporation  spaceship interior construction
• Universal Title and Optical  titles and opticals (as Universal Optical)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA | Norway

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:G | UK:U | USA:TV-PG (cable rating) | New Zealand:G | Norway:7 | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | USA:PG (certificate #28230) | West Germany:6

Filming Locations:

615 Idlewyld Drive, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA

Company:

New Star

Trivia:

The music video playing in the scene where David meets Carolyn McAdams is Blancmange's "Lose Your Love."

Goofs:

Factual errors: When the official at NASA tells Faraday that the ship stopped 20 miles up, a shot of a tracking screen is shown. One detail says "Target Altitude 184800ft". 184,800 feet is 35 miles, not 20.

Quotes:

R.A.L.F. (Robotic Assistant Labor Facilitator):Pardon me, coming through.

Movie Connections:

References Grease (1978)

Soundtrack:

Walk While In My Blues

Where did Disney come up with this?! It's (gasp) original!

You know the drill: 12 year old David falls into a ravine in the woods and discovers when he wakes up that he's been missing for eight years. He also discovers that he's hearing voices that seem to come from a mysterious craft housed in a NASA hangar.

My two cents worth: In a time when all the live action Disney movies seem to be a variant on "I was normal but just discovered I am/have just been mistaken for royalty/merperson/rock star/leprechaun/etc., this movie from the 1980's is a real breath of fresh air.

The scenario, waking up and discovering that everything except you has changed, and knowing you'll be somebody's idea of a guinea pig for the rest of your life, is instantly relatable and creepy, whether you're a kid or an adult. The kid fainting, the change in the two brother's relationship due to the age flop, parents trying to protect their son, government trying to exploit the kid's knowledge, everyone's reactions to the situation are all logical and believable.

And who hasn't wanted a chance to fly a saucer? Having Max, the ship's pilot, be a robot was another stroke of brilliance. So many movies have the aliens flying all the way here to come visit us face to face. But if we send machines to other planets because it's cheaper than going ourselves, why wouldn't they? And having him learn about Earth courtesy of a 12-year-old's TV polluted brain was hysterical.

The movie seems a little dated today; but it's forgivable because, like Back to the Future, it's set so specifically in a certain frame of time (you expect it to look and sound like 1986 because, hey, they keep telling you that's when it is.)

Recommendations: Back to the Future and Big are the two I can think of that are most along these lines.