Doin' Time on Planet Earth (1988)

Director:

Charles Matthau

Writers:

Darren Star (story) and
Andrew Licht (story) ...

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

A story of teenage alienation.

Plot:

Through a series of extraordinary circumstances, an eccentric teenager believes he may be the alien prince of a distant planet, ready to lead his brethren home.

Plot Keywords:

Alien | College | Beehive | Independent Film

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Nicholas Strouse	...	Ryan Richmond
Andrea Thompson	...	Lisa Winston
Martha Scott	...	Virginia Camalier
Adam West	...	Charles Pinsky
Hugh Gillin	...	Fred Richmond
Matt Adler	...	Dan Forrester
Timothy Patrick Murphy	...	Jeff Richmond
Candice Azzara	...	Edna Pinsly (as Candy Azzara)
Isabelle Walker	...	Jenny Camalier
Gloria Hendry	...	Mary Richmond (as Gloria Henry)
Paula Irvine	...	Marilyn Richmond
Hugh O'Brian	...	Richard Camalier
Roddy McDowall	...	Minister
Maureen Stapleton	...	Helium Balloon Saleslady
Dominick Brascia	...	The Jock

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Iceland:L | USA:PG

Company:

Cannon Group

Movie Connections:

References Day of the Woman (1978)

There Aren't Any Better Places To Serve Time That We Know Of

Young Nicholas Strouse due to a combination of interesting circumstances learns he might be the leader of an alien race who while they might not have powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men certainly he and those like him feel they're just Doin' Time on Planet Earth. Is he the one to lead these misfits home?

Well not if it's going to interfere with his big brother Timothy Patrick Murphy's wedding this Saturday to Isabelle Walker, the daughter of Hugh O'Brian who once ran for president. But after Strouse starts getting e-mails from a pair of serious UFO fanatics like Adam West and Candace Azzara, he starts to think there might be something to him really being an alien.

Doin' Time on Planet Earth is a bit above the usual teenage coming of age party film and part of the reason is the incredibly hammy and overacted performance of Adam West who is just having one grand old time leading a band of misfits. The film is worth a look just to see him alone, burlesquing his Batman persona.

Martha Scott is in this, looking a bit lost as to how she got roped into this film. Matt Adler is fine as the perpetually hormonal best friend of Strouse and Andrea Thompson is miles from no-nonsense Detective Jill Kirkendall from NYPD Blue as the lounge entertainer and stripper who fulfills all of what Strouse really needs.

It is sad though that this was the farewell film of Timothy Patrick Murphy, best known for being Mickey Trotter on Dallas, who died way too young of AIDS. That young man had it all, looks, charisma, and a goodly share of thespian ability. He was a particular favorite of mine from the Eighties.

Doin' Time On Planet Earth is far from the worst film of this kind I've ever seen and you might get a few genuine laughs from it.