Beyond the Stars (1989)

Director:

David Saperstein

Writer:

David Saperstein (written by)

Release Date:

31 March 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Drama

Plot:

This Sci-Fi Drama centers around the teen-age Eric, son of a computer scientist who worked for the Apollo...

Plot Keywords:

Moon | Astronaut | Space | Teen Romance | Beautiful Woman

Cast

Martin Sheen	...	Paul Andrews
Christian Slater	...	Eric Michaels
Robert Foxworth	...	Richard Michaels
Sharon Stone	...	Laurie McCall
Olivia d'Abo	...	Mara Simons
F. Murray Abraham	...	Dr. Harry Bertram, the Whale Man
Don S. Davis	...	Phil Clowson (as Don Davis)
William S. Taylor	...	Dr. Willis (as William Taylor)
Babs Chula	...	Anne Michaels
Terence Kelly	...	Al Fletcher
Freda Perry	...	Cynthia Rogers
Campbell Lane	...	Alex Stamos
Robert Benedetti	...	Voice of NASA (voice) (as Bob Benedetti)
Christine Anton	...	Mrs. Keller
Ghislaine Crawford	...	Kim Larson

Also Known As:

Personal Choice

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

USA:PG | Singapore:PG | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Huntsville, Alabama, USA

Company:

Five Star Entertainment

Goofs:

Errors in geography: An early scene shows Laurie driving Eric from Portland, Oregon, to Cedar Bay, Oregon. They cross a major waterway on a 3-lane suspension bridge. The only waterway that big near Portland is the Columbia River; if you cross it you are in Washington, and the only bridges are Interstate highway bridges with more than 3 lanes. (It's actually the Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver.)

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Taken" (2002)

Soundtrack:

That's What Love Can Do

An unexpected pleasure

When I read the description, and the film's title, I was expecting some pretty cheesy 80's TV treacle. However, as a sucker for movies that involve NASA in some regard, particularly those that deal with the Apollo Program, I had to give it a try.

I was very surprised, then, to find myself being drawn into it and caring about the characters. It was much better than I had expected, and the performances were quite solid. Sheen and Foxworth were very good, Slater was reasonably believable, and Abraham stole his scenes. The female characters were sympathetic and believable. I was also surprised how front and center Apollo was - it didn't just serve as a disposable backdrop for the drama. All in all Beyond the Stars was well worth the viewing, but I agree that the sci-fi ending did cheapen the drama slightly. And the title - whew - they could have done better than that!

I have to chuckle, however, at a description I read of Slater's character being a "troubled" teenager. Ha! Most people should be so lucky to have a kid that respects his parents, wants to follow in his dad's footsteps and study science and math, and plans to go to MIT. Yeah - that kid's a real disaster.

Anyway, a few of the technical space details were off (particularly during the Huntsville trip), and the music was pretty dated, but those are mostly nits. Overall this was a reasonably intelligent and mature drama with a strong Apollo background - and an unexpected pleasure.