Blue Sky (1994)

Hank Marshall is a tough, square-jawed, straitlaced Army engineer and nuclear science expert, assigned to help conduct weapons-testing in 1950's America. Hank has become a thorn in the side... See full summary »

Director:

Tony Richardson

Writers:

Rama Laurie Stagner (story), Rama Laurie Stagner (screenplay),

Stars:

Jessica Lange, Tommy Lee Jones, Powers Boothe

Won 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jessica Lange	...	Carly Marshall
Tommy Lee Jones	...	Hank Marshall
Powers Boothe	...	Vince Johnson
Carrie Snodgress	...	Vera Johnson
Amy Locane	...	Alex Marshall
Chris O'Donnell	...	Glenn Johnson
Mitch Ryan	...	Ray Stevens (as Mitchell Ryan)
Dale Dye	...	Col. Mike Anwalt
Timothy Scott	...	Ned Owens (as Tim Scott)
Annie Ross	...	Lydia
Anna Klemp	...	Becky Marshall
Anthony Rene Jones	...	Helicopter Pilot
Jay H. Seidl	...	Soldier on Island
David Bradford	...	Soldier #1
Matt Battaglia	...	NATO Soldier

Storyline

Hank Marshall is a tough, square-jawed, straitlaced Army engineer and nuclear science expert, assigned to help conduct weapons-testing in 1950's America. Hank has become a thorn in the side of the Army, though, for a couple of very different reasons. He is an outspoken opponent of atmospheric testing, though his superiors hold contrary views and want to squelch his concerns...and his reports. The other problem is his wife, Carly. She is voluptuous and volatile, wreaking havoc in his personal life and stirring up intrigue at each new Army base.

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Plot Keywords:

army | military | military base | alabama | daughter | 

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Taglines:

In a world of secrets, love is the most powerful weapon.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 September 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Céu Azul

Filming Locations:

Alabama, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$3,359,465 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Heathrow Productions, Orion Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Completed in 1991, but not released until 1994 due to Orion Pictures' bankruptcy.

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Goofs

The major has a full serving of "scrambled eggs" which is reserved for Generals. A Major is entitled to wear only a single row of Oak Leaves on the bill of his cap.

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Quotes

Hank Marshall: My job, sir, is to evaluate radiation hazards to United States Army personnel. My wife's not enlisted in the Army. Why doesn't the colonel concern himself with the safety of men who are, rather than the mammaries of women who are not!

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Connections

Featured in The 67th Annual Academy Awards (1995)

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Soundtracks

"Gonna Do You No Wrong"
Written by Cliff & Ed Thomas
Performed by Cliff Thomas & The Heartbeats
Courtesy of Ace Records, Inc.

User Reviews

Sending Tommy Away So Jessica Can Play

In its only nomination in the Oscar sweepstakes for 1994 Jessica Lange won for Best Actress in Blue Sky. After watching Blue Sky I can certainly see why.

Blue Sky is set in the years of the Kennedy Administration and it's plot concerns a dedicated Army Major, Tommy Lee Jones and his family consisting of wife Jessica Lange and daughters Amy Locane and Anna Klump.

Jones is more than an army officer, he's a nuclear scientist and deeply concerned about the collateral effects of radiation on the population. I well remember the time. President Eisenhower in his second term of office made an unilateral executive decision to stop above ground nuclear testing, but the Russians continued. I well remember Premier Khrushchev in a bit of saber rattling, exploded a one hundred megaton hydrogen bomb.

Anyway President Kennedy decided at one point to resume nuclear testing to get the Russians back to the bargaining table for a nuclear test ban treaty. That's the background for this story and we all know that the first thaw in the Cold War was that test ban treaty that was ratified during the summer of 1963.

Anyway Jones is looking to ban it all, writing all kinds of reports that the army isn't taking too seriously and in fact transfers him from California to Alabama where he's told in no uncertain terms by his commander Powers Boothe to cool it. The military wasn't exactly thrilled with what Kennedy was trying to do.

But Jones has some pressing concerns on the domestic front. Jessica Lange is a lusty woman with needs and her husband isn't doing right by her. She looks like Marilyn Monroe and really does have all the army polishing its brass for her. Including Powers Boothe who sends Jones away so they can play.

It all ends in disaster, but Jessica summons up a lot more character than we would have first given her credit for to right the situation. It's in those last scenes that Jessica Lange brought home Oscar.

Young Chris O'Donnell is in the cast as well as Carrie Snodgrass as the son and wife of Boothe and O'Donnell the young man about to go to West Point finds out just what kind of rat his father really is. And Boothe does very well as the rat.

But in the last twenty minutes of the film Jessica's change in character dominates the film and it's reason enough to check out Blue Sky