Starman (1984)

An alien takes the form of a young widow's husband and asks her to drive him from Wisconsin to Arizona. The government tries to stop them.

Director:

John Carpenter

Writers:

Bruce A. Evans, Raynold Gideon

Stars:

Jeff Bridges, Karen Allen, Charles Martin Smith

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jeff Bridges	...	Starman
Karen Allen	...	Jenny Hayden
Charles Martin Smith	...	Mark Shermin
Richard Jaeckel	...	George Fox
Robert Phalen	...	Major Bell
Tony Edwards	...	Sergeant Lemon
John Walter Davis	...	Brad Heinmuller
Ted White	...	Deer Hunter
Dirk Blocker	...	Cop #1
M.C. Gainey	...	Cop #2
Sean Stanek	...	Hot Rodder (as Sean Faro)
George 'Buck' Flower	...	Cook (as Buck Flower)
Russ Benning	...	Scientist
Ralph Cosham	...	Marine Lieutenant
David Wells	...	Fox's Assistant

Storyline

Jenny Hayden never did get over the death of her husband. So when an alien life form decides to model "himself" on the husband, Jenny is understandably confused if not terrified. The alien, or Starman, as he is called, has a deadline to meet, and kidnaps Jenny in order to meet it.

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Plot Keywords:

panty | leg | legs | coupe | baseball cap | 

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Taglines:

In 1977 Voyager II was launched into space, inviting all lifeforms in the universe to visit our planet. Get ready. Company's coming.

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Genres:

Romance | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Movie channel [United States] Sony Movie Channel [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 December 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

John Carpenter's Starman

Filming Locations:

Manchester, Tennessee, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$22,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$28,700,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation,Industrial Light & Magic (ILM),Delphi II Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In an interview with 'LA Weekly', director John Carpenter once said: "It's all the classic stories of star-crossed lovers, the lovers who can't really make it together but have a bond of love, like in Brief Encounter (1945). It really works on that level, because it touches a little thing inside of us. It was easy for me to tap into that, real easy. It's a departure, because people haven't seen something like this from me before".

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Goofs

When Jenny drives on the wrong side of the road we see both vehicles spin round each other. In one shot the truck's wheels are all on the road. in the next shot the rear wheels are sliding on the grass.

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Quotes

[Starman and Jenny are looking at a dead deer strapped to the hood of a car]
Deer Hunter: Cried when you saw Bambi?
Starman: Define 'Bambi'?
Deer Hunter: Huh?
Jenny Hayden: He doesn't understand, he's not from around here.
Deer Hunter: [laughs] You don't speaking English, huh? Heh-hey!
[walks away snickering]
Jenny Hayden: [to Starman] Steer clear of that bozo.
Starman: Define 'bozo'?
Jenny Hayden: Jerk.

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Connections

Referenced in K-PAX (2001)

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Soundtracks

Beach Number
(1953)
from From Here to Eternity (1953)
Written by George Duning
Published by Mills Music, Inc.

User Reviews

"Define Love"

This beautiful and funny science fiction film comes very close to being my all-time favorite movie. This film is about love. An alien lands on Earth to investigate the life-forms, and encounters Karen Allen. A cross-country chase ensues as our alien has to meet up with his starship in Arizona.

But for me, the main point of this film is not the chase, the cloning by the alien, the humor throughout the film, or the eventual outcome which led into the subsequent TV series. The focal point comes in the diner where our alien asks Karen Allen to "Define Love." If everyone would take this definition to heart, this world would be a much better place!

This is what movie making should strive to achieve. This film has virtually everything... romance, humor, action, suspense, a gorgeous soundtrack, beautiful cinematography, an intelligent screenplay with a most important message, and talented actors and actresses. I gave it a SOLID 10!