Supergirl (1984)

After losing a powerful orb, Kara, Superman's cousin, comes to Earth to retrieve it and instead finds herself up against a wicked witch.

Director:

Jeannot Szwarc

Writer:

David Odell (screenplay)

Stars:

Helen Slater, Faye Dunaway, Peter O'Toole

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Faye Dunaway	...	Selena
Helen Slater	...	Kara Zor-El / Supergirl / Linda Lee
Peter O'Toole	...	Zaltar
Hart Bochner	...	Ethan
Mia Farrow	...	Alura
Brenda Vaccaro	...	Bianca
Peter Cook	...	Nigel
Simon Ward	...	Zor-El
Marc McClure	...	Jimmy Olsen
Maureen Teefy	...	Lucy Lane
David Healy	...	Mr. Danvers
Sandra Dickinson	...	Pretty Young Lady
Robyn Mandell	...	Myra
Jenifer Landor	...	Muffy
Diana Ricardo	...	Mrs. Murray

Storyline

After a power source for the community of Krypton survivors is accidentally whisked to earth, Kara-El, cousin to Superman and niece to Jor-El, chooses to go to earth to find it, and bring it back. Upon her arrival, she becomes just a powerful and Super as her cousin, but encounters dangerous battles and unexpected obstacles when a mean spirited woman who practices rituals of the occult takes the power source for herself, and uses it to cause destruction and attempt zenith human status.

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Plot Keywords:

evil witch | megalomaniac | showdown | superheroine | villainess | 

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Taglines:

She taught him what it was to fly. He taught her what it was to love.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Fantasy | Romance | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 November 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

Supergirl: The Movie

Filming Locations:

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,738,249, 25 November 1984, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$13,600,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Artistry Limited,Investors In Industry PLC,Major Studio Partners

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min (international) 105 min (theatrical) 138 min (director's cut) 150 min (original cut) 89 min (Video Version) 105 min (shortened) 92 min (TV)

Sound Mix:

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

Color:

Color (Rankcolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Helen Slater would later play Superman's biological mother Lara in Smallville (2001) and Kara Danvers' adoptive mother Eliza Danvers in Supergirl (2015).

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Goofs

When Selena is holding the glass champagne and says "I can't wait 'till the world is mine", from a back shot her finger is below liquid level, in the following shot it is above it.

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Quotes

Nigel: What's going on? Hey, what's going on?
Selena: I've just outgrown you, Nigel. These things happen!
Nigel: You can't treat me like this, Selena. Without me, you'd still be reading tea leaves at Lake Tahoe.

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Crazy Credits

In the beginning credits real silver is flashed at you.

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Connections

Featured in The Blockbuster Buster: Supergirl (2015)

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Soundtracks

What Is Love?
Written by Howard Jones & Bill Bryant
Performed by Howard Jones
Courtesy of WEA Records Limited

User Reviews

Beautiful Classic Hard To Beat

Apart from the witchcraft, I LOVE this movie!

This was the first time I ever saw Helen Slater, and rightaway I knew she was the most beautiful lady in the world! (Sorry ladies!)

I think there are some classic lines that have been overlooked: I remember when the Tractor went wild in Midvale, and Linda/Supergirl was searching for a place to change into her costume, she spied the Ladies' Room, and dashed toward it at super-speed, plowing into a woman who was just coming out. Linda apologized, "Sorry, I'm in a rush!" and shot inside. The woman looked wry. "I know what you mean!"

Perhaps Zaltar (Peter O'Toole) wasn't as important as he could have been. Although I thought Faye Dunaway was perfect as Selena (a little type-casting courtesy of Mommie Dearest), I prefer to wonder what would have happened if Zaltar had been just a little more complex (he's an artist, after all!) and a little more selfish, and actually followed through with his plans to see Outer Space with the assistance of the Omegahedron.

Then he might have been the villain of the piece, and the most dangerous kind of villain: the villain an audience can sympathize with. Then the audience would have been torn between wanting Zaltar to succeed, and wanting Kara/Supergirl to stop him before the loss of the Omegahedron destroys Argo City.

Oh! And I would've liked to see how Argo City was torn away more or less whole from Krypton as the planet detonated, and wound up in Inner Space, trapped in a warp that only Kal-El's little spaceship was equipped to navigate and exit.

I don't think it's over for Supergirl, her story could be REtold (a la Batman), but I'd only be interested in a remake if the filmmakers would remain true to the style of THIS movie (Supergirl (1984), rather than opting for a trendy, dark, angst-ridden "hero" (I use the term loosely) in a demented action "adventure". I miss the bright, cheerful style of the old Superman comics, from the 50's, 60's and 70's, and I'd love to see that back on the big screen, like Superman The Movie and Superman II, and . . . naturally, Supergirl - The First Adventure.

This is a beautiful, dream-like jewel of a movie, a real Pink Panther (I refer, of course, to the diamond).

That breath-taking, emotional moment as Supergirl arrives on Earth, and discovers her powers and her new environment, in my humble opinion, is unmatched in all the Super-movies.

Jerry Goldsmith's score, especially the Supergirl March and the Love Theme are stirring and moving respectively, and easily equal to John Williams' contributions to the Superman movies. I have Jerry's score on CD (thanks to Silva Screen Records) and the Supergirl Main Theme is my Favorite Movie Theme of all time.

(Superman was and is my hero, Superman II (1980) was THE defining movie of my youth, and I can probably sing you the entire score to Superman III, but I love the Supergirl themes more.)

And if a widescreen, remastered version of this movie ever becomes available "Down Under" , I want to see it!