Starman

Starman is directed with panache and confidence by one of my all time favorite directors John Carpenter; what follows is a fairly memorable ride. It's slightly derivative, but it's so entertaining, it didn't matter in the whole scheme of things. The heart and soul of this movie is Jeff Bridges; the weight falls on his shoulders, and he is more than up for the task. He could have played the role in very corny fashion, but he felt like somebody that wasn't human. Watching him evolve throughout the film was a delight to watch, and so was his chemistry with Karen Allen. Karen Allen is pretty awesome herself in a more subtle way. She is extremely likable, and very easy on the eyes to boot. There were a couple questionable decisions I had with her character, but other than that, she was excellent. I didn't care for the "government trying to stop him" thing though. It's a natural part of the movie and had to happen, but I thought it was rather blandly done and they didn't go far enough with it. They redeemed themselves with a pretty good ending to end things on.

Final Thoughts: Minor carps aside, I really enjoyed this film. It deserves to be talked about in the upper echelon of Carpenter's films. If you're a fan of Jeff Bridges & John Carpenter, or just want a solid Sci-Fi film to watch, this is a good selection

7.5/10

Through the eyes of an alien, we view our world. Such is the beauty of John Carpenter's 'Starman'. His gentle alien comes in the form of a human clone (Jeff Bridges), and as we watch him interact with the rest of our race, we see both the good and the bad in all of us. It is this particular role that I find to be Jeff Bridge's most superb acting (or close to it, given his amazing work in 'The Fisher King'). To me he always did seem an alien in an unfamiliar human body, rather than the actor "Jeff Bridges". While there is certainly some over-simplification in the movie, and it can get a little sappy, I find the 'sap' in this case to be both touching and beautiful. How wonderful, how sad, how miraculous, to watch ourselves through the innocent and wise eyes of this alien being. A brilliant look at human beings, a sweet love story, and an excellent exploration of our spirit.

I've watched this film many times and am still captivated by it. An alien responds to our offer to visit on Voyager but is shot down by an America that knows no other way (and still doesn't nearly 40 years later). He takes the human form of a Wisconsin widow's deceased husband. Learning as he goes, he must make his way across the country to the Great Crater in Arizona for a pickup to return "home".

The narrative has some keenly observed moments on the human condition and is quite touching at times, but it's a little patchy with some cheap jokes at times and could have been a little more incisive. The film Arrival tackles some of the issues raised here with much more finesse and nuance.

But the film's great strength is in the two lead characters and the chemistry between them. Karen Allen is superb in her display of grief, awe, love and understanding. Jeff Bridges should have won the Oscar for his amazing interpretation of an alien being in human form. There is one scene in particular where he displays such tenderness it is jaw-droppingly good.

The underlying score and main theme are perfect and you are left wanting more at the end. Still a great watch 40 years later.

In a joint venture by the governments of the world, a space probe is launched into the farthest reaches of the Galaxy bearing a message from the United Nations, as well as `Greetings' in fifty-four languages; it's purpose is to attempt to contact any extraterrestrial life and proffer an invitation to visit us here on Earth. In `Starman,' directed by John Carpenter, Jeff Bridges stars as the alien who responds, only to be met with a less than cordial greeting once he arrives. Encountering hosts with a militaristic, if-you-can't-identify-it-shoot-it-down attitude, Starman is forced to take refuge and elude the very ones he has traveled so far to see. The burning question of course is, why? And, unfortunately, nobody seems to know. For his striking portrayal of Starman, Bridges deservedly received a Best Actor nomination from the Academy, and it proves to be the highlight of the film. From the outset, even as he is transformed into the vessel he must occupy during his stay with us ( a terrific sequence), his presence on the screen is captivating. He truly creates a unique character, distinct in form and substance, from the physical gestures that define him, to the subtle emotional depth he so aptly demonstrates and uses so well to convey to us who this being really is. It is through him that we are drawn in to this story of the travails with which he is beset during his sojourn upon our world, and with him we can only try to understand the motivation of powerful men who seem to live their lives in fear of the unknown or diverse. As Jenny Hayden, the young woman who through circumstances beyond her control becomes involved with Starman, Karen Allen adds just the right touch of sympathy to underscore the emotional situation in which Jenny finds herself ensconced. And there's just enough chemistry between her and Bridges to make this special relationship between their characters work effectively. Ultimately, how they relate to one another, and the tenderness with which they pursue their objective, becomes the real thrust and focal point of the story. Carpenter, in fact, would have been well advised to have stayed more within the parameters of that relationship and explored the workings thereof, rather than divesting the story into other, less fruitful areas and surrounding the main characters with a plethora of stringent stereotypes. While an entertaining film, `Starman' is surprisingly lacking in originality and imagination, both in story and direction; not to say this isn't a worthwhile endeavor, because it is, and it's definitely worth seeing. But it just seems that Carpenter could have mined the emotional depths a little more, developed the connection between Starman and Jenny more fully. Had he taken that path, this could have been a truly exceptional movie. As it is, it's a good film, better than the average sci-fi offering (especially for it's time, 1984), but given that Bridges brought so much to this with his creation of such a memorable character, the movie as a whole could have been so much more. The supporting cast includes Charles Martin Smith (Mark), Richard Jaeckel (Fox), Robert Phalen (Major Bell), Dirk Blocker (Cop #1) and M.C. Gainey (Cop #2). Although it is not what you would call a `great' or `classic' movie, `Starman' does succeed in making us take pause to reconsider some of our possibly preconceived notions of the way things are or should be; in the end, it's a call for understanding and love between all people everywhere, and a proposition put forth for universal peace. And with a theme like that, combined with the terrific performance by Bridges, you could do a lot worse for an evenings entertainment. I rate this one 7/10.

I have always admired Jeff Bridges, but it wasn't until now that I realized he made movies when he was younger. So I was surprised to see him in this role as an alien who does not understand anything of what's happening here on earth. I can now understand why he became such a star. His performance is really good, maybe one of the best things Bridges ever did in his career! But the movie is good on all levels. A strong story, that succeeds in avoiding all the predictable jokes about a stranger getting to know the customs of a new environment (like e.g. Crocodile Dundee, or Blast from the Past), good actors, strong directing and great special effects (Bridges' transformation from a baby to an adult!) that never predominate the rest of the story. It's hard to believe this movie is already 18 years old! Like many of these '80-movies, it has this timeless quality that makes a movie worth watching even twenty years later (just like Out of Africa, The Natural, Tootsie, E.T., Blade Runner,...). If you're looking for a sweet and strong movie that gets into your heart, watch this!