StarmanPhilosophers and scientists, dreamers and artists, all have looked to the skies, and many of them may have wondered if there is intelligent life out there beyond the veil of our atmosphere; and if so, what would they be like, and what would they think of us? Would a missionary from another world judge us by our great merits? By our music, our varied languages, our food? Or would they be instead confronted by our savage side, our predilection toward violence and quickness to rise to confrontation when presented with the unknown? For the emissary from the stars in John Carpenter's Starman, the answer is both.
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Starman begins with the pilgrimage of the Voyager 2 starcraft, sent into the unknown, broadcasting the message of our people into the cosmos. Perhaps it was a naive dream, or perhaps it was a publicity stunt, but the basic premise of Starman is founded upon an intelligent being responding to that invitation. Unfortunately, the space craft that this being of light from the stars travels in is shot down by an overly cautious national defense--although unsaid in the film, Starman takes place still deep in the Cold War with the Soviet Union. The craft crashes in the woods near Chequamegon Bay in Wisconsin, a short distance from the lake house of the widowed Jenny Hayden (Karen Allen), who grieves still for the loss of her husband, Scott (Jeff Bridges), replaying home movies of their brief marriage, drinking too much wine. The alien "Starman" enters her home, discovers her scrapbook--including a lock of his hair--and assumes the human form of her late husband, much to her shock and discomfort. To complicate matters, he fundamentally kidnaps Jenny and compels her to drive him to Arizona to await his contact with his otherworldly peers to escape what he has identified as a hostile environment. Jenny initially strives to escape her alien captor's clutches, but as he reveals himself to be not a cruel or menacing entity, but one who is sympathetic and sensitive, Jenny warms to the stranded being and begins to understand his plight while also coping with her own unresolved heartache at losing her husband. As Jenny and the Starman cross the country toward their destination, they are followed by an enthusiastic researcher working for SETI named Mark Shermin (Charles Martin Smith), who helped to prepare the Voyager 2's invitation to beings from another world. But forced to work within the confines of a paranoid government force more concerned with blanket defense than an open line of communication, Mark begins to understand that to some extent, his subject possesses more humanity than his compatriots.
A lot of what makes Starman both funny and touching has to do with the nature of communication. The Starman attempts to mimic the mannerisms of other humans, employing what he knows of the English language, often leading to comical moments. These moments of levity help keep Starman from becoming overly dour, considering Jenny's conflict to accept her husband's loss, stirred by his simulacrum. But the Starman observes and watches Jenny, learning how she interacts with others as a basis of human society; aside from speeding through yellow lights, Jenny is not a bad example of one at that. She is scared by the creature inhabiting her late husband's skin--and with good reason, given his bizarre body language at first and his apparent carelessness with Scott's pistol. But after the Starman informs her that should he fail to leave in three days that he will die, she also pities him and understands his unfortunate circumstances. Jenny watches as the Starman finds himself unwittingly placed in danger by trying to do the right thing, like his resurrection of a hunted deer, a selfless act which provokes a beating at the hand of the "bozo" hunter. Even small moments we would take for granted seem special when presented to the Starman, and become memorable as a result; you might even crave some "Dutch apple pie" after a viewing.
The Starman is possessed of small orbs, artifacts which afford him unique powers, including being able to heal wounds and communicate across galaxies. These orbs represent a kind of countdown for his stay on Earth, each one expended when he performs a kind of miracle. They represent that he offers good will--just as he was led to believe was being offered to him on Earth--even when they are used in self-defense; they are a kind of sacrifice, emblematic of his presence here. The Starman tells Jenny that he has come to Earth from a world where there is but one language, and yet there is something missing which he discovers in the variety and vivacity of humanity. Jenny ultimately teaches him more than just a better understanding of English; she also imparts to him an understanding of that which is beautiful in humanity, more than just the chilly reception he received as he entered the ozone. More than just a science fiction film, Starman is also reminiscent of a road movie, which is unsurprising as this is how Jenny and the Starman make their way from Wisconsin to Arizona. Along the way, the Starman bears witness to various pockets of humanity in the form of gas stations, diners, truck stops, and even casinos. He is, as Mark observes, like an anthropologist, studying humanity out of curiosity, intrigued by our paradoxical nature and our determination when faced with seemingly insurmountable odds. He says this is what is special about us, an assessment observed from the perspective of an objective outsider. It is a resonant message which calls to our compassion, be it alien or otherwise.
Recommended for: Fans of a moving science fiction story about the responsibility of being civil toward one another, not just to aliens from beyond, but to anyone looking to glean a better understanding of our "world". It is also a bittersweet romance, with a synthesized score both haunting and soulful, full of heartache, evoking love and loss.
A lot of what makes Starman both funny and touching has to do with the nature of communication. The Starman attempts to mimic the mannerisms of other humans, employing what he knows of the English language, often leading to comical moments. These moments of levity help keep Starman from becoming overly dour, considering Jenny's conflict to accept her husband's loss, stirred by his simulacrum. But the Starman observes and watches Jenny, learning how she interacts with others as a basis of human society; aside from speeding through yellow lights, Jenny is not a bad example of one at that. She is scared by the creature inhabiting her late husband's skin--and with good reason, given his bizarre body language at first and his apparent carelessness with Scott's pistol. But after the Starman informs her that should he fail to leave in three days that he will die, she also pities him and understands his unfortunate circumstances. Jenny watches as the Starman finds himself unwittingly placed in danger by trying to do the right thing, like his resurrection of a hunted deer, a selfless act which provokes a beating at the hand of the "bozo" hunter. Even small moments we would take for granted seem special when presented to the Starman, and become memorable as a result; you might even crave some "Dutch apple pie" after a viewing.
The Starman is possessed of small orbs, artifacts which afford him unique powers, including being able to heal wounds and communicate across galaxies. These orbs represent a kind of countdown for his stay on Earth, each one expended when he performs a kind of miracle. They represent that he offers good will--just as he was led to believe was being offered to him on Earth--even when they are used in self-defense; they are a kind of sacrifice, emblematic of his presence here. The Starman tells Jenny that he has come to Earth from a world where there is but one language, and yet there is something missing which he discovers in the variety and vivacity of humanity. Jenny ultimately teaches him more than just a better understanding of English; she also imparts to him an understanding of that which is beautiful in humanity, more than just the chilly reception he received as he entered the ozone. More than just a science fiction film, Starman is also reminiscent of a road movie, which is unsurprising as this is how Jenny and the Starman make their way from Wisconsin to Arizona. Along the way, the Starman bears witness to various pockets of humanity in the form of gas stations, diners, truck stops, and even casinos. He is, as Mark observes, like an anthropologist, studying humanity out of curiosity, intrigued by our paradoxical nature and our determination when faced with seemingly insurmountable odds. He says this is what is special about us, an assessment observed from the perspective of an objective outsider. It is a resonant message which calls to our compassion, be it alien or otherwise.
Recommended for: Fans of a moving science fiction story about the responsibility of being civil toward one another, not just to aliens from beyond, but to anyone looking to glean a better understanding of our "world". It is also a bittersweet romance, with a synthesized score both haunting and soulful, full of heartache, evoking love and loss.