[7]
Director John Carpenter (Halloween, The Thing) takes a break from the horror genre for this sensitive sci-fi romance starring Jeff Bridges and Karen Allen. Bridges plays an alien who takes the form of Allen’s deceased husband. After the initial shock of seeing him alive again, and then slowly realizing he’s not quite human, Allen empathizes with the alien and drives him cross-country for a rendezvous with his mother ship. The two fall in love while being pursued by aggressive government agents and a sympathetic scientist (Charles Martin Smith).
Starman never quite reaches the dramatic or visceral highs of many other ’80s genre films, but Bridges and Allen deliver great performances and Carpenter delivers an uncharacteristically sweet love story. As this road trip continues, we become more invested in these characters. There’s a bit of comedy that derives from Bridges being a ‘fish out of water’ trying to learn human language and behavior. The film also touches on some interesting ideas about the differences between instinct and civilization, as observed by Bridges’ alien character, and the plusses and minuses of each. Highlights include a truck stop confrontation with a hunter after Bridges brings a dead deer back to life, and an interspecies love scene (of sorts) aboard a freight train at night. The film is beautifully lensed by Donald M. Morgan, with a memorable synth score by Jack Nitzsche.
Oscar Nomination: Best Actor (Jeff Bridges)