moriarty@fluke.UUCP (Jeff Meyer) (06/22/85)
Gentlemen and ladies, a real surprise. A summer movie that is entertaining
and moving and (get this!) WELL-WRITTEN. I judge films on a variety of
factors, and I feel that the best compliment I can give a film that
entertained me is that the film's story constantly surprises me throughout
it's duration, but has a "logical" feel to it -- I never went "hokey plot
device" ONCE throughout this film.
In other words, folks, I recommend this film highly -- I don't think a
fantasy film of this caliber has been released since E.T. (yes, I know,
you're sick of the comparisons, Ron Howard is sick of the comparisons, etc.
-- in fact, I may well like this more than E.T. in a year or two). However,
I recommend that you do not read anything about the plot if you can help it,
as I think you will enjoy the film more -- but in any case, I think you'll
enjoy it. If you have seen it, read on (SPOILERS AHEAD); I've a lot to say.
Well, why is this film different (and better) than the nice-guy alien movies
we've been deluged with for the last 6 years? Besides a plot which
kept me on the wholly absorbed throughout the film? Well, number one, Ron
Howard can definitely direct, both scene layout and people. Take the first
scene, with the earth approach / clouds / underwater scenes (admittingly,
he's had the chance to get VERY good with water scenes :-) ). Or, to my
mind, the scene with Jack Gilford carrying his dead wife over to the pool.
The man has a good eye for camera shots. But, first & foremost, the acting.
If you ever told me that Brian Dehaney (sp?) could play anything but a nasty
bad cop or a CIA agent, I would have laughed. But in this film, as the head
alien, he is riveting in his reasonableness, compassion, and humor. If ever
a truly *civilized* race of aliens has been depicted in film, the Alterians
must be it, and I don't think you could have done better than Dehaney. The
senior citizens never become stereotypes; this is two films that Don Ameche
has suddenly reappeared in, and I can think of quite a few more I'd like to
see him in. Gilford, who starts out with a rather two-dimensional role,
turns it into a very moving performance at the end. Brimley plays his role
well (his lines are very good -- more later), and of the eight main senior
characters, only Maureen Sullivan seems rather distant. As to the others,
the other male aliens don't do much; Tahnee Welch has definitely inherited
great gobs of genetic material from Mom; and Steve Guttenberg is the only
character who grates slightly, playing the standard Steve Guttenberg role.
But, first and foremost, the success of this movie is based on a
non-formula, intriguing story. There are many nice touches, but the reason
this movie seems fresh is two-fold. The actors underplay their roles at the
beginning. You're not hearing knock-'em-out-of-their-seats funny movie
dialogue popping out of the senior citizens' mouths at the beginning. The
jokes seem low-key and natural, and the characters take on, if not a sense
of realism, a certain depth that makes there lines have more impact as the
film advances. Brimley, in particular, plays his lines very calmly; but his
apologies, and offers of help, to the lead alien later are all the more
touching. And the things which get laughs are not outrageous -- they're
clever (when was the last time you saw THAT in a summer release?). Ameche's
giving away money is hilarious because it's so unexpected, and is such a
neat idea -- I mean, what DO you do when you're leaving you planet for a
millenia? The love scene between Welch and Guttenberg replaces raunch with
inventiveness -- I can just imagine my libedo do a multi-color swirl around
the apartment, bumping into the walls and rattling the dishes. What a neat
idea!
The other thing is that EVERY film with aliens coming to the planet has
evolved around the aliens, while this film tends to center on the
inhabitants of the retirement center; instead, the appearance of the aliens
is low-key, also, instead of the "ah-AH-ah" approach of the Spielburg
movies. They might even be a plot device to work the rejuvination of the
elders around, though it is a wonderful device. Notice that other than the
two unmaskings (which are played as jokes, especially Guttenberg's Peeping
Tom routine, which Dehaney makes seem like a routine job), the aliens are
spliced in with other scenes (the card game clip, the nightly appearance),
instead of the main topic. And after the cocoons are returned to the ocean,
the story almost entirely centers on the seniors -- note that the Coast
Guard is chasing them because they think they're kidnappers, not aliens.
The ending had some nice touches in itself. I had no idea whether the
grandson would go or stay; but his leap overboard made the story work
beautifully. Gilford's decision to stay was wonderfully and touchingly done.
And Guttenberg's decision was VERY unexpected, though satisfying -- after
RETURN OF THE JEDI, I'm a little sick of a film where everybody gets
EVERYTHING they want. A little tug at the heartstrings works wonders. I
assume that he was just too much of a stay-at-home guy to leave (hopefully
the Coast Guard didn't pick him up the next day).
My only complaints were that the humor seemed a little crude at the
beginning. Other than James Horner's music (a later article), though, I
couldn't be more pleased with a $5 movie.
"If this is foreplay, I'm a dead man!"
Moriarty, aka Jeff Meyer
John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc.
UUCP:
{cornell,decvax,ihnp4,sdcsvax,tektronix,utcsri}!uw-beaver \
{allegra,gatech!sb1,hplabs!lbl-csam,decwrl!sun,ssc-vax} -- !fluke!moriarty
ARPA:
fluke!moriarty@uw-beaver.ARPAsean@ukma.UUCP (Sean Casey) (06/28/85)
I kind of have mixed feelings about the movie. It WAS a good movie, a
nice way to spend a summer night, but it kind of let me down in
places. It seemed while I was watching it that I never forgot I was
watching a movie. One of the things that makes movies so magic for me
is that feeling that I'm there, that I'm a part of it. Cocoon just
didn't do that for me. It had great moments, but it had not great ones
too. It got very boring at times (esp. the ballroom scene).
*** SPOILER *** SPOILER *** SPOILER *** SPOILER *** SPOILER *** SPOILER ***
What really annoyed me about the movie was the ending. I REALLY wanted
the boy and the boat owner to get to go, and got let down.
The kid can't seem to relate to other kids, and everyone he knows is
leaving. He should go. His mom? Bring her too! But nooooo.
Look at the situation about the guy who owns the boat. Here we have a
wonderful interstellar romance and he decides to stay. Wha?
Massive letdown. The Coast Guard has him for not following orders, he is
responsible for the deaths of thirty or so senior citizens, and he will
be found with gobs of money on him. He has no future on earth. But
no, he doesn't go. Arrrgghhhh! Maybe they will spring him from prison.
Oh well.
--
- Sean Casey UUCP: sean@ukma or
- Department of Mathematics {cbosgd,anlams,hasmed}!ukma!sean
- University of Kentucky ARPA: ukma!sean@ANL-MCS.ARPA rwl@uvacs.UUCP (Ray Lubinsky) (07/07/85)
*** SPOILER *** SPOILER *** SPOILER *** SPOILER *** SPOILER *** SPOILER *** > What really annoyed me about the movie was the ending. I REALLY wanted > the boy and the boat owner to get to go, and got let down. > > The kid can't seem to relate to other kids, and everyone he knows is > leaving. He should go. His mom? Bring her too! But nooooo. I think you've missed the point about the role of the aliens: by taking the old folks with them, they are granting these vital people a second chance. How- ever, this is a *second* chance. The aliens are not granting a cosmic cop-out. Think of the story a rebirth myth; rebirth is new growth after the first cycle of growth has run its course. The boy isn't going to learn how to become a well-adjusted human by avoiding the conflicts that will strengthen him. Remember the guy that wouldn't come along? The message is the same: you have to do what's right for you. For the boy, what's right is to let human growth run its course; then he'll be ready for the stars. I was sort of surprised that they didn't drag everybody on to the ship -- y'know, the one-big-happy-family pat ending. Actually, I'm glad that Howard didn't cop out. And while I have to admit that the boat captain is probably going to have a lot of explaining to do, he has to do what right for him, too. I get the feeling that he'll probably be able to talk his way out of it ... and sell the story to the Enquirer to boot! -- Ray Lubinsky University of Virginia, Dept. of Computer Science uucp: decvax!mcnc!ncsu!uvacs!rwl
lip@gcc-bill.ARPA (Sethkin) (07/31/85)
In _Cocoon_, there is one scene where the guard at the rest home is snoozing in front of a TV set. On TV, there is a slapstick comedy team (Abbott & Costello, maybe?) clowning around in a room. Then a distinguished-looking gentleman bursts through a door, sees what's going on, and shouts, "What's the meaning of this!?!" My question: was the gentleman in question *Don Ameche*, in an old film? (It looked a lot like him). Please mail to me, I will followup if I get any replies. Seth Lipkin General Computer Company Cambridge, MA 02142 harvard!gcc-bill!lip "Is art the mirror of life, or what?" - Woody Allen