Cocoon (film)

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Wikipedia article 'Cocoon' is a 1985 American science fiction comedy-drama film directed by Ron Howard and written by Tom Benedek from a story by David Saperstein. The film stars Don Ameche, Wilford Brimley, Hume Cronyn, Brian Dennehy, Jack Gilford, Steve Guttenberg, Maureen Stapleton, Jessica Tandy, Gwen Verdon, Herta Ware, Tahnee Welch, and Linda Harrison, and follows a group of elderly people rejuvenated by aliens. The film was shot in and around St. Petersburg, Florida, with locations including the St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club, Suncoast Manor Retirement Community, the Coliseum, and Snell Arcade buildings. The film earned Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor (Don Ameche) and Best Visual Effects, and was followed by the sequel 'Cocoon: The Return' in 1988, in which almost all of the original cast reprised their roles. Plot About 10,000 years ago, peaceful aliens from the planet Antarea set up an outpost on Earth on Atlantis. When Atlantis sank, twenty aliens were left behind, kept alive in large rock-like cocoons at the bottom of the ocean. Now, a group of Antareans have returned to collect them. Disguising themselves as humans, they rent a house with a swimming pool and charge the water with "life force" to give the cocooned Antareans energy to survive the trip home. They charter a boat from a local captain named Jack, who helps them retrieve the cocoons. Jack spies on Kitty, a beautiful woman from the team who chartered his boat, while she undresses in her cabin, and discovers that she is an alien. After the aliens reveal themselves to him and explain what's going on, he decides to help them. Next door to the house the Antareans are renting is a retirement home. Three of its residents, Ben, Arthur, and Joe, often trespass to swim in the pool next door. They absorb some of the life force, making them feel younger and stronger. Eventually caught in the act, they are given permission to use the pool by the Antarean leader, Walter, on the condition that they do not touch the cocoons or tell anybody else about it. Rejuvenated with youthful energy, the three men begin to let the advantages of the pool take hold as they are relieved of their ailments. Meanwhile, Kitty and Jack grow closer and decide to make love in the pool. Since she cannot do so in the human manner, she introduces him to the Antarean equivalent, in which she shares her lifeforce energy with him. The other retirement home residents become suspicious after witnessing Ben's wife Mary climb a tree. Their friend Bernie reveals the secret of the pool to the other residents, who rush to the pool to swim in its waters. When Walter finds them damaging one of the cocoons he ejects them from the property. The Antereans open the damaged cocoon, and the creature inside shares his last moments with Walter, who begins to cry as he dies. Later that evening, Bernie finds his wife Rose has stopped breathing and carries her body to the pool in an attempt to heal her, only to be informed by Walter that the pool no longer works due to the other residents draining the force in the rush to make themselves young. Walter explains that the cocoons can't survive the trip back to Antarea, but will be able to survive on Earth. With the help of Jack, Ben, Arthur and Joe, the Antareans return the cocoons to the sea. The Antareans offer to take residents of the retirement home with them to Antarea, where they will never grow older and never die. Most of them accept the offer, but Bernie chooses to remain on Earth. Upon leaving, Ben tells his grandson David that he and Mary are leaving for good. As the residents are leaving, David's mother Susan finds out about their destination and quickly drives to the retirement home, where they find the majority of the rooms vacant and contact local authorities. While the police are searching for the residents, David notices Jack's boat, with the Antareans and the retirement residents aboard, starting and jumps onto the side as it pulls away. The boat is being chased by the Coast Guard, so with little time left, David says a tearful goodbye to Ben and Mary before jumping off into the water. The Coast Guard boats stop to pick him up, giving the others a chance to get away. Out of nowhere, a thick fog appears and strands the remaining Coast Guard boats and they call off the chase. As the Antarean ship appears, Walter pays Jack for his services and the boat. Jack embraces Kitty for the last time and they share a kiss. He then says farewell to everyone before jumping into an inflatable raft as the boat starts rising up into the Antarean vessel. Jack watches as the boat disappears inside the ship and departs. Back on earth, a funeral is held for the missing residents. During the sermon, David looks toward the sky and smiles. The film ends with the Antarean vessel going towards a bright-looking object, assumed to be a hyperspace entrance or portal, leading to Antarea. Cast * Don Ameche as Art Selwyn * Wilford Brimley as Ben Luckett * Hume Cronyn as Joe Finley * Brian Dennehy as Walter * Jack Gilford as Bernie Lefkowitz * Steve Guttenberg as Jack Bonner * Maureen Stapleton as Mary Luckett * Jessica Tandy as Alma Finley * Gwen Verdon as Bess McCarthy * Herta Ware as Rose Lefkowitz * Tahnee Welch as Kitty * Barret Oliver as David * Linda Harrison as Susan * Tyrone Power Jr. as Pillsbury * Clint Howard as John Dexter * Charles Lampkin as Pops * Paul Arlen Talbert as Coroner * Mike Nomad as Doc * Jorge Gil as Lou Pine * Rance Howard as St. Petersburg detective * James Ritz as DMV clerk * Peter Cody as boy in nursing home lobby * Jim Fitzpatrick as Dock Worker (uncredited) Casting for the film and its sequel was overseen by casting director Beverly McDermott. Production Robert Zemeckis was originally hired as director, and spent a year working on it in development. He was at the time directing 'Romancing the Stone', another film for the same studio, 20th Century Fox. Fox executives previewed 'Romancing the Stone' before its release in 1984 and hated it. That, in addition to his two previous directorial efforts, 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand' and 'Used Cars', both being commercial failures (though critically acclaimed) led the studio to fire Zemeckis as director of 'Cocoon'. He was replaced with Ron Howard. ('Romancing the Stone' turned out to be a huge commercial success and gave Zemeckis the chance to work on 'Back to the Future', which had previously been turned down by every major studio, as the director and screenwriter of the film.) Location filming took place in St. Petersburg, Florida, between August 20 and November 1, 1984. Wilford Brimley was only 49 when he was cast as a senior citizen, and turned 50 during filming; he was as much as 26 years younger than the actors playing the other elderly characters. In order to look the part, Brimley bleached his hair and moustache to turn them gray, and had wrinkles and liver spots drawn on his face. Soundtrack The score for 'Cocoon' was composed and conducted by James Horner. The soundtrack was released twice, through Polydor Records in 1985 and a reprint through P.E.G. in 1997 and features eleven tracks of score and a vocal track performed by Michael Sembello. Despite the reprint, it is still considered a rarity among soundtrack collectors.[http://www.filmtracks.com/titles/cocoon.html 'Cocoon'] soundtrack review at [http://www.filmtracks.com Filmtracks.com] Ron Howard directed the music video for "Gravity," and also has a cameo appearance as himself, investigating Sembello's "disappearance." "Gravity" was Howard's first, and to date, only music video. # "Through the Window" (2:54) # "The Lovemaking" (4:21) # "The Chase" (4:27) # "Rose's Death" (2:10) # "The Boys are Out" (2:35) # "Returning to Sea" (4:13) # "Gravity" (4:52) - written and performed by Michael Sembello # "Discovered in the Poolhouse" (2:45) # "First Tears" (1:49) # "Sad Goodbyes" (2:22) # "The Ascension" (5:55) # "Theme from 'Cocoon'" (6:03) In 2013, Intrada Records released an expanded and remastered edition. # "Through the Window" (2:58) # "Going to the Pool" (1:55) # "Pool Is Closed" (2:10) # "Mysterious Dive" (1:54) # "Seduction / Let's Go" (2:10) # "Unveiling" (1:05) # "Discovered in the Poolhouse" (2:47) # "A Relapse" (1:27) # "The Lovemaking" (4:24) # "First Tears" (1:51) # "Rose's Death" (2:14) # "Returning to Sea" (4:16) # "Sad Goodbye" (2:15) # "Sneaking Away" (3:15) # "David Runs to the Boat" (1:53) # "The Chase" (4:30) # "The Ascension" (6:01) # "Theme from 'Cocoon'" (6:05) # "The Boys Are Out" (2:37) # "I Feel Great" (1:05) # "Rock Source" (1:13) # "Gravity" (4:00) Reception The film received mostly positive critical reception. Commented 'The New York Times' Janet Maslin, "Mr. Howard brings a real sweetness to his subject, as does the film's fine cast of veteran stars; he has also given 'Cocoon' the bright, expansive look of a hot-weather hit. And even when the film begins to falter, as it does in its latter sections, Mr. Howard's touch remains reasonably steady. He does the most he can with material that, after an immensely promising opening, heads into the predictable territory of Spielberg-inspired beatific science fiction." 'Variety' called it "a fountain of youth fable which imaginatively melds galaxy fantasy with the lives of aging mortals in a Florida retirement home [and] weaves a mesmerizing tale." The film holds a 76% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 33 critics. The critical consensus reads, "Though it may be too sentimental for some, Ron Howard's supernatural tale of eternal youth is gentle and heartwarming, touching on poignant issues of age in the process." Metacritic gave the film a score of 65 based on 18 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". The film was also a box office hit, making over $76 million in North America where it became the sixth highest-grossing film of 1985. Accolades 'Academy Awards' * Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Don Ameche in 1985 * Best Visual Effects in 1985 (David Berry, Scott Farrar, Ralph McQuarrie and Ken Ralston). 'Saturn Awards' * Best Director, Ron Howard - Won * Best Science Fiction Film - Nominated * Best Actor, Hume Cronyn - Nominated * Best Actress, Jessica Tandy - Nominated * Best Supporting Actress, Gwen Verdon - Nominated * Best Writing, Tom Benedek - Nominated * Best Music, James Horner - Nominated 'Other honors' The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists: * 2006: AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers Nominated * 2008: AFI's 10 Top 10: ** Nominated Science Fiction Film See also *D.A.R.Y.L References
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