Starman

Touted as Columbia's answer to 'E.T.', this magical, sweet and wonderfully-acted story of love between an extra-terrestrial and a human woman won the hearts of critics and audiences everywhere.

A gentle, kind alien (Bridges) crash-lands in Wisconsin and assumes the human form of Jenny Hayden's (Allen) recently deceased husband, at least physically. Like a child, Starman is charmingly inquisitive, intuitive and unintentionally funny, accompanied by an awkward walk and jerking head movements with an almost emotionless, yet poignant expression. In order for the 'Starman' to return home, he must get to a rendez-vous point in Arizona, so, after her initial shock, the grieving Jenny agrees to drive him there.

The audience quickly grasps what Jenny does not: that Starman means her no harm. She spends the first half of her enforced trip from her remote Wisconsin house trying to escape. Starman repeatedly coerces Jenny's help in escaping nasty government scientist-types (often very stiff and too hard-edged in their portrayal- namely National Security Agency baddie (Jaeckel), dissecting table at the ready), who wish to capture and study the otherworldly visitor and are perpetually hot on their trail. In contrast, the agents are led by curiously sympathetic Agent Mark Shermin (Smith), which works to the pair's advantage.

Despite the obvious 'E.T.' modus operandi of the piece, this film has a different edge. As Starman learns how to be more human the alien begins to take on more and more qualities of Jenny's late husband, ever drawing the woman closer to him and eventually falling in love.

Now Starman must decide whether to remain on Earth and risk his life, or go home and leave Jenny forever...