Let’s call it Jeff Bridges Week here in the Play section, and add 1984’s “Starman” to the list of DVD recommendations alongside “Stick It” (see cover).
“Starman” showcases Bridges as an extraterrestrial life form who acquires the shape of a recently deceased human in order to communicate to Earth his message of peace. The problem for the character played by Karen Allen is that the human form Bridges chooses was her beloved late husband.
She must adjust to this awkward, potentially threatening presence. Then the odd couple must hit the road to avoid capture by military agents who want to study this alien. Their love story grows – it would be absurd if not for the appeal and chemistry of Bridges and Allen together. They eventually make love, and it’s clear she ends the movie pregnant, offering all kinds of potential for family discussions about biblical parallels.
What has always stuck with me from “Starman” is the quirky, just-right movement of Bridges as he plays a life form not quite adjusted to gravity. Roger Ebert described it as the actor convincing us “that Jeff Bridges is not inhabited by himself.”
Each Tuesday, Michael Booth uncovers a movie gem for rewarding family entertainment. Reach him at mbooth@denverpost.com; find the “Screen Team” blog at denverpostbloghouse.com.
TV ON DVD | “Black. White.” |A reality show with a serious twist: Through meticulous makeovers, a black family
masquerades as white and a white family masquerades as black for a sixweek racial experiment. All six episodes come in a
two-disc set, with commentary. | $26.98 | Released Sept. 12 | David Germain, The Associated Press
