The Astronaut's Wife
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| The Astronaut's Wife | |
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 The Astronaut's Wife film poster |
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| Directed by | Rand Ravich |
| Produced by | Andrew Lazar |
| Written by | Rand Ravich |
| Starring | Johnny Depp Charlize Theron |
| Music by | George S. Clinton |
| Cinematography | Allen Daviau |
| Editing by | Tim Alverson Steve Mirkovich |
| Distributed by | New Line Cinema |
| Release date(s) | August 27, 1999 |
| Running time | 109 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $34,000,000 (estimated) |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
The Astronaut's Wife is a 1999 science fiction/thriller film directed and written by Rand Ravich. It stars Johnny Depp and Charlize Theron. The original music score is composed by George S. Clinton.
The film's taglines are Imagine the face of terror is the one you love. and Witness the birth of pure evil.
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[edit] Plot
Spencer Armacost is a NASA astronaut. While on a space walking mission with a fellow astronaut, Alex Streck, an explosion results in a communication loss for two minutes between the astronauts and Earth. After returning to their respective spouses, Streck dies from a massive stroke. Soon afterwards, his wife commits suicide by sitting in a running shower with an AC powered radio.
Spencer retired from NASA and takes an executive position in New York City. Spencer's wife Jillian becomes pregnant with twins. She begins to notice changes in Spencer's personality and becomes suspicious. She questions him about what happened during the time they lost contact.
Sherman Reese, a NASA employee who was fired from NASA, contacts Jillian. He tells her that Spencer is not her husband. It is implied that he is killed by Spencer before he can meet with Jillian to explain what is happening. Spencer takes possession of a satchel belonging to Reese containing information that he has uncovered. Jillian does, however receive the information that Reese intended to pass her in the form of a video tape.
Despite the film's earlier ambiguities, Spencer and Streck turn out to have been possessed by extraterrestrial beings. In order to keep the secret, he kills Jillian's sister, Nan, who confronts him when she sees Spencer in possession of Reese's satchel. Jillian, suspicious of her husband's actions, sets up a confrontation where she attempts to electrocute herself. The resulting conversation during the confrontation confirms to her that Spencer is possessed. At the end of the confrontation, Spencer is electrocuted and his true alien form (a tentacled energy being) is revealed briefly before "transmitting" itself into Jillian.
Years later, Jillian has re-married and sends her twin sons off on their first day of school. It is implied that she is now possessed and that the children were conceived after Spencer had become possessed. Her new husband is a fighter pilot, a career which Jillian intends for her sons as well.
[edit] Influences
It has been noted that the plot of The Astronaut's Wife is apparently influenced by The Quatermass Experiment (1953) and its feature film adaptation (1955), the plot of which revolves around an astronaut who returns to Earth possessed by an alien organism.[1][2] The plot also bears a certain resemblance to the cult-classic 50's sci-fi film I Married a Monster from Outer Space, which is also about aliens posing as husbands in order to impregnate Earth women. Another movie and book cited as an influence was Rosemary's Baby, in which a woman becomes pregnant, only to become suspicious of her husband and neighbor's motives, as it becomes apparent a supernatural force may be at work. Charlize Theron's costumes and hairstyle also mimic Mia Farrow's from that movie. Also, actor Nick Cassavetes is the son of director/actor John Cassavetes (who appears in the film Rosemary's Baby), and actress Gena Rowland.
[edit] Alternate Ending
An alternate ending exists where, although Jillian is not possessed by the alien, her children are possessed and are in some way "controlling" her.
The original ending, as shown on the DVD's special features, is often taken as the alternative ending (where the children control her). However, it was the original ending first assembled by the director, so the "alternative ending" is the original ending, and the ending everyone sees is actually the alternative, hence why many DVD cases say "The Astronaut's Wife - Alternative Ending."
[edit] Awards
The Astronaut's Wife was nominated for Best Film at the Catalonian International Film Festival in Sitges in 1999.
[edit] Cast
- Johnny Depp as Commander Spencer Armacost
- Charlize Theron as Jillian Armacost
- Joe Morton as Sherman Reese, NASA Representative
- Clea DuVall as Nan
- Donna Murphy as Natalie Streck
- Nick Cassavetes as Capt. Alex Streck
- Samantha Eggar as Dr. Patraba
- Gary Grubbs as NASA Director
- Blair Brown as Shelly McLaren
- Tom Noonan as Jackson McLaren
- Tom O'Brien as Allen Dodge
- Lucy Lin as Shelly Carter
- Michael Crider as Pat Elliott
- Cole and Dylan Sprouse as Jillian's twin sons
Actors Depp ("A Nightmare on Elm Street" and Sleepy Hollow), Theron (The Devil's Advocate), DuVall (The Faculty), Eggar (The Brood), Brown (Altered States) and Noonan (The Wolfen and Manhunter) have all appeared previously in at least one horror film.
