COCOON. Directed by Ron Howard; written by Tom Benedek; produced by Richard D. Zanuck, David Brown and Lili Fini Zanuck for Twentieth Century Fox. Starring Don Ameche, Wilford Brimley, Hume Cronyn, Brian Dennehy and Steve Guttenberg. Rated PG-13 (language, a little nudity).
More reviews by —
TITLE:
RATING:
Gone are the days, fortunately, when any movie about visitors from outer space had to feature terrible creatures determined to take over the world.
Cocoon is a gentle science fiction/fantasy about a brief visit from aliens far removed from the War of the Worlds mold. It's much like E.T. or Starman, but with its own particular charms.
The movie begins by following two separate stories. In one, a trio of senior citizens from a Florida retirement center enjoy sneaking into a neighboring estate and swimming in the swank indoor pool. In the other, Guttenberg plays Jack, a down-on-his luck fishing boat skipper. His boat is suddenly chartered for a month by three out-of-towners.
Then the visitors also rent the pool estate, and the stories connect. By way of the odd objects the visitors retrieve from the ocean floor and deposit in their pool. The swimmers' health, energy level and entire outlook on life are vastly improved after just one swim. And Jack discovers that his clients aren't just from out of town.
A little patience is required with the beginning section of Cocoon, because the story develops at its own leisurely pace. But the time really isn't wasted. The oldtimers, who are the true focus of the movie, are interesting and very well-played. Seeing their new lease on life is both amusing and touching.
The story that eventually unfolds is well worth the wait anyway. In addition to being an entertaining story of close encounters, the movie becomes something of a parable by the end. It presents an ultimate wish-fulfillment fantasy that anyone can happily indulge in, at least for a little while.
This is not to say that Cocoon is flawless moviemaking. Although he has some funny lines, Jack's constant "gee whiz" response to the aliens gets old pretty fast. His character, in fact, seems like an out-of-place attempt to cater to the teenage segment of the audience. I doubt that this touch is necessary. Kids would still enjoy this charming story, even without Jack's character.
As it is, Jack might end up offending some older members of the audience who are not so blase about the somewhat raunchy language. (Although, to be fair, some of the objectionable language is spoken by the older characters, too.) At any rate, in an attempt to have something for everyone, Cocoon probably diminished its ultimate effectiveness.
Most of Cocoon, however, is a real treasure. Dennehy's alien—cool, confident, but with some hidden weaknesses—is a great character. And the relationship between Ben (Brimley) and his grandson (D.A.R.Y.L.'s Barret Oliver) is a delight.
It will be interesting to see, when E.T. is re-released later this summer, whether this now-classic "good alien" movie will suffer by comparison with some of its imitators. Or whether it will still seem so marvelous. Cocoon certainly won't displace it. But it is an enjoyable variation on the theme all the same.
July 10, 1985