SONGCATCHER, MY BODYGUARD AND STARMAN

SONGCATCHER – A

Songcatcher (2000) is a beautiful gem and recommended for its emphasis on music and history.  The story follows a woman musicologist who discovers English ballads while visiting her sister in the Appalachians.  Produced by Richard Miller, written by and directed by Maggie Greenwald, the film stars Janet McTeer, Aidan Quinn, Michael Davis, Michael Goodwin, Jane Adams, E. Katherine Kerr, Emmy Rossum, Pat Carroll, Iris DeMent and Hazel Dickens.  The music score is by David Mansfield and the soundtrack features many famous female country singers who perform mountain ballads in traditional as well as contemporary arrangements.  Running time:  109 Minutes.

 

MY BODYGUARD – A

My Bodyguard (1980) stars Chris Makepeace, Adam Baldwin and Matt Dillon with notable appearances by Martin Mull, Ruth Gordon, Joan Cusack, and John Houseman.  Makepeace is a fish out of water when he goes to a new school and attempts to befriend the local black sheep as his bodyguard.  Produced by Don Devlin, directed by Tony Bill and written by Alan Ormsby, this endearing film was nominated by the Writers Guild of America as best drama written directly for the screen.  Running time:  102 Minutes.

 

STARMAN – A

Starman (1984) stars Jeff Bridges as an alien who is stranded on Earth and has the good fortune to meet Karen Allen who decides to help him get home while avoiding being captured by the Charles Martin Smith.  This charming story takes a lighter look at some of the ridiculous things that earthlings do while maintaining enough of a sci-fi angle to keep the story moving.  Also starring Charles Martin Smith and Richard Jaeckel, the film was directed by John Carpenter and written by Bruce A. Evans and Raynold Gideon.  By way of a better synopsis, here’s a good quote:  “Do you seriously expect me to tell the President that an alien has landed, assumed the identity of a dead housepainter from Madison, Wisconsin and is presently out tooling around the countryside in a hoped up orange and black 1977 Mustang?” [Richard Jaeckel as George Fox].  Running time:  115 Minutes.