Starman (film) - Plot

Plot

Launched in 1977, the Voyager 2 space probe carried a gold phonographic disk with a message of peace, inviting visitors to visit planet Earth. The Voyager 2 probe is intercepted by an alien ship. Responding to the invitation, they send a small scout vessel to establish first contact with Earth. But, instead of greeting the craft, the government shoots the alien down. Crashing in Chequamegon Bay, Wisconsin, the alien, looking like a blue ball of energy, finds the home of recently widowed Jenny Hayden (Karen Allen). While there, the alien uses a lock of hair from her deceased husband Scott to clone a new body which a stunned Jenny witnesses. The starman (Jeff Bridges) has seven small silver spheres which provide energy to perform miraculous feats. He uses the first to send a message about his craft being destroyed and that the environment is hostile. He plans to rendezvous with them at "landing area one" in three days. He then uses the second sphere to create a holographic map of the United States, coercing Jenny into taking him to Arizona.

As the shock wears off, Jenny turns both hostile and frightened of him. After repeatedly attempting to escape, she finally implores the Starman to shoot her with her pistol. But instead, he releases the pistol's magazine and tells her he means no harm. As they continue on their journey, the Starman, who had a rough understanding of English syntax from the Voyager 2 disk, learns to communicate with Jenny and Jenny teaches him that humanity is not completely savage.

He explains to Jenny that he has three days to get to the rendezvous point, Arizona's Barringer Crater, or he will die. She teaches him how to drive a car and use credit cards, intending on escaping so he can continue his journey alone. However, as she is about to make her escape, she witnesses him miraculously resurrect a dead deer. Deeply moved, she resolves to help him at whatever cost.

Along the way, the couple is pursued by the United States Army who investigated the crash. The contingent is led by cold-blooded NSA chief George Fox (Richard Jaeckel) who is reluctantly assisted by civilian SETI scientist Mark Shermin (Charles Martin Smith). After finding the Voyager 2 phonographic disk in the Starman's ship, Shermin understands that Earth invited the Starman to visit in peace. Shermin later determines that the alien had taken the appearance of the deceased Scott Hayden.

While staying at a motel, Jenny and the Starman learn that they have been surrounded by the police, who are holding position until the federal government arrives. Employing a distraction, the two fugitives escape, but one of the officers shoots Jenny, critically wounding her. During the escape, the Starman crashes the car into a gas tanker and uses a sphere to protect the two of them from the explosion. They escape the area by taking refuge a mobile home that is being towed.

The Starman, down to his last two silver spheres, uses one to heal Jenny. Fearing for her safety, he leaves her and travels to the meteor crater alone. Jenny catches up to him and they continue their journey together. While stowing away on a boxcar, the couple make love. Later that night, the Starman tells Jenny "I gave you a baby tonight." Jenny attempts to explain to him that she is infertile, and cannot conceive a child, but the Starman insists, saying, "Believe what I tell you." He explains to the stunned Jenny that the baby will be the son of her dead husband, because he is a clone of Scott. He also explains that he will know all that the Starman knows and when he grows up he will become a teacher. He tells her that he will stop the gestation from going further if she wishes, but the joyful Jenny embraces him, accepting the gift.

The couple mistakenly travel too far on the train and arrive in Las Vegas. To make matters worse, Jenny has lost her wallet. The Starman uses one of their last quarters in a slot machine, which he manipulates in order to win the jackpot. The couple use their winnings to buy a new car to complete the drive to Winslow, Arizona, which is near Barringer Crater.

Meanwhile, Fox hears from NORAD that the Starman's trajectory, prior to it being shot down, was to Barringer Crater. He figures out that the Starman would show up there in the next day or so.

Near the end of the journey, the Starman and Jenny are confronted in a cafe in Winslow, where Mark Shermin interviews the dying alien. The Starman explains to him that his people had previously visited Earth, and are interested in humans, because out of all the many savage intelligent races in the universe, humans are at their best when things are at their worst. At this point, Shermin allows the Starman and Jenny to leave, risking his own career.

The couple reach the crater as Army helicopters buzz them. Suddenly, a large, spherical landing craft appears and descends into the crater. Light surrounds the couple, and the Starman is instantly restored to health. He tells Jenny he will never see her again. Jenny confesses her love and begs him to take her with him, but he says she would die on his world. He then gives her his last silver sphere, telling her that her son will know what to do with it. As she watches in silence, the ship rises, carrying the Starman away.