My Stepmother Is An Alien
(1988)
PG-13 | 108 mins | Romantic comedy, Science fiction | 9 December 1988
Cast:
Dan Aykroyd, Kim Basinger, Jon Lovitz [ More ]Director:
Richard BenjaminWriters:
Jerico, Herschel Weingrod, Timothy Harris, Jonathan ReynoldsProducers:
Ronald Parker, Franklin R. LevyCinematographer:
Richard H. KlineEditor:
Jacqueline CambasProduction Designer:
Charles RosenProduction Company:
Catalina Production GroupAn article from the 20 Jun 1984 Var announced that Catalina Production Group was planning to start principal photography for My Stepmother Is an Alien in late 1984 for Paramount Pictures. Locations considered by producer Franklin R. Levy included California, Colorado, or Texas. The article listed the picture’s script as written by Jerico Stone and Richard Benner. However, Benner is not credited onscreen. An interview with Jerico Stone in the 2 Feb 1989 LAT revealed that he had been interested in writing a dramatic story that would be “an allegory about child abuse,” where a child believes his or her stepmother is an alien. Stone told the LAT of his own personal encounter with an alien after moving to Los Angeles, CA, followed by a real-life “chance meeting” with filmmaker Orson Welles soon afterward. Reportedly, Welles referred to the 1938 alien invasion radio drama, The War of the Worlds, being “just a dress rehearsal.” Stone was inspired, and started to pitch the alien stepmother story to Hollywood studios. Eventually, Paramount Pictures agreed to option Stone’s story, and paid him to start a script. However, the studio believed the project would be more marketable as a comedy. Referring to the picture by the working title, They’re Coming, a 27 Mar 1988 LAT brief reported that Paramount considered casting actresses Bette Midler, Julie Andrews or Raquel Welch. Later, actress Cybill Shepherd and comedienne Joan Rivers were considered for the film when Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation picked up the picture. According to a 22 ...
An article from the 20 Jun 1984 Var announced that Catalina Production Group was planning to start principal photography for My Stepmother Is an Alien in late 1984 for Paramount Pictures. Locations considered by producer Franklin R. Levy included California, Colorado, or Texas. The article listed the picture’s script as written by Jerico Stone and Richard Benner. However, Benner is not credited onscreen. An interview with Jerico Stone in the 2 Feb 1989 LAT revealed that he had been interested in writing a dramatic story that would be “an allegory about child abuse,” where a child believes his or her stepmother is an alien. Stone told the LAT of his own personal encounter with an alien after moving to Los Angeles, CA, followed by a real-life “chance meeting” with filmmaker Orson Welles soon afterward. Reportedly, Welles referred to the 1938 alien invasion radio drama, The War of the Worlds, being “just a dress rehearsal.” Stone was inspired, and started to pitch the alien stepmother story to Hollywood studios. Eventually, Paramount Pictures agreed to option Stone’s story, and paid him to start a script. However, the studio believed the project would be more marketable as a comedy. Referring to the picture by the working title, They’re Coming, a 27 Mar 1988 LAT brief reported that Paramount considered casting actresses Bette Midler, Julie Andrews or Raquel Welch. Later, actress Cybill Shepherd and comedienne Joan Rivers were considered for the film when Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation picked up the picture. According to a 22 Apr 1988 NYT article, the film’s director Richard Benjamin recalled seeing an unfinished script of the picture at Paramount in the early 1980s. When he came across a completed version at Weintraub Entertainment Group in late 1987, he decided to become involved with the project. A 12 Dec 1988 DV explained that screenwriting team Herschel Weingrod and Timothy Harris first became aware of the They’re Coming script when it was at Paramount, but were not attached to it. According to Weingrod and Harris, Twentieth Century Fox picked up the project, where the two writers worked on the script before it “went into turnaround to Weintraub.”
Another working title for the film was Two Kids, as stated in a 30 Oct 1988 LAT article.
Although production charts and contemporary news items, such as 3 Dec 1987 HR and 28 Feb 1988 LAT, listed Weingrod, Harris and Jonathan Reynolds as the film’s writers, Jerico Stone is reported as writing the film’s original screenplay. Stone received onscreen writing credit only by his first name, “Jerico.”
According to a news item in the 29 Oct 1987 DV, referring to the working title, My Stepmother Was an Alien, as well as 8 Dec 1987 HR production chart, actress Shelley Long was attached to be in the film. However, Long “bowed out of the feature” as reported by the 24 Dec 1987 DV. A brief in the 20 Jan 1988 HR quoted Weintraub president Ken Kleinberg that “creative differences” were the reason for Long leaving the production. Long’s character was recast with actress Kim Basinger.
Principal photography began 29 Feb 1988 in Los Angeles, CA, as noted by production charts in the 1 Mar 1988 HR and 2 Mar 1988 Var. Production notes in AMPAS library files state filming locations included: Hermosa Beach, CA; Studio City, CA; Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, CA; the GTE California, Inc. office headquarters in Thousand Oaks, CA; and Stage 6 at the Twentieth Century Fox Studio in Los Angeles. An article in the 22 Apr 1988 NYT reported director Richard Benjamin anticipating filming would complete the following month, May 1988. While the picture was filming, the 27 Mar 1988 LAT listed the budget as $16 million. After the film’s release, the 11 Jan 1989 LAT reported the picture’s budget and marketing costs totaled $26 million.
A 23 Jul 1988 Exhibitor Relations Co., Inc. press release listed 23 Nov 1988 as the film’s “projected release date.” However, the 1 Dec 1988 HR stated the film would open on 9 Dec 1988, with a “preview” in the Washington, D.C. area, with close friends of Weintraub Entertainment Group founder, Jerry Weintraub, President-elect of the U.S. George H.W. Bush and his wife, Barbara, in attendance. The 3 Dec 1988 “premiere” of the film took place at a Cineplex Odeon theatre complex in Northwest Washington, DC, as reported by the 5 Dec 1988 NYT. A 15 Dec 1988 LAT article noted that the screening was attended by the Bushes, actor Dan Aykroyd, actress Kim Basinger, Vice President-elect Dan Quayle, his wife Marilyn, and a number of “staffers, press, and friends.”
The film was released 9 Dec 1988, as stated in the NYT review of the same date, and received mixed reviews from the NYT, the 8 Dec 1988 LAT and the 7 Dec 1988 Var. An item in the 12 Dec 1988 DV reported Los Angeles City Mayor Tom Bradley declaring 9 Dec 1988 as “Stepmother Day,” honoring of the “importance, dedication and contribution of stepmothers everywhere,” and in appreciation of the picture filming throughout the city of Los Angeles. The 11 Jan 1989 LAT stated the film grossed approximately $10 million during its first month of release, while eight months later the 17 Sep 1989 LAT reported the picture’s total box-office gross to date as $13 million.
Although the film gives actress Alyson Hannigan an “Introducing” credit, she appeared in the 1986 feature film Impure Thoughts as one of “The Students of St. Jude’s High School,” and was credited under the name “Allison” Hannigan.
According to a 29 Jul 1991 People article, un-credited “stand-in” double, Shelley Michelle, was used to portray Kim Basinger’s legs during the film.
The film marked the motion picture debut of actress Juliette Lewis.
End credits acknowledge “scenes from” the following films: “The Man Who Came To Dinner,” courtesy of Turner Entertainment Co.; “Casablanca,” courtesy of Turner Entertainment Co.; “Mr. Deeds Goes To Town,” courtesy of Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.; “The World’s Greatest Lover,” courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation; “Brideless Groom,” courtesy of Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.; “To Catch A Thief,” courtesy of Paramount Pictures Corporation.” End credits also state: “Special Thanks To Marge Durante.”
They're Coming
Two Kids
During a rainstorm at the U.S. Government’s Haddonkirk Research Laboratory, Dr. Steven Mills of the Research for Extraterrestrial Intelligence department works with his assistant, Grady, to send radar signals to the Clouds of Magellan galaxies. Steven’s boss, Dr. Lucas Budlong, believes it is pointless to send such transmissions. Steven’s brother, Ron, arrives to pick up Steven for an evening to meet single women. Steven and Grady go to the roof to aim the large radio telescope. As Ron follows, he tries to convince Steven that he needs to start dating again after being a widower for five years. The three men go into the storage room housing the lab’s powerful klystron tube, and set it above the maximum limit. Ron complains that the rain has ruined his blazer, and places it on a chair. Returning to the lab, Steven watches the trajectory of the radio signal, powered by klystron and lightning, on a monitor. However, the storm opens a window in the klystron room and the chair with Ron’s jacket rolls into the tube. As the metal buttons meld to the tube, the reaction produces additional power, sending Steven’s signal ninety-two light-years away, striking the unknown planet of “Cosine N to the 8th” and disrupting the gravity. The klystron overheats, and burns out Steven’s monitors. With no record of the signal’s destination, Budlong fires Steven. After Steven arrives home, he tells his thirteen-year-old daughter, Jessie, about the distance of the radar signal, and she is proud of his accomplishment. Later, a spaceship travels to Earth from Cosine N to the 8th. Chief Intergalactic Provost, Celeste, ...
During a rainstorm at the U.S. Government’s Haddonkirk Research Laboratory, Dr. Steven Mills of the Research for Extraterrestrial Intelligence department works with his assistant, Grady, to send radar signals to the Clouds of Magellan galaxies. Steven’s boss, Dr. Lucas Budlong, believes it is pointless to send such transmissions. Steven’s brother, Ron, arrives to pick up Steven for an evening to meet single women. Steven and Grady go to the roof to aim the large radio telescope. As Ron follows, he tries to convince Steven that he needs to start dating again after being a widower for five years. The three men go into the storage room housing the lab’s powerful klystron tube, and set it above the maximum limit. Ron complains that the rain has ruined his blazer, and places it on a chair. Returning to the lab, Steven watches the trajectory of the radio signal, powered by klystron and lightning, on a monitor. However, the storm opens a window in the klystron room and the chair with Ron’s jacket rolls into the tube. As the metal buttons meld to the tube, the reaction produces additional power, sending Steven’s signal ninety-two light-years away, striking the unknown planet of “Cosine N to the 8th” and disrupting the gravity. The klystron overheats, and burns out Steven’s monitors. With no record of the signal’s destination, Budlong fires Steven. After Steven arrives home, he tells his thirteen-year-old daughter, Jessie, about the distance of the radar signal, and she is proud of his accomplishment. Later, a spaceship travels to Earth from Cosine N to the 8th. Chief Intergalactic Provost, Celeste, is on a twenty-four hour mission to resend Steven’s signal to repair her planet’s gravity. While traveling, Celeste’s companion, Bag, teaches her what Cosine N to the 8th knows about Earth. Landing on a beach, Celeste wears a gaudy red dress with Bag disguised as a purse. After her ship flies away, Celeste walks toward Ron Mills’s beach house. She arrives during a party, and sees Steven Mills and his daughter, Jessie. Approaching them, she talks about radar beams, and recites outdated popular culture slogans. At their confused reactions, Celeste goes outside and yells at Bag for giving her bad conversational information. Steven follows, and informs Celeste that he was recently fired. However, Celeste convinces him to take her to the research laboratory. At the lab, Celeste tells the security guard she is with D.A.R.P.A., Defense Advance Research Project Agency, and Bag creates a slew of identification badges for her. Seeing Steven’s research, Celeste does not understand how Earth’s primitive technology could have sent the beam. Steven goes to the klystron, and finds Ron’s burned blazer. Meanwhile, Bag appears from Celeste’s purse as a one-eyed tentacle, and says Steven must be hiding something. Suddenly, Budlong arrives. With her powers, Celeste throws him out the window and into his car. Upon landing unharmed, Budlong has no memory of the encounter. Later, Steven takes Celeste to the radio telescope dish and confesses he likes her. As he kisses her neck, Celeste signals Bag to explain what Steven is doing. Bag projects definitions of “Kiss”: 1. A touch or caress of the lips often accompanied by pressure or suction. 2. A chocolate confection made in Hershey, Pennsylvania. To further help Celeste, Bag shows her visual examples of kissing from films, television programs, and cartoons. Celeste mimics what she sees. Afterward, Steven brings Celeste home and shows her one of his prized possession: a hat worn by Jimmy Durante. Celeste and Steven go into the bedroom and fall onto the bed. Steven says he is amazed that she wants to make love with him. Celeste goes into the bathroom and Bag provides four definitions for “Sex”: 1. Gender. 2. Latin for 6. 3. An expensive store on Fifth Avenue. 4. (DELETED). Celeste asks for clarification on the fourth definition, and Bag produces pornographic videocassettes, and magazines as examples. Reviewing the material and liking Steven’s kisses, Celeste returns to his bedroom and they make love. Later, Celeste searches the house for Steven’s research, but finds nothing. Turning on the television, she watches the 1942 film, The Man Who Came To Dinner, and enjoys Jimmy Durante singing “Did You Ever Have The Feeling That You Wanted To Go?” In the morning, Steven introduces Celeste to Jessie. Happy for her father, Jessie leaves for school. Afterward, Steven says he is in love and asks Celeste to marry him. However, Celeste says she needs to think about it. Later, Celeste and Bag arrive to an empty baseball stadium to meet with holograms of Cosine N to the 8th ruling council. Informed of the proposal, the council instructs Celeste to get married, then convince Steven to send another radar signal to the planet the following day. Celeste accepts Steven’s proposal, and they decide to get married at the house that afternoon. Jessie questions her father’s haste, while Ron Mills finds his brother Steven’s luck unbelievable, and wishes he could marry his own dream woman: Princess Stephanie of Monaco. Jessie checks on Celeste, and sees her future stepmother eating D-cell batteries. Jessie tells her father, but Steven does not believe her. During the ceremony, Jessie’s dog, Dave, snatches Bag and goes outside, but Bag levitates Dave onto the roof. Celeste runs outside, followed by Steven and the wedding guests. While the dog is rescued, Ron Mills flirts with Celeste. In the evening, Celeste and Steven help Jessie get ready for a date with her classmate, Fred Glass. Meanwhile, Bag telephones Dr. Lucas Budlong and, pretending to be astronomer Carl Sagan, orders Steven to be rehired. Later, Celeste wants to make breakfast for Steven, and borrows his car to buy food. Seeing a sign for “Breakfast” at a nearby diner, Celeste takes the menu and heads to the market. When Jessie returns from her date, she sees Celeste taking a break from cooking, and drinking from her father’s car battery. In the morning, Celeste serves every menu item, and Steven receives a telephone call that he has been reinstated at the lab. After Steven leaves for work, Jessie finds Celeste talking to her purse. Afraid, Jessie telephones her father to come home. Catching her on the telephone, Bag levitates Jessie onto the ceiling. Celeste confesses that she is an alien, and needs to duplicate Steven’s radar beam to save her planet. After Bag sets Jessie back on the floor, Steven arrives. Jessie begs him to believe her about Celeste being an alien, but Steven does not. Upset, Jessie runs outside and rides away on her bicycle. Jessie is about to be hit by a car, Celeste makes Jessie disappear and saves her. Later, Celeste informs Steven that her planet will die without another radio transmission. After Steven agrees to help, he kisses her, but as it begins to rain, Celeste is shocked by static electricity from Steven’s shirt buttons. Remembering the melted buttons from Ron’s blazer, Steven realizes they provided the extra power that sent the signal to Cosine N to the 8th. Bag informs Celeste that eight minutes after the transmission is sent, they will need to destroy Earth. Celeste disagrees, and leaves her purse behind as she, Steven, and Jessie go to the lab. When they arrive, Steven uses his research assistant Grady’s tin bracelet as the metal conductor to be attached to the klystron. Budlong arrives, and believing Steven is working for Carl Sagan, helps position the radio telescope. Meanwhile, Bag telephones Ron Mills. Mimicking Celeste’s voice, Bag asks Ron to pick up her purse at Steven’s house, and meet her at the lab. As the telescope sends the signal, Ron and Bag arrive. Bag attacks, but Steven tosses the purse onto the klystron, killing Bag. Afterward, the Cosine N to the 8th council teleports everyone to the parking lot, and state the gravity has been stabilized. Celeste pleads for Earth to be saved for its many wonders, like love, sneezes, and Jimmy Durante. The chief councilman asks what “Jimmy Durante” is. With accompaniment from a portable keyboard in Grady’s van, Steven and Celeste perform “Did You Ever Have The Feeling That You Wanted To Go?” Unimpressed, the council orders Earth to be destroyed. However, Celeste asks the chief to view her experiences, and after reliving her time on Earth, the chief comes to believe that such a weird planet needs to be studied. As Celeste’s spaceship arrives, she tells the council she intends to remain on Earth. When the chief says she must return, Ron Mills interrupts and asks if everyone on Cosine N to the 8th looks like Celeste. When the council responds that most are better looking, Ron offers to go instead as an Earth expert. After the council agrees, the ship opens to reveal a captain and crew of women, all looking like Princess Stephanie. Later, Steven, Celeste and Jessie arrive home, where Celeste and Jessie play a game of one-on-one basketball in the driveway. Celeste uses her powers and makes Jessie fly, dunking the ball in the hoop.
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