My Favorite Martian (film)
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''My Favorite Martian'' is a 1999 American
science-fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel univers ...
comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...
starring
Christopher Lloyd Christopher Allen Lloyd (born October 22, 1938) is an American actor. He has appeared in many theater productions, films, and on television since the 1960s. He is known for portraying Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown in the ''Back to the Future'' tril ...
,
Jeff Daniels Jeffrey Warren Daniels (born February 19, 1955) is an American actor, comedian, musician, and playwright, known for his work on stage and screen playing diverse characters switching between comedy and drama. He is the recipient of several accol ...
,
Daryl Hannah Daryl Christine Hannah (born December 3, 1960) is an American actress and environmental activist. She made her screen debut in Brian De Palma's supernatural horror film '' The Fury'' (1978). She has starred in various movies across the years, i ...
,
Elizabeth Hurley Elizabeth Jane Hurley (born 10 June 1965) is an English actress and model. As an actress, her best-known film roles have been as Vanessa Kensington in '' Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery'' (1997) and as the Devil in '' Bedazzled'' (2 ...
,
Wallace Shawn Wallace Michael Shawn (born November 12, 1943) is an American actor, playwright, and essayist. His film roles include Wally Shawn (a fictionalized version of himself) in '' My Dinner with Andre'' (1981), Vizzini in ''The Princess Bride'' (1987), ...
,
Wayne Knight Wayne Elliot Knight (born August 7, 1955) is an American actor. In television, he played Newman on '' Seinfeld'' (1992–1998) and Officer Don Orville on '' 3rd Rock from the Sun'' (1996–2001). He also voiced Igor on ''Toonsylvania'' (199 ...
and
Ray Walston Herman Raymond Walston (November 2, 1914 – January 1, 2001) was an American actor and comedian, well known as the title character on ''My Favorite Martian''. His other major film, television, and stage roles included Luther Billis (''South Paci ...
, based on the 1960s television series of the same name which Walston starred in. A ''
Mickey Mouse Works ''Mickey Mouse Works'' (also known as ''Disney's Mickey Mouse Works'' or simply ''Mouse Works'') is an American animated television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation featuring Mickey Mouse and his friends in a series of animate ...
'' short, ''Pluto Gets The Paper: Spaceship'', was shown in theaters with it. The film received negative reviews from critics and was a
box office bomb A box-office bomb, or box-office disaster, is a film that is unprofitable or considered highly unsuccessful during its theatrical run. Although any film for which the production, marketing, and distribution costs combined exceed the revenue after ...
, grossing $36.8 million against a $65 million budget.


Plot

The film opens on
Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury (planet), Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Mars (mythology), Roman god of war. Mars is a terr ...
, showing the last moments of a Mars rover's mission. As the rover prepares to sample Martian rock, it sadly "''kicks the bucket''". The mission controllers congratulate themselves on a "''successful''" mission, while back on Mars the scene pans up from the dead rover to show a huge undiscovered
Martian Mars, the fourth planet from the Sun, has appeared as a setting in works of fiction since at least the mid-1600s. It became the most popular celestial object in fiction in the late 1800s as the Moon was evidently lifeless. At the time, the pred ...
city. A spaceship is seen quickly rocketing from the city and accelerating into space. News producer Tim O'Hara is fired for unwittingly "''compromising''" reporter Brace Channing, the daughter of his boss, Mr. Channing, during a live broadcast of the first
Space Shuttle The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. Its official program na ...
launch from
Vandenberg Air Force Base Vandenberg may refer to: * Vandenberg (surname), including a list of people with the name * USS General Harry Taylor (AP-145), USNS ''General Hoyt S. Vandenberg'' (T-AGM-10), transport ship in the United States Navy, sank as an artificial reef in K ...
. His assistant, Lizzie tries to comfort him and she apparently has a crush on him. Later that night, while driving, Tim witnesses a small Martian
spacecraft A spacecraft is a vehicle or machine designed to fly in outer space. A type of artificial satellite, spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, Earth observation, meteorology, navigation, space colonization, p ...
crash landing. Realizing his chance to deliver a story that will "rock the Earth," he brings Brace to show her the ship, but by the time he reaches the crash site, the ship has been shrunk to toy size. Nearby, its only occupant hides in the bushes. Tim takes the now-shrunken spaceship home with him and the Martian follows him to retrieve it. After a confrontation, Tim is knocked out and the Martian disguises himself with a "''nerplex''", a piece of alien gum that can transform anyone into another life form, to look like Tim and ends up kissing Lizzie when she visits. When Tim confronts the Martian the next morning, he finds out that a small device called an "electron accelerator," which powers the control systems of the ship, is damaged beyond repair and the Martian needs Tim's help to find a replacement. The Martian takes the name "Uncle Martin" and explores the city with Tim, unaware that they are being watched by
SETI The search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) is a collective term for scientific searches for intelligent extraterrestrial life, for example, monitoring electromagnetic radiation for signs of transmissions from civilizations on other p ...
, which discovered DNA left by Martin while hiding out at Tim's. While exploring Tim's neighborhood, Martin tells him about a friend of his named "''Neenert''", one of his planet's most gifted Martian scientists, who came to Earth in 1964, but never came back. Brace is captured by the SETI gang and is interrogated. Tim secretly tapes Martin and his sentient suit, Zoot, with hidden cameras to back up his story and impress the television station staff in hopes of getting his job back, but he eventually decides not to reveal the tapes, as he has become fond of Martin. Meanwhile, Martin and Zoot discover a subsystem of the ship called the Interstellar Safety System, which is prepared to self-destruct. Brace discovers the footage of Martin in his Martian form and she steals the tape. Lizzie shows up at Tim's house to discover Brace stealing the tape. Thinking that Tim cheated on her, Lizzie rejects him and storms out, only to be distracted by the now-full-sized spaceship and is pulled into the cockpit by Zoot. Martin and Tim go after the Martian evidence, shrinking the ship (along with Zoot and Lizzie) and racing down to the station, where Tim admits to Martin that he has been videotaping him, but says he likes Martin and apologizes. Accepting Tim's apology, Martin subdues Brace, disguising himself as her so he can take her place on the news and Martin's alien form is almost exposed during the broadcast, which is carefully watched by Elliott Coleye, head of SETI. As footage from another news report is aired, Tim and Martin escape the station, pursued by SETI through the sewers in Tim's car, shrunken using Martin's device. They eventually end up in the hands of Coleye, who takes them back to SETI for investigation. At the lab, Tim tricks one of the scientists into growing Martin's ship to normal size, breaching security, and allowing Lizzie and Zoot to escape. However, the trio's escape is blocked by two security guards, one of whom shoots and injures Zoot. With the help of a black spiked nerplex, Lizzie transforms into a hideous monster from "Veenox 7," kills the guards, spits out the nerplex and turns back into a human. The three eventually succeed in locating Martin, who has undergone surgery involving the removal of his antennae and putting him in a deathlike comatose state. When Martin and Zoot reunite, he comes back to life and wakes up. They then escape SETI headquarters and Tim and Lizzie prepare to bid farewell to Martin, installing a car alternator in place of the ship's damaged electron accelerator. However, they are interrupted by Coleye, who attempts to stop him from escaping; declaring that he will stop at nothing to prove the existence of aliens, even if it means killing Martin in the process. A SETI official named Armitan, revealed to be Martin's old friend Neenert, saves Martin by destroying Coleye's gun and then tossing Coleye wildly in the air. After a reunion, Martin and Neenert fly back to Mars on their ship; much to Coleye's dismay. By chance, Coleye catches hold of the piece of nerplex left behind by Neenert. Believing that he can still prove his cause, while ignoring warnings from Tim and Lizzie, Coleye chews on it and he is turned into an Martian. Laughing in excitement and delight, Coleye accidentally swallows the gum (presumably leaving his new form permanent). He ends up caught and tranquilized by his own organization, as Tim and Lizzie escape the scene. In the end, Martin and Zoot decide to return to Earth and stay with Tim and Lizzie, while Neenert flies Martin's spacecraft back to Mars. Tim expresses initial reluctance to Martin's staying at first, but Lizzie convinces Tim to change his mind.


Cast

*
Christopher Lloyd Christopher Allen Lloyd (born October 22, 1938) is an American actor. He has appeared in many theater productions, films, and on television since the 1960s. He is known for portraying Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown in the ''Back to the Future'' tril ...
as Uncle Martin/The Martian, a hapless alien stranded on Earth who must work with Tim to find a way to escape SETI and return to Mars. *
Jeff Daniels Jeffrey Warren Daniels (born February 19, 1955) is an American actor, comedian, musician, and playwright, known for his work on stage and screen playing diverse characters switching between comedy and drama. He is the recipient of several accol ...
as Tim O'Hara, a down-on-his luck news producer who inadvertently becomes Martin's roommate and is soon drawn into danger when SETI becomes aware of Martin's presence. *
Elizabeth Hurley Elizabeth Jane Hurley (born 10 June 1965) is an English actress and model. As an actress, her best-known film roles have been as Vanessa Kensington in '' Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery'' (1997) and as the Devil in '' Bedazzled'' (2 ...
as Brace Channing, a serious reporter who will do anything to get ahead; she seduces Tim and steals information about Martin's true identity. *
Daryl Hannah Daryl Christine Hannah (born December 3, 1960) is an American actress and environmental activist. She made her screen debut in Brian De Palma's supernatural horror film '' The Fury'' (1978). She has starred in various movies across the years, i ...
as Lizzie, Tim's innocent, good-natured camera operator who is in love with him and is drawn into adventure once realizing Martin is from another world. *
Wallace Shawn Wallace Michael Shawn (born November 12, 1943) is an American actor, playwright, and essayist. His film roles include Wally Shawn (a fictionalized version of himself) in '' My Dinner with Andre'' (1981), Vizzini in ''The Princess Bride'' (1987), ...
as Dr. Elliott Coleye, a mischievous SETI scientist who will stop at nothing to capture Martin. *
Wayne Knight Wayne Elliot Knight (born August 7, 1955) is an American actor. In television, he played Newman on '' Seinfeld'' (1992–1998) and Officer Don Orville on '' 3rd Rock from the Sun'' (1996–2001). He also voiced Igor on ''Toonsylvania'' (199 ...
as Zoot, Martin's sentient, wise-cracking metallic suit. Knight is uncredited. *
Christine Ebersole Christine Ebersole (born February 21, 1953) is an American actress and singer. She has appeared in film, television, and on stage. She starred in the Broadway musicals '' 42nd Street'' and ''Grey Gardens'', winning two Tony Awards. She has co-s ...
as Mrs. Brown, Tim's nosy, overbearing landlady. She develops romantic feelings towards Martin. * Michael Lerner as Mr. Channing, Brace's father and head of the television station where Tim works. *
Shelley Malil Shelley Mathew Malil (; born December 23, 1964) is an Indian-American actor. Malil emigrated to the United States in 1974. He appeared in a number of television shows and films, including ''The 40-Year-Old Virgin'' (2005). In 2010, Malil was co ...
as Felix, an assistant at the television station where Tim works. *
Ray Walston Herman Raymond Walston (November 2, 1914 – January 1, 2001) was an American actor and comedian, well known as the title character on ''My Favorite Martian''. His other major film, television, and stage roles included Luther Billis (''South Paci ...
as Armitan/Neenert, a long ago-stranded Martian who has been masquerading as a government operative for years.
(Walston starred in the original 1960s television series of the same name). *
Michael Bailey Smith Michael Bailey Smith (born November 2, 1957) is an American actor. He is best known for his appearances on the television series ''Charmed'', where he played Belthazor, a Grimlock leader and Shax. Early life Smith was born in Alpena, Michi ...
as The Big Guard, a SETI guard who shoots Zoot and tries to arrest Tim.


Production


Development

In 1993, writers
Barry Strugatz Barry Strugatz is an American film director and screenwriter. Personal life Growing up in New York, Strugatz had an early taste for film, and began working on ''Hair'' as a production assistant in 1978. From there he continued writing several p ...
and Mark Burns were tasked with writing the initial draft. The film was originally set up at
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
with
Joe Dante Joseph James Dante Jr. (; born November 28, 1946) is an American film director, producer, editor and actor. His films—notably ''Gremlins'' (1984) alongside its sequel, '' Gremlins 2: The New Batch'' (1990)—often mix 1950s-style B movies wit ...
attached to direct and
Martin Short Martin Hayter Short (born March 26, 1950) is a Canadian-American actor, comedian, and writer. He has received various awards including two Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award. In 2019 Short became an Officer of the Order of Canada. He ...
to star. The film was cancelled and put into turnaround where it was picked up by Walt Disney Pictures. It was directed by
Donald Petrie Donald Mark Petrie (born April 2, 1954) is an American film director and actor. Life and career Petrie was born in New York City, New York, the son of Dorothea (née Grundy), a television producer, actor, and novelist, and Daniel Petrie, a dir ...
and written by
Sherri Stoner Sherri Lynn Stoner is an American actress, animator, and writer. She also voiced Slappy in the children’s television series '' Animaniacs''. Biography She has worked extensively in animation. She was a writer and producer for such 1990s anima ...
and
Deanna Oliver Deanna Oliver (born September 27, 1952) is an American actress and writer. She hails from Spokane, Washington. Oliver performed the voice of Toaster in the film ''The Brave Little Toaster'' (1987) and its sequels. In addition, she was a writer o ...
, based on the television series created by John L. Greene. Creatures were created by
Amalgamated Dynamics Amalgamated Dynamics, Inc. (ADI) is an American special effects company specializing in animatronics and prosthetic make-up, headquartered in Chatsworth, California. It was founded in 1988 by Stan Winston alumni Tom Woodruff Jr. and Alec Gilli ...
from designs by Jordu Schell.


Casting

Lloyd was cast in April 1997. Hurley was cast in July.


Score

The score of the film is composed by
John Debney John Cardon Debney (born August 18, 1956) is an American composer and conductor of film, television, and video game scores. His work encompasses a variety of mediums and genres including comedy, horror, thriller, and action-adventure. He is a ...
, while the track, "Uncle Martin Arrives," is written and composed by
Danny Elfman Daniel Robert Elfman (born May 29, 1953) is an American film composer, singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the singer-songwriter for the new wave band Oingo Boingo in the early 1980s. Since the 1990s, Elfman has garnered internation ...
.


Reception

The review aggregation website
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
reports a 12% approval rating based on 42 reviews, with an average rating of 3.38/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Loud, effects-ridden comedy with no real humor."
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, another review aggregator, gives the film a weighted average of 33 out of 100 based on 21 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". Audiences polled by
CinemaScore CinemaScore is a market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts based on the data. Background Ed Mintz founded Ci ...
gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
gave it two stars out of four, remarking: "The movie is clever in its visuals, labored in its audios, and noisy enough to entertain kids up to a certain age. What age? Low double digits ... There are some good moments in ''My Favorite Martian.'' ... It looks as if everyone who made this film had a lot of fun."


Box office

''My Favorite Martian'' grossed $8,828,586 on its opening weekend. It had the widest release of 2,349 theaters. By the end of its run, the film had grossed $36,850,101 domestically against a $65 million budget.


References


External links

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Movie stills
{{Authority control 1999 films 1990s science fiction comedy films American science fiction comedy films American buddy comedy films American films with live action and animation 1990s English-language films Films about shapeshifting Films about NASA Films about extraterrestrial life Films about size change Films based on television series Films directed by Donald Petrie Films scored by John Debney Films set in the 1990s Films set in Santa Barbara, California Walt Disney Pictures films Films with screenplays by Deanna Oliver Films with screenplays by Sherri Stoner Mars in film 1990s buddy comedy films 1999 comedy films 1990s American films