Cocoon (with SPOILER)
Sean Casey
I kind of have mixed feelings about the movie. It WAS a good movie, a
nice way to spend a summer night, but it kind of let me down in
places. It seemed while I was watching it that I never forgot I was
watching a movie. One of the things that makes movies so magic for me
is that feeling that I'm there, that I'm a part of it. Cocoon just
didn't do that for me. It had great moments, but it had not great ones
too. It got very boring at times (esp. the ballroom scene).
*** SPOILER *** SPOILER *** SPOILER *** SPOILER *** SPOILER *** SPOILER ***
What really annoyed me about the movie was the ending. I REALLY wanted
the boy and the boat owner to get to go, and got let down.
The kid can't seem to relate to other kids, and everyone he knows is
leaving. He should go. His mom? Bring her too! But nooooo.
Look at the situation about the guy who owns the boat. Here we have a
wonderful interstellar romance and he decides to stay. Wha?
Massive letdown. The Coast Guard has him for not following orders, he is
responsible for the deaths of thirty or so senior citizens, and he will
be found with gobs of money on him. He has no future on earth. But
no, he doesn't go. Arrrgghhhh! Maybe they will spring him from prison.
Oh well.
--
- Sean Casey UUCP: sean@ukma or
- Department of Mathematics {cbosgd,anlams,hasmed}!ukma!sean
- University of Kentucky ARPA: ukma!se...@ANL-MCS.ARPA
Ray Lubinsky
> What really annoyed me about the movie was the ending. I REALLY wanted
> the boy and the boat owner to get to go, and got let down.
>
> The kid can't seem to relate to other kids, and everyone he knows is
> leaving. He should go. His mom? Bring her too! But nooooo.
I think you've missed the point about the role of the aliens: by taking the old
folks with them, they are granting these vital people a second chance. How-
ever, this is a *second* chance. The aliens are not granting a cosmic cop-out.
Think of the story a rebirth myth; rebirth is new growth after the first cycle
of growth has run its course.
The boy isn't going to learn how to become a well-adjusted human by avoiding
the conflicts that will strengthen him. Remember the guy that wouldn't come
along? The message is the same: you have to do what's right for you. For the
boy, what's right is to let human growth run its course; then he'll be ready
for the stars.
I was sort of surprised that they didn't drag everybody on to the ship --
y'know, the one-big-happy-family pat ending. Actually, I'm glad that Howard
didn't cop out. And while I have to admit that the boat captain is probably
going to have a lot of explaining to do, he has to do what right for him, too.
I get the feeling that he'll probably be able to talk his way out of it ...
and sell the story to the Enquirer to boot!
--
Ray Lubinsky University of Virginia, Dept. of Computer Science
uucp: decvax!mcnc!ncsu!uvacs!rwl