LUCY IN THE SKY

US, 2019, 125 minutes, Colour.
Natalie Portman, Jon Hamm, Dan Stevens, Ellen Burstyn,
Directed by Noah Hawley.


This story about space exploration has some strong credentials. It has a starring role for Natalie Portman, interesting supporting cast including Jon Hamm, Dan Stevens and Ellen Burstyn.

The title refers to the Beatles’ song, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. The original song had drug and hallucinatory references – and the screenplay suggests that being an astronaut has mind-altering dimensions and repercussions.

However, the film does not meet its expectations and many audiences will find it very long, puzzling, and at times not particularly interesting.

Natalie Portman is Lucy, an astronaut who is exhilarated by her experience and finds it very difficult when she comes back to earth. The space experiences have mind-altering effects, emotion-altering effects, which is immediately apparent in the cooling of her relationship with her non-comprehending husband, Dan Stevens.

There are difficulties with the authorities in terms of her wanting to go to space again and their not considering her ready, making demands on her for other jobs, and this creates further debilitating effects on her psyche. Jon Hamm plays one of the space team – and Lucy begins an affair with him only to find that he is not to be trusted especially in terms of her going back into space and not to be trusted in terms of relationships.

Also present in Lucy’s life is her grandmother, played by Ellen Burstyn, as well is a niece whom she virtually adopts and makes a participant in her emotional upheavals.

Unfortunately for the director, making a cinema debut, although successful with TV episodes of Legion and Fargo, the film received very unfavourable reviews and very little release.


1. The title, the Beatles song? Applications?

2. Stay story, exploration of space? The astronauts? An earth story, interconnecting the space experience with ordinary experience? To the detriment of the earth story?

3. The space sequences, the vehicle, Lucy, her exhilaration? Landing? The after effects?

4. Lucy, her age, character, space training, her reputation, her relationship with her husband, the tension, her becoming bored?

5. Lucy affected by the space experience, alienated, her friendship with Mark, sharing, talking, the attraction, the beginning of the affair, the consequences? Her mistrust of Mark, his relationship with Karen? Her demanding he stop the affair? His denials? Going into his computer, discovery of the continued affair? His letter urging Lucy not to be accepted for the space program?

6. Her not going to space, discussions with the authorities, the various jobs?

7. Lucy and her relationship with her grandmother, a tough type, advice, her death? The funeral?

8. Lucy and her niece, the friendship, her caring for her, getting her niece to make decisions, going with her?

9. The alienation from her husband, his bewilderment?

10. Mark going into space, his success, the impact on Lucy?

11. Lucy and her change, mental condition, violent attitudes, taking her niece, going on the road, the aggression, her being taken?

12. Three years later, the space program, her niece, Lucy and her beekeeping? An enigmatic ending?