CONEHEADS
US, 1993, 88 minutes, Colour.
Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtin, Michelle Burke, Michael Mc
Kean, David Spade, Michael Richards, Eddie Griffin, Sinbad, Phil Hartman, Adam Sandler, John Lovitz, Laraine Newman, Jan Hooks, Ellen De Generes, Chris Farley, Parker Posey, Joey Lauren Adams, Liza Jane Persky, Jason Alexander, Drew Carey, Tom Arnold, Whip Hubley.
Directed by Steve Barron.
A popular series of sketches in Saturday Night Live in the latter part of the 1970s showed aliens coming from another planet to earth and settling in. 14 years later, the material was made into this feature film. While it was not received so well in the early 1990s, its reputation as a funny film has grown. And, very often, it is funny.
Dan Aykroyd (who contributed to the screenplay) and Jane Curtin were the original couple, Beldar and Prymatt, landing on earth and stranded. The first half hour film offers the humour of these coneheads (which people seem to accept as another variation on normal) adapting to life on earth, with their idiosyncratic look, their dictionary and grammar like expression, their bizarre tastes in food (condoms as chewing gum), shielding their identity, Beldar able to work most efficiently on machines, their getting forged papers and the new identity, Beldar doing all kinds of jobs including taxi driving, finding a house, helping the neighbours…
The second part of the film has the birth of their daughter, Connie, Michelle Burke, a conehead but growing up to be a typical American teenager, preoccupied with giggling friends, clothes, boys, the homecoming dance, clashing with her father’s strictness.
The last part of the film is the return to the planet, not as amusing as the Earth sections of the film, Beldar having to fight a monster, allowed to return to Earth.
The subplot concerns Michael Mc Kean and David Spade as government Inspector and kowtowing assistant, Mc Kean spouting anti-immigrant sentiments, suggesting an electrified wall to ward off the migrants (sounding like Donald Trump 25 years later). The two pose as Jehovah witnesses, but cling to the spaceship and find themselves on the alien planet!
The long cast list indicates how many character actors and comedians have roles and cameos, including Michael Richards, Jason Alexander, Jon Lovitz and a young Adam Sandler as the forger.
Directed by Steve Barron who had specialised in videos for popular recording artists.
1. The popular sketches from Saturday Night Live in the 1970s? Adapted for a feature in the 1990s? American sense of humour
2. The comic nature of the plot, aliens and their planet, their appearance, parallels to humans, differences? Robotic, objective vocabulary and dialogue rather than emotional? The humour of their being on earth, fitting in, being accepted, there becoming very human, the return to their planet, the final return to Earth?
3. The American government, the officials, bureaucracy, attitude towards migrants, illegal migrants, protecting Americans, not having jobs, suggesting an electrified wall? The aliens parallel with the migrants? A still relevant message?
4. The coneheads, Dan Ackroyd and Jane Curtin, their comic style, appearance, manner, manner of speaking? The arrival? The puzzle, encountering humans? At the hotel? Michael Richards as the night manager? Mechanics, working for Otto, Sinbad’s presence? Settling in, ways of managing, the irony of what they ate, chewing condoms, toilet paper…?
5. Gorman Seedling, Michael Mc Kean and the parody of bureaucracy, intent, racist comments, the electrified wall? David Spade as his assistant, adulation? The pursuit, the eventual siege of the house?
6. Otto, arranging the forged documents, cameo by Adam Sandler? The recommendation about the teeth and John Lovitz as the dentist? Driving the taxi, Drew Carey as the passenger? Beldae becoming Donald Di Cicco? Prymatt becoming Margaret Mary? The documents? Coming from France – the later speaking French to Seedling?
7. Prymatt pregnant? The birth of Connie, the doting parents, the home video collage of Connie growing up? The shift and her becoming the typical American teenager? The giggling friends, the encounter with Ronnie, the attraction, the date, her manner of eating, the kissing? Beldar and his animosity towards Ronnie, the car?
8. Beldar and the driving instruction, the infatuated housewife, Prymatt and her reading the magazines like Cosmopolitan, the supermarket, seeing the housewife, jealousy?
9. The neighbours, helping with the machine, Jason Alexander, the golf game, Beldar and his methodical play, winning, and the later acceptance of the trophy?
10. Seedling, being called before the senator, the expenses for tracking down aliens? His ambitions and job? Eli and his kowtowing?
11. The information, the posing as Jehovah witnesses, Beldar as Amish and Lincoln-like?
12. The prom, the preparations, Connie and her discussions with her father, his sternness, the plan to go back home? The dance, the trophy? Connie and Ronnie, Ronnie as the decoy for the government distraction? The space ship, the magnet, Seedling hanging on, Eli hanging on?
13. Back on the planet, the audience, Beldar and his gifts, the leader upset, having to fight the monster, Beldar and his victory? The promise to go back to earth, to concrete, taking Seedling? Back on Earth, escaping, the spaceship exploding? The reaction of those on the planet – and Eli kowtowing to the chief?
14. The aliens, the illegal immigrants becoming settled in the United States?
