There are some schools of thought that Jeff Bridges has essentially, two modes of acting. He’s either playing “the Dude” from The Big Lebowski or the titular Starman from Starman. This Bridges taxonomy works even when you apply it to movies that predate both films. In Tron, he’s Dude Bridges and in The Last Unicorn, he’s more like Starman Bridges. Basically, he’s either a lovable rapscallion or a tender weirdo.
In Starman — which was released on December 14, 1984 — Jeff Bridges delivered a fantastic performance as an alien who takes the form of a widow’s deceased husband. It’s a movie that pre-dates Ghost in its slightly bittersweet and supernatural love story, but also is a surprisingly effective and zenned-out movie from John Carpenter, better known for his thriller/horror movies than nice sci-fi fare. Because, essentially, that’s what makes Starman so unique. It’s a nice sci-fi movie, which feels like a part of a subgenre that almost doesn’t exist anymore.
