Today, the New York Times had a retrospective about Jeff Bridges' career. Whether anticipating an Oscar win for the actor or not, it was an interesting look at one of my faves. Not that I'm a Big Lebowski fan--I think you have to be a lot younger, not to mention a different gender to get on that bandwagon--but I can't think of a movie Bridges has done that I didn't like.

What got me about the article, though, was its lack of attention to one of his best films, so I thought I'd revisit it here, since there's definitely a place for it in our diner.

The film, of course, is Starman.

If you've never seen it, get thee to a video store! Briefly, it's the story of an alien explorer who is forced to crash land on Earth, destroying his ship in the process. To survive until his rescue, he takes the form of a deceased man ("cloning" him from a lock of hair) and obtains the help of his beautiful, grieving widow (Karen Allen).

Bridges was nominated for another Oscar for his performance, and he deserved it. Watching the starman become both human and alien at the same time was amazing. Even as the character got used to his human body Bridges never lost the look that reminded us he wasn't human. It was an incredible performance.

But the movie, and Bridges' role in it, rarely gets mentioned. More sci-fi antipathy? Possibly. But enjoy it anyway. In fact, I'm going to watch it again tonight. And if I ever get the chance to meet Mr. Bridges, I'll be quoting the "man" not the "dude."