Cocoon

Cocoon is a 1985 science fiction film directed by Ron Howard about a group of elderly people who are rejuvenated by aliens. The movie starred Don Ameche, Wilford Brimley, Hume Cronyn, Brian Dennehy, Jack Gilford, Steve Guttenberg, Maureen Stapleton, Jessica Tandy, Gwen Verdon, Herta Ware, Tahnee Welch, and Linda Harrison. The film is loosely based on the novel by David Saperstein.

The movie was filmed in and around St. Petersburg, Florida: locations included the St Petersburg Shuffleboard Club, The Coliseum, and Snell Arcade buildings. The film earned two Academy Awards.

It spawned one sequel, Cocoon: The Return, in which almost all of the original cast reprised their roles.

Trivia:

Ron Howard’s brother, mother and father all appear in the film. His wife appears also, as a receptionist/nurse behind a desk, and she was pregnant with twin daughters at the time. The reception area desk was used to hide that fact.

Wilford Brimley was only 50 years old at the time of this film’s production. He had to have his hair dyed gray in order to make him look geriatric.

 

The effects team revealed in interviews that the dolphins in the underwater scenes were animatronic, not live ones.

 

Hume Cronyn was a Golden Glove boxer and lost sight in one eye. In the scene where he hits the young orderly, without depth perception, he actually hit the young man and knocked him out.

 

According to Ron Howard, several members of the cast liked to get into hypothetical discussions about the chance their characters were offered in the film. Maureen Stapleton was dead against it, while Don Ameche said he’d be the first in line.

 

In Say Anything… (1989), John Cusack plays Cocoon (1985) for a crowd of old folks at a retirement home.

 

Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy playing the old married couple Joseph and Alma Finley had in real life also been married to each other for many years.

 

The tinted map Walter gives to Jack showing him the underwater location of their search for cocoons is actually an infra-red aerial photograph of Bay County, Florida (where Panama City Beach is located) printed on a transparency.

 

Dirctor Ron Howard had originally wanted Joan Bennett for the role of Bess MCarthy, but since she had been talked out of taking the role by her fourth husband, David Wilde, the role was offered to Gwen Verdon instead.

 

Two firsts for the offspring of two famous actors – Tyrone Power Jr.’s (son of Tyrone Power) film debut and Tahnee Welch’s (daughter of Raquel Welch) American film debut.

 

Maureen Stapleton is about 9 years older than Wilford Brimley.

 

Filed under: Science Fiction

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