FIRE IN THE SKY
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1993 James Berardinelli
Date Released: 3/12/93 Running Length: 1:50 Rated: PG-13 (Mature themes, torture)
Starring: D. B. Sweeney, Robert Patrick, Craig Sheffer, Peter Berg,
James Garner
Director: Robert Lieberman
Producers: Joe Wizan and Todd Black
Screenplay: Tracy Torme
Music: Mark Isham
Released by Paramount Pictures
FIRE IN THE SKY purports to document the events surrounding the supposed abduction of Travis Walton (D. B. Sweeney) by aliens. The film follows the day leading up to Walton's disappearance, the "mysterious" fire-like glow that draws him from the safety of his truck, and the "experiments" performed on him by the vaguely-humanoid aliens he claims to have been kidnapped by. The film also makes an attempt to chronicle the lives of the five lumberjacks who witness the abduction and become prime suspects in a murder investigation opened by an ambitious and cynical police officer (James Garner).
Put simply, FIRE IN THE SKY is a muddled-up mess. It can't make up its mind whether it wants to be horror, drama, or science-fiction. As a result, it ends up being ineffective as any of the three. Writer Tracy Torme has penned a script that is poorly-paced and badly-motivated. The film meanders in all directions, with characters introduced and dropped, potentially intriguing plot elements buried, dialogue that's embarrassing to listen to, and characters that a sixth-grader could have fleshed out more effectively. Very little is effectively brought together or resolved by the end of the one-hundred ten-minute ordeal that the audience is subjected to.
It's clear that the sympathy of the movie is with Travis Walton. We are meant to believe that he was kidnapped and tortured by aliens. This makes the presence of James Garner's character somewhat mystifying. Initially, I thought he was there to represent the "other side of the story," but his position is never allowed to become even slightly credible. He is the heavy, refusing to believe Walton and his friends despite the overwhelming evidence supporting their version of events. Given the film's obvious leanings, spending so much time with Garner's police officer is a waste of time.
This has to be one of the most grim films of recent memory. I'm not sure why director Robert Lieberman chose to fashion his movie like this, but the result is almost painful--dark, gloomy settings with harshly unpleasant characters and no sign of anything remotely resembling comic relief. Not only would I not want to meet any of the people in this movie, but they are so unsympathetic that it becomes grueling to sit through nearly two hours of their lives on screen.
There is one chillingly effective sequence in FIRE IN THE SKY and, more than anything else, it illustrates that there could have been a decent story here. Walton's "experiences" in the alien vessel are portrayed with stunning, gut-wrenching realism (a couple members of the audience walked out during this sequence of the film--it's that disturbing). Much of the credit for these scenes goes to actor D. B. Sweeney. This is his only opportunity in the film to act. In fact, not only is it his only chance, it's the only chance for any member of the cast.
Most unfortunate of all is the ending, which left me asking the question: "Who cares?" This is deadly for any film, especially one that pretends to probe the deep issues that FIRE IN THE SKY claims to. The film states that it is based on a true story, but about the only truth apparent to me was that this misbegotten attempt at a fictional re-creation should have been killed before anyone purchased the first reel of film.
Rating: 5.7 (C-, *1/2)
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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