Fire in the Sky (1993)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Robert Lieberman

Writers (WGA):

Travis Walton (book)
Tracy Tormé (screenplay)

Release Date:

12 March 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Alien abduction. November 5, 1975. White Mountains, Northeastern Arizona. Based on the true story.

Plot:

A group of men who were clearing bush for the government arrive back in town, claiming that their friend was abducted by aliens...

Plot Keywords:

Alien | UFO | Chainsaw | Falling Tree | Southerner

Awards:

4 nominations

Cast

D.B. Sweeney	...	Travis Walton
Robert Patrick	...	Mike Rogers
Craig Sheffer	...	Allan Dallis
Peter Berg	...	David Whitlock
Henry Thomas	...	Greg Hayes
Bradley Gregg	...	Bobby Cogdill
Noble Willingham	...	Blake Davis
Kathleen Wilhoite	...	Katie Rogers
James Garner	...	Frank Watters
Georgia Emelin	...	Dana Rogers
Scott MacDonald	...	Dan Walton
Wayne Grace	...	Cyrus Gilson
Kenneth White	...	Buck
Robert Covarrubias	...	Ray Melendez
Bruce Wright	...	Dennis Clay

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence.

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Canada:14+ (Ontario) | Germany:16 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #32261) | Singapore:PG | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Oakland, Oregon, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The real Travis Walton and Dana Walton make cameo appearances in the scene where the townspeople discuss what to do about Travis' disappearance,

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the logging scene, during the lunch break, Mike Rogers is shown sharpening his saw chain. He's using his file at entirely wrong angles (would ruin a saw chain), and is filing the same tooth way too many times.

Quotes:

Allan Dallis: I told you chuckleheads that story was never gonna work.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Deep Impact (1998)

Soundtrack:

Black Water

Surprisingly good

This movie has a good plot, a good cast and a good feel to it. It is obviously a low budget movie, but one done well. The story is about an alien abduction, but instead of focusing on the aliens and what they did, the focus is on the people involved and how do they react "under fire".

You can call it a "TV psychological thriller" more than a sci-fi. I expected something dumb, instead I found not a masterpiece, but a good movie, one that was worth the watch.

James Garner had a really weird role, but he is old, so he gets what they throw at him; Robert Patrick does a good role and, even if he did play in some silly movies in his time, I think he is a good actor, one that can surprise if properly cast.