"Life on Mars" Life Is a Rock (2009)

User Rating:

8.2/10   

Director:

Michael Katleman

Writers:

Josh Appelbaum (developed for American television by) &
André Nemec (developed for American television by) ...

TV Series:

"Life on Mars" (2008)

Original Air Date:

1 April 2009 (Season 1, Episode 17)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Plot:

Sam is told he can return home if he does three things, which includes saving the younger version of himself, who has been kidnapped by his father. |

Plot Keywords:

Reference To Barack Obama | It Was All A Dream | Based On TV Series | Planet In Title | TV Series Pilot

Cast

Jason O'Mara	...	Detective Sam Tyler
Michael Imperioli	...	Detective Ray Carling
Gretchen Mol	...	Annie Norris
Jonathan Murphy	...	Detective Chris Skelton
Harvey Keitel	...	Lieutenant Gene Hunt
Lisa Bonet	...	Detective Maya Daniels
Jennifer Ferrin	...	Rose Tyler
Tanya Fischer	...	Windy
Peter Gerety	...	Agent Frank Morgan
Dean Winters	...	Vic Tyler
Nick Damici	...	Bumper
Caleb Wallace	...	Young Sammy
Tim Schuebel	...	Lead Prosecutor O'Hara
Christian Wallace	...	Young Sammy
Steven Marcus	...	Homeless Man / Wino

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:TV-14

Company:

Kudos Film and Television

Trivia:

The title is from the 1974 song "Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)" written by Paul DiFranco and Norman Dolph.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the series finale as Sam is searching the boat for his father armed with a rifle, the rifle changes from a Ruger Mini-14, to a Kalasnikov (AK-47) type rifle in one quick closeup shot. The next shot then shows him still holding the original rifle. This is noticeable because of the distinctive gas tube over the barrel on an AK unlike the bare barrel of a Mini-14.

Quotes:

Lieutenant Gene Hunt: Tyler, Come here. I need you.
[Having resolved to stay in 1973 with the people he has become so attached to, Sam walks up to Gene and gives him a big hug]
Lieutenant Gene Hunt: [laughing] I know. I think I'm gonna miss you most of all, scarecrow.
[Sam is suddenly 'awoken', presumably never to see his 1973 friends again]

Movie Connections:

References The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Soundtrack:

Mona Lisa's And Mad Hatters

Wrap It Up

The finale seemed a bit carelessly put together but had its moments. Worst for me is the lazy writing that added to the Back to the Future Riff of pushing the pseudonym of Luke Skywalker (it was funnier when Michael J. Fox improvised the name Clint Eastwood when facing opposition in The Old West), the running joke based on the famous David Bowie Song, re: Keitel is Major Tom. Highlight was a morbid, existential speech delivered by Michael Imperioli which was so powerful in content and delivery that it overshadowed all the facetiousness going on before and after it. O'Mara played his role properly bewildered, and Gretchen Mol got to show off 3 contrasting looks, but right down to the "one white shoe for mankind" final image it is obvious that the folks behind this series had tongues planted firmly in cheeks for the duration. I've got news for them -cult classics are ultimately in the eyes of the beholder (notably McGoohan's The Prisoner, or Robert Loggia in T.H.E. Cat), and cannot be forced down the audience's collective throat by a "let's throw in everything including the kitchen sink" approach.