Starman is a 1984 American science fiction romance drama film directed by John Carpenter and written by Bruce A. Evans and Raynold Gideon, with Dean Riesner making uncredited rewrites.

It tells the story of a relationship between recently widowed Jenny Hayden (Karen Allen) and a non-corporeal alien who has come to Earth and cloned a human body (portrayed by Jeff Bridges), in response to the invitation found on the gold phonograph record installed on the Voyager 2 space probe.

The Voyager 2 space probe, launched in 1977, carries a phonographic disc with a message of peace, inviting alien civilizations to visit Earth.

Crashing in Chequamegon Bay, Wisconsin, the lone alien occupant, looking like a floating ball of energy, finds the home of recently widowed Jenny Hayden.

Having a very basic understanding of the English language from the phonographic disk, the Starman learns to communicate with Jenny and assures her that he means no harm.

SETI scientist Mark Shermin, another government official involved in the case, criticizes Fox's heavy-handed approach and reminds him that the Starman was invited to Earth.

The original script by Bruce A. Evans and Raynold Gideon was purchased by the studio at the urging of executive producer Michael Douglas, shortly before it optioned Steven Spielberg's Night Skies.

Riesner had no idea that he would spend over two years struggling with the incessant demand for rewrites—he eventually authored five rewrites of Starman with six different directors, but did not receive screen credit because, according to him, "the Writers Guild, in their infinite wisdom, decided I didn't contribute 50 percent of the screenplay."

For a short time the Guild were threatening to force Columbia to destroy all prints of the film (in exhibition) containing Carpenter's offending dedication to Reisner.

Price consulted with their marketing department, it was determined Night Skies' narrative was too Disney and would only appeal to children (Starman was for a more mature audience).

He was replaced by John Badham, who worked with Douglas for 'some months' (developing the project); Columbia actually gave them an October 1982 start-date to begin principal photography.

Riesner was charged with keeping Starman essentially the same while making it distinct from E.T, and would work with three subsequent directors: Tony Scott, Peter Hyams, and John Carpenter.

Whereas Scott was more interested in style than narrative drive and wanted to cast Philip Anglim, and Hyams pushed for a more conventional science fiction approach, Carpenter, who was eager to shed his image as a maker of exploitative thrillers, wished to emphasize the cross-country rapport that develops between the two leads, as in The Defiant Ones, The 39 Steps, and It Happened One Night over special effects.

All music is composed by Jack Nitzsche (except "All I Have to Do Is Dream," written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant)Starman was released first in the United States in 1,261 cinemas on 14 December 1984.

The site's critics consensus reads: "What initially begins as sci-fi transforms into a surprisingly sweet, offbeat drama, courtesy of John Carpenter's careful direction.

[21] Duane Byrge wrote for The Hollywood Reporter that Starman had "an amusing and appealing storyline" and a "winning performance" by Jeff Bridges, describing it as "an often on-target look at current American culture".

However, he found the script lacking in its plot development and characterisation of military officials, but praised its "humane message" and Carpenter for "fluid storytelling", commending the score and visual effects.

[2] Mark Harrison wrote for Den of Geek that it was "a classic sci-fi date movie" and "not only an outlier in [Carpenter's] body of work but also an inarguable product of his direction".

He praised it for a "canny reversal of gender roles" where Bridges' Star Man is shown the world by a cynical Karen Allen.

[22] Alan Jones awarded it four stars out of five for Radio Times, referring to the film as a "religious sci-fi parable", praising Bridges' acting and the special effects.

[23] Halliwell's Film Guide was less positive, describing it as a "derivative but eccentric science-fiction fantasy with lapses of narrative and a general attempt to make the love story predominant over the hardware".

[25] Colin Greenland reviewed Starman for Imagine magazine, and stated that it, "starts well, with engaging performances from Karen Allen [...] and Jeff Bridges", but complains that the second half devolves into an "irritatingly soft-headed love story".

At the end of the music video the lead character is beamed away by a bright circular spaceship, similar to the manner in which the Starman from the film departs Earth.