The Man Who Fell to Earth
A humanoid space alien (David Bowie) plummets to planet Earth, landing in a lake in New Mexico. He drinks the water from the lake and thinks about his barren planet, where his wife and two children ar…
The Man Who Fell to Earth
A humanoid space alien (David Bowie) plummets to planet Earth, landing in a lake in New Mexico. He drinks the water from the lake and thinks about his barren planet, where his wife and two children are dying of thirst. Frequent flashbacks by the alien show of his dying planet. Using the name Thomas Jerome Newton, the alien travels to New York City to speak to lawyer Oliver Farnsworth (Buck Henry). Farnsworth is amazed that Newton has nine basic patents. He will be able to earn $300 million within three years, but Newton tells Farnsworth that he needs more money, not explaining why. He enlists Farnsworth's help to build a great corporation, named World Enterprises. Newton explains that with World Enterprises playing fairly, the corporation would make some other corporation obsolete. Nathan Bryce (Rip Torn), a divorced Chicago chemistry professor, spends his free time seducing his young female students. He becomes fascinated with World Color's self-developing film, which can be purchased very inexpensively (free cameras are thrown in). He wonders who the reclusive owner Newton is and begins making inquiries. Using the alias 'Mr. Sussex', Newton travels to New Mexico. He checks into a local hotel where he meets Mary-Lou (Candy Clark) a maid who helps him when he becomes sick from a fast elevator ride. She becomes his constant companion and lover. She brings him a TV set and influences him to drink alcoholic beverages, partially gin. Eventually, Newton watches many television sets at once having become addicted and begins to drink gin incessantly. Still missing his family, he initiates a space program with all the money he has made in order to return to his home planet and to bring water to help his wife and children. Meanwhile, Farnsworth hires Bryce to come to New Mexico and work on the secret project space program that World Enterprises is funding. Bryce sets up his residence in a small cabin on the other side of the lake from Newton and Mary-Lou. He secretly takes X-rays of Newton and discovers that Newton's form is totally alien. Newton, who can see X-rays, confides in Bryce that he really is an alien. He says he has no intention of causing harm to Earthlings and only wants to help his dying world by sending some of Earth's water back to his planet for it to survive. Over the next year or so, the space project is taking too long. All Newton begins to do to drink and watch television. It is revealed that he has watched American TV for years on his home planet, but never guessed that it revealed nothing about the human condition. As he becomes more human, he feels his life and mission is futile. Newton's relationship with Mary-Lou begins to deteriorate when she demands more attention. He strips off his earthling guise, and she is terrified by his alien form. She can't make love to him anymore, although she continues to admit that she does love him. When Farnsworth bribes Mary-Lou to get away from Newton, she turns him down for she doesn't want money, she only wants "Tommy" as he is. Capitalist companies pressure Farnsworth to sell World Enterprises, but Farnsworth refuses. A little later, Farnsworth and his gay lover Trevor (Rick RIccardo) are killed when corporate hit-men throw them both from the window of Farnsworth's New York apartment. Newton completes the spaceship and attempts to take it on its maiden voyage amid intense press exposure. However, just before his scheduled take-off, he is seized and detained. The US government, which has apparently been told by Bryce that Newton is an alien, holds him captive in a locked luxury apartment, constructed deep within a hotel. During his stay, they keep him sedated with alcohol (to which he has become addicted) and continuously subject him to rigorous medical tests - notably one involving X-rays which causes the contact lenses he wears as part of his human disguise to permanently affix themselves to his eyes. Within that time, World Enterprises goes bankrupt. Bryce begins to work for Peters (Bernie Casey) the government agent who masterminded Newton's kidnapping. Toward the end of his years of captivity, he is visited again by Mary-Lou, who is now much older and whose looks have been ravaged by alcohol and time. They have mock-violent, playful sex that involves firing a gun with blanks, and afterwards occupy their time drinking and playing table tennis. Mary-Lou declares that she no longer loves him, while he says that he doesn't love her either. She leaves him. Eventually Newton discovers that his "prison," now derelict, is unlocked, and he leaves. Unable to return home to his planet, a broken and alcoholic Newton creates an album recording with alien messages, titled 'The Visitor', which he hopes will be broadcast via radio to his home planet (which his wife and the entire population may have already died from thirst). Bryce, who has since married Mary-Lou, buys a copy of the album and meets Newton at an outside restaurant in town. Newton is still rich and young looking despite the passage of many years. However, Newton has also fallen into depression and alcoholism and the film ends with an inebriated Newton passing out in his cafe chair.
The Man Who Fell to Earth
Drama,Sci-Fi
Film Details
A humanoid space alien (David Bowie) plummets to planet Earth, landing in a lake in New Mexico. He drinks the water from the lake and thinks about his barren planet, where his wife and two children are dying of thirst. Frequent flashbacks by the alien show of his dying planet.
Using the name Thomas Jerome Newton, the alien travels to New York City to speak to lawyer Oliver Farnsworth (Buck Henry). Farnsworth is amazed that Newton has nine basic patents. He will be able to earn $300 million within three years, but Newton tells Farnsworth that he needs more money, not explaining why.
He enlists Farnsworth's help to build a great corporation, named World Enterprises. Newton explains that with World Enterprises playing fairly, the corporation would make some other corporation obsolete. Nathan Bryce (Rip Torn), a divorced Chicago chemistry professor, spends his free time seducing his young female students.
He becomes fascinated with World Color's self-developing film, which can be purchased very inexpensively (free cameras are thrown in). He wonders who the reclusive owner Newton is and begins making inquiries. Using the alias 'Mr.
Sussex', Newton travels to New Mexico. He checks into a local hotel where he meets Mary-Lou (Candy Clark) a maid who helps him when he becomes sick from a fast elevator ride. She becomes his constant companion and lover.
She brings him a TV set and influences him to drink alcoholic beverages, partially gin. Eventually, Newton watches many television sets at once having become addicted and begins to drink gin incessantly. Still missing his family, he initiates a space program with all the money he has made in order to return to his home planet and to bring water to help his wife and children.
Meanwhile, Farnsworth hires Bryce to come to New Mexico and work on the secret project space program that World Enterprises is funding. Bryce sets up his residence in a small cabin on the other side of the lake from Newton and Mary-Lou. He secretly takes X-rays of Newton and discovers that Newton's form is totally alien.
Newton, who can see X-rays, confides in Bryce that he really is an alien. He says he has no intention of causing harm to Earthlings and only wants to help his dying world by sending some of Earth's water back to his planet for it to survive. Over the next year or so, the space project is taking too long.
All Newton begins to do to drink and watch television. It is revealed that he has watched American TV for years on his home planet, but never guessed that it revealed nothing about the human condition. As he becomes more human, he feels his life and mission is futile.
Newton's relationship with Mary-Lou begins to deteriorate when she demands more attention. He strips off his earthling guise, and she is terrified by his alien form. She can't make love to him anymore, although she continues to admit that she does love him.
When Farnsworth bribes Mary-Lou to get away from Newton, she turns him down for she doesn't want money, she only wants "Tommy" as he is. Capitalist companies pressure Farnsworth to sell World Enterprises, but Farnsworth refuses. A little later, Farnsworth and his gay lover Trevor (Rick RIccardo) are killed when corporate hit-men throw them both from the window of Farnsworth's New York apartment.
Newton completes the spaceship and attempts to take it on its maiden voyage amid intense press exposure. However, just before his scheduled take-off, he is seized and detained. The US government, which has apparently been told by Bryce that Newton is an alien, holds him captive in a locked luxury apartment, constructed deep within a hotel.
During his stay, they keep him sedated with alcohol (to which he has become addicted) and continuously subject him to rigorous medical tests - notably one involving X-rays which causes the contact lenses he wears as part of his human disguise to permanently affix themselves to his eyes. Within that time, World Enterprises goes bankrupt. Bryce begins to work for Peters (Bernie Casey) the government agent who masterminded Newton's kidnapping.
Toward the end of his years of captivity, he is visited again by Mary-Lou, who is now much older and whose looks have been ravaged by alcohol and time. They have mock-violent, playful sex that involves firing a gun with blanks, and afterwards occupy their time drinking and playing table tennis. Mary-Lou declares that she no longer loves him, while he says that he doesn't love her either.
She leaves him. Eventually Newton discovers that his "prison," now derelict, is unlocked, and he leaves. Unable to return home to his planet, a broken and alcoholic Newton creates an album recording with alien messages, titled 'The Visitor', which he hopes will be broadcast via radio to his home planet (which his wife and the entire population may have already died from thirst).
Bryce, who has since married Mary-Lou, buys a copy of the album and meets Newton at an outside restaurant in town. Newton is still rich and young looking despite the passage of many years. However, Newton has also fallen into depression and alcoholism and the film ends with an inebriated Newton passing out in his cafe chair..