Movie Review- "Capricorn One"

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Capricorn One (1978)
Is Mars the Red One, The Green One, or The Blue One?
I forget.
January 4th, 1978
“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, this is Paul Cunningham, Capricorn Control. The time is 3 minutes after 6, Eastern Daylight Time. We are coming up on T minus 32 minutes, 21 seconds, mark. To facilitate the broadcast medium, each announcement will be proceeded by a five-second tone, followed by a one-second pause. If you haven’t been furnished with a press kit, you can pick one up at the information trailer off the tarmac. At the present time, all systems are ‘Go’- all lights are ‘Green.’ To review the morning for you, at T minus eight hours thirty minutes, launch complex 39 was cleared and we began to load liquid propellant into the spacecraft. At T minus 4 hours, 10 minutes, the flight crew was awakened by Dr. Roger Burrows, the flight surgeon. Each member was given a final physical examination and pronounced ‘All Fit.’ The Crew then had a breakfast consisting of half a grapefruit, a ten- ounce steak, twelve ounces of orange juice, two eggs and toast. The Crew is now in the gantry access arm, preparing to enter the spacecraft…

“Capricorn One” is a conspiracy movie of the highest order. The extensive cast is as follows:
The Cast of “Capricorn One”:
Elliott Gould- Reporter Robert Caulfield
James Brolin- Colonel & Mission Commander Charles Brubaker, USAF
Brenda Vaccaro- Kay Brubaker, Wife of The Mission Commander
Sam Waterston- Lieutenant Colonel & Deputy Mission Commander Peter Willis,
USAF
O.J. Simpson- Commander John Walker, USN
Hal Holbrook - Dr. James Kelloway, Director of The Manned Space Program
Karen Black- Television Reporter Judy Drinkwater

Cast List (Continued)
Telly Savalas- Albain
David Huddleston- Congressman Hollis Peaker
Lee Bryant- Sharon Willis, Wife of the Deputy Mission Commander
Alan Fudge- Paul Cunningham, Capsule Communicator
David Doyle- Editor Walter Loughlin
James Sikking- Control Room Operator
Denise Nicholas- Betty Walker, Wife of Commander John Walker
Norman Bartold- The President of The United States
Robert Walden- Mission Control Specialist Elliot Whittier
Nancy Malone- Mrs. Phyllis Peaker, Wife of Hollis Peaker
Hank Stohl- Lieutenant General Enders

“… This is Paul Cunningham , Capricorn Control, we’re at T minus fifteen minutes and still counting. The wives of the flight crew are now at the Cape and will be flown back to Houston following the launch. Mission Control has reported the spacecraft is now on full external power. The spacecraft will transfer to full internal power at T minus 50 seconds. Dr. James Kelloway, The Director of the Manned Space Program, is in Houston at this moment and is in full voice contact with the flight crew. Both the Ascension and Canary tracking stations report clear reception. In the event of a terminated launch, the prime recovery vehicle will be the USS Kitty Hawk, located 350 nautical miles, South / Southeast of Bermuda. All systems are ‘Go’- all lights are “Green…’

The plot centers around an expensive manned mission to Mars set up during the late 1970’s and the political, economic and other forces at work around the project. The movie was written and directed by the great Peter Hyams (“The Star Chamber,” “Outland,” “The Presidio,” “Telefon”.)
“… This is Paul Cunningham , Capricorn Control, the spacecraft final checks are now completed, the access arms are swinging into final retract position. The destruct systems are now fully armed. TLR pressure readings are at 45.2. The flight crew has completed the final range safety checks. At T minus 50 seconds, the launch vehicle will be on full internal power- that begins the actual launch sequence. The weather is reported good, scattered clouds at 10 thousand feet …(pause)… All systems are ‘Go’- all lights are ‘Green.’ We are at T minus 3 minutes, six seconds, mark.

The Astronauts are played by James Brolin, O.J.Simpson, and a very young-looking Sam Waterston. Hal Holbrook plays the head of the non-political branch of the conspiracy, with David Huddleston absolutely brilliant as Southern Congressman Hollis Peaker, the leader of the political arm of the effort. Even the name “Hollis Peaker” seems to denote a corrupt Southern politician.

“… The launch officer has been given a ‘Go’ to begin the firing command automatic sequence. From now until T minus 50 seconds, that system is preset. The initial stage thruster check is ‘normal.’ We are at T minus one minute thirty seconds and still counting… The final range safety checks are completed. The launch safety officer reports all systems are ‘nominal’ and we are ‘Go’ at this time. The launch escape tower is now fully armed. In the event of an abort, the launch vehicle will carry the command module away from the tower and will activate a series of drogue ‘chutes at 12 thousand feet. The flight crew reports all guidance and navigation systems are functioning properly. The range safety officer reports all tracking stations are operational. This is Paul Cunningham, Capricorn Control.

The wives of the flight crew are portrayed by Brenda Vaccaro, who was immensely popular during the late 1970’s (“Airport 1977,” “Midnight Cowboy”), and Lee Bryant (“Airplane,” “Airplane II- The Sequel”.) A new actress, Denise Nicholas, portrays Betty Walker, the wife of O.J. Simpson (No! this one is STILL alive and well today, take my word for it.)

“…This is Paul Cunningham , Capricorn Control, we are at T minus one minute and still counting. We should have launch vehicle power transfer right about… now. All systems are ‘Go’- all lights are ‘Green.’

Elliott Gould squares off against his editor, Walter Loughlin, played by David Doyle (“Charlie’s Angels”) when he comes to realize that there is more to this mission than just what the public is being told.
“We are at T minus thirty seconds. At the present time, all systems are ‘Go’- all lights are ‘Green.’
In a fantastic near- cameo role, Telly Savalas is hysterical as “Albain” (we never did learn his first name), the crop duster pilot hired by Elliott Gould to help locate the missing astronauts. Although this is a terrifyingly sinister movie, Albain brings a welcome shot of humor to the plot, near the end of the movie. I am pleased that Savalas agreed to take a relatively minor role like this. It really serves to round out the movie.
“…We are at T minus eighteen seconds from liftoff…

Far from being of the science fiction genre, “Capricorn One” is a great movie, which leaves the viewer thinking about it, and the message it conveys, long after the film ends. In the Author’s case, 24 years afterwards.

“ …We are at T minus fifteen seconds…

It teaches the viewer valuable lessons about how the world really works that are useful in later life. While the prospect of a manned mission to Mars may seem fantastic, the actual happenings in the movie go on every day, to one extent or another, and have the potential to effect our lives in very profound ways.

“ …T minus ten seconds… NINE… EIGHT, we have ignition… SIX… FIVE, we have outboard engines… THREE, we have inboard engines… ONE… ZERO, we have a launch commit… and we have LIFTOFF at thirty-five minutes after the hour. The launch vehicle is now 46 miles downrange, velocity 6100 miles per hour. “
The Best Lines of “Capricorn One”:
(I)
“ Look around you. Look at all this. Do you think all this, everything you see here, was dreamed up by a couple of loony scientists? It wasn’t. It’s bigger than that. It’s in the hands of grown-ups… you got that? Grown-ups. You can’t stop it now, it is way out of hand… it’s too big.”
Hal Holbrook – “Dr. James Kelloway”
Best Lines (Continued)
(II)
“Did I ever tell you the one about the guy who had a job giving enemas to elephants?
“ You can tell me when we get home”
Sam Waterston – “Lt. Colonel Peter Willis” to
O.J. Simpson- “Commander John Walker”

(III)
“Mrs. Brubaker, I’d like to ask you about something your husband said just before he died. You seemed to have a puzzled expression on your face when he spoke to you from the capsule.”
“ Well, it was nothing. He said that when he got back, he would take us all to Yellowstone again, just like he did last summer. But we didn’t go to Yellowstone last year, we went to Flat Rock.”
“ What’s Flat Rock?”
“ Nothing really. It’s a mock town in Arizona. An old West town. In fact they were shooting a Western when we were there. At the end of the tour, my husband kept walking around, shaking his head, saying how real all of this looked. That with today’s technology, and enough desire, you could convince any one of anything.”
Elliott Gould- “Robert Caulfield” Speaking with
Brenda Vaccaro- “Kay Brubaker”
Best Lines (Continued)
(IV)
“… You, the men of Capricorn One, are true heroes to all of us- because you have shown us what mankind is truly capable of….”
Norman Bartold- “The President.”
Speaking by pre-recorded audiotape to the Astronauts when they landed on the surface of Mars.

(V)
“ Peter ? It’s Sharon”
“ I told you never to call me here”
(laughter)
“ I just wanted to tell you that our daughter is playing ‘Wendy,’ the lead in the school play.”
“That’s great.”
“ Peter? You sound just so close, it’s difficult for me to believe you are really that far away.”
“ It’s difficult for me to believe it too.”
Lee Bryant- “Sharon Willis”
Speaking, from Houston to the Command Module, with her husband
Sam Waterston – “Lt. Colonel Peter Willis”

Best Lines (Continued)
(VI)
“…I remember when Glenn made his first orbit in Mercury. They put up television sets in Grand Central Station. and tens of thousands of people missed their trains to watch. You know, when Apollo 17 landed on the Moon, people were calling up the networks and bitching because reruns of I Love Lucy were cancelled. Reruns, for Christ's sake! I could understand if it was a new Lucy show. After all, what's a walk on the Moon? But reruns! And then suddenly everybody started talking about how much everything cost. Was it really worth twenty billion to go to another planet? What about cancer? What about the slums? How much does it cost? How much does any dream cost? Since when is there an accountant for ideas?”
Hal Holbrook – “Dr. James Kelloway”

As you can tell, this is my favorite movie of all time. It is worth seeing by anyone with a conscience. Despite its age, its message and lessons are timeless. What is frightening about the events of the movie is not that this movie represents some far out possibility, but that the types of things that occur in the film happen in real life all the time. What is terrifying is knowing that in any important circumstance, there are people out there, forces out there, that have a lot to lose and will do almost anything to protect their interests.
Actor Review Summary, “Capricorn One”:
Hal Holbrook ( b. 17 February 1925, Cleveland, OH): Great actor who is never bad in anything. Totally convincing in this role. And my personal choice for real life Grandfather.

James Brolin ( b. 18 July 1940, Los Angeles, CA): Good actor but not my first choice for the head astronaut. “Living in outer space” probably prepared him for his later role as “Mr. Barbara Streisand.”

Sam Waterston ( b. 15 November 1940, Cambridge, MA): At least Adam Schiff was not there to contradict and argue with him while he was pushing buttons in the Command Module. Waterston is a very good actor. Is a shame he did not have more lines in this movie.

Elliott Gould ( b. 29 August, 1938, Brooklyn, NY) : Good actor and great for this role. No matter what his facial expression, he always manages to look confused.

O.J. Simpson (b. 9 July 1947, San Francisco, CA) : Well, there is scene in this movie in which the astronauts find a survival kit and give the knife from it to good old O.J. And yet ,somehow , he managed NOT to kill anyone with it. The odds makers take a beating again.

David Huddleston ( b. 17 September 1930, Vinton, VA): Great in this role as a corrupt politician, very convincing. He has played such roles since with great skill.

David Doyle ( b. 1 December 1929, Omaha, NE. / d. 26 February 1997, Los Angeles, CA, Heart Failure) : Where is Charlie Townsend when you need him? It would have taken a lot more than just him along with Kelly, Sabrina and Jill to fix this mess. Still Doyle manages to portray the lovable newspaper editor with acuity.

Brenda Vaccaro ( b. 18 November 1939, Brooklyn, NY): Good portrayal of “wifey” to the head astronaut. She didn’t do much after this- save for a few TV movies. What a loss, she received three separate Tony award nominations in the 1960s.

Telly Savalas ( b. 21 January 1924, Garden City Long Island / d. 22 January 1994, Union City CA, Prostate Cancer) : Savalas, the son of Greek immigrants and a soldier in WWII, was a great actor who played diverse roles starting with the 1960 Series “Klondike” and ending with “Backfire” in 1995. “Albain” was a funny, stereotypical character who provided needed levity to this dark film.

Lee Bryant ( b. 31 August 1945, New York, NY): Waterston should have taken time out during the filming and married this woman in real life.

Norman Bartold (b. 6 August 1928, Alameda, CA / d. 28 May 1994, Riverside, CA, Cause Unknown): Bartold played the unnamed President, duped by his own subordinates, very well.

Robert Walden (b. 25 September 1943, New York, NY): Did a very good job as the best friend of Elliott Gould who stumbles upon the plot then “disappears.” Later, he was nominated 3 times for an Emmy award, in 1979, 1980 and 1981 for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for: "Lou Grant" (1977) .
Movie Review Summary, “Capricorn One”:
Q: Is it worth it to get launch clearance to see this movie?
A: Roger, Houston, this is the best movie on any planet, inhabited or otherwise.

Ten of Ten Stars, Signature Series. This is the best movie ever written.

John Kercheval
Copyright Â© 2002 by John W. Kercheval, III
All Rights Reserved
John Kercheval Movie Reviews

Author’s Notes:
1) Peter Hyams eschews artificial lighting in his movies in favor of natural lighting. Natural lighting is used exclusively in “Capricorn One.” Accordingly, many of the scenes in his movies appear darker than they would otherwise.
2) Hyams’ real life son, Christopher, is cast in this movie as twelve year old Charles Brubaker, jr. the son of the command pilot.
3) Prior to getting into movies, Peter Hyams, who attended Syracuse University, was a CBS News Anchorman in Chicago.
4) In his youth, Hyams had been a drummer with such important jazz musicians as Bill Evans and Maynard Fergusson and had played at Birdland, Small's Paradise and the Newport Jazz Festival. His paintings have hung in such prestigious galleries as the Whitney Museum of American Art. Hyams brings to film direction essential elements of music and painting. From music comes a special sensitivity to structure and rhythm; from painting a raised sense of light and color. These important insights help Hyams to achieve his goal of creating films which "reach people's emotions, not their minds."
5) Today, 2002, Hyams lives in Westwood, California with his wife George-Ann and two children, John and Chris.

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Topic - Movie Review- "Capricorn One" - John Kercheval 14:41:57 06/13/06 (0)

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