Cocoon: The Return

Cocoon: The Return
Theatrical release poster by John Alvin
Directed by	Daniel Petrie
Written by	Stephen McPherson
Produced by	Richard D. Zanuck David Brown Lili Fini Zanuck
Starring	Don Ameche Wilford Brimley Courteney Cox Hume Cronyn Jack Gilford Steve Guttenberg Barret Oliver Maureen Stapleton Elaine Stritch Jessica Tandy Gwen Verdon Tahnee Welch
Cinematography	Tak Fujimoto
Edited by	Mark Warner
Music by	James Horner
Production company	Zanuck/Brown Company
Distributed by	20th Century Fox
Release date	November 23, 1988 (1988-11-23)
Running time	116 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$17.5 million
Box office	$25 million

Cocoon: The Return is a 1988 American science fiction comedy-drama film directed by Daniel Petrie and written by Stephen McPherson. The film serves as the sequel to the 1985 film Cocoon. All of the starring actors from the first film reprised their roles in this film, although Brian Dennehy only appears in one scene at the end of the film. Unlike its predecessor, the film was neither a commercial nor a critical success.

Plot

Five years after they left Earth following a failed rescue mission, the Antareans return to rescue the cocoons that were left behind. Before they can be retrieved, one of the cocoons is discovered by a science research team and taken to a secure laboratory for testing. The aliens and their human allies must find a way to retrieve the cocoon in time for their rendezvous with the rescue ship, while the humans traveling with them must decide whether to return to Antarea or stay on Earth and become mortal again.

Joe learns that his leukemia has returned, but he knows it will be cured again as soon as he and Alma leave Earth. When Alma is hit by a car while saving a child, Joe gives up the last of his life force, saving her life but sacrificing his. Before dying, he tells Alma to accept a job offer at a preschool and that he loves her. Art and Bess learn that Bess is pregnant, and decide to raise the child on Antarea so they will live long enough to see him grow up. Ben and Mary reconnect with their family and friends, including Bernie who is shown to have found love with Ruby, alleviating his suicidal depression over Rose's death. Although a lovelorn Jack once again attempts to woo Kitty, she instead grants him a vision of his future, showing him children and a wife with a small heart-shaped birthmark on her neck.

The next night, before Ben, Mary, Art, and Bess leave to meet the Antareans, Alma tells them she is staying on Earth to work at the preschool. Art, Kitty, Ben, and his grandson David (Barret Oliver) then rescue the Antarean from the Oceanographic Institute. Sara, one of the scientists working at the institute, becomes aware of the company's plans to hand the alien over to the military. Unhappy about this, she allows them to escape when she discovers the rescuers.

After the four get the Antarean on Jack's boat out at sea, Ben makes it known to everyone that he and Mary are staying on Earth as well, since family is more important than living forever and that they should not outlive their children. When the spaceship arrives, they are met by Walter before the Antareans, Art, Bess, and the cocoons left behind from the previous trip are brought aboard the space ship which departs for their homeworld.

Back at the port after he has said his goodbyes to Ben, Mary, and David, Jack is approached by Sara asking if he knows a place where she could get some gas. They walk and talk for a bit, and Sara tells him she just quit her job. He eventually notices the small heart-shaped birthmark on her neck.

Cast

• Don Ameche as Art Selwyn
• Wilford Brimley as Ben Luckett
• Courteney Cox as Sara
• Hume Cronyn as Joe Finley
• Jack Gilford as Bernie Lefkowitz
• Steve Guttenberg as Jack Bonner
• Barret Oliver as David
• Maureen Stapleton as Mary Luckett
• Jessica Tandy as Alma Finley
• Gwen Verdon as Bess McCarthy-Selwyn
• Tahnee Welch as Kitty
• Elaine Stritch as Ruby Feinberg
• Linda Harrison as Susan
• Tyrone Power Jr. as Pillsbury
• Mike Nomad as Doc
• Herta Ware (cameo) as Rose Lefkowitz
• Brian Dennehy (cameo) as Walter. Dennehy held out on returning as alien leader "Walter" but finally agreed to a 3-minute scene at the film's end. He accepted no salary and appeared only as a favor to his castmates from the first film.

Soundtrack

Cocoon: The Return
Film score by James Horner
Released	23 November 1988
Recorded	1988
Genre	Soundtrack
Length	9 at 53:26
Label	Varèse Sarabande

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Filmtracks	link

The score to Cocoon: The Return was composed and conducted by James Horner who had scored Cocoon. The score mostly consisted of recycled themes and material from the first film. The soundtrack was released on 23 November 1988 through Varèse Sarabande and features nine tracks of score at a running time of just over fifty-three minutes.

1. "Returning Home" (6:05)
2. "Taking Bernie to the Beach" (4:31)
3. "Joe's Gift" (8:06)
4. "Remembrances/The Break-In" (8:24)
5. "Basketball Swing" (6:58)
6. "Jack's Future" (2:44)
7. "Growing Old" (1:55)
8. "Good Friend" (3:16)
9. "Rescue/The Ascension" (11:29)

Reception

The film had a generally negative reception. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film two and a half out of four stars: "Yes, the performances are wonderful, and, yes, it's great to see these characters back again. But that's about it. For someone who has seen Cocoon, the sequel gives you the opportunity to see everybody saying goodbye for the second time". On Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator, the film has an approval rating of 31% based on 13 reviews; the average rating is 4.50/10. On Metacritic, the film has a score of 45 out of 100 based on 13 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.

The film brought $25 million worldwide, far less than the first film's $85 million worldwide gross.

Then-U.S. President Ronald Reagan viewed this film at Camp David on November 12, 1988.

Awards and nominations

Year	Award ceremony	Category	Nominee	Result
1990	Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films	Best Science Fiction Film		Nominated
		Best Actor	Hume Cronyn	Nominated
		Best Actress	Jessica Tandy	Nominated
		Best Supporting Actor	Jack Gilford	Nominated

External links

• Cocoon: The Return at IMDb 
• Cocoon: The Return at Box Office Mojo
• Cocoon: The Return at Rotten Tomatoes