Though Ameche had never really stopped working, his career had fallen into the doldrums in recent decades, until his inspired casting in the Eddie Murphy comedy Trading Places (1983). Petersburg, Fla., over three months on an $18 million budget it earned $76 million in domestic box-office receipts alone.Īnd chief among the reasons for the success was Don Ameche, beloved leading man of 1930s and '40s classics like Midnight (1939) and Heaven Can Wait (1943). Originally Robert Zemeckis was to direct, but when his Romancing the Stone (1984) ran into delays, he had to pull out, and Ron Howard, fresh off Splash (1984), replaced him. Tom Benedek's screenplay was based on David Saperstein's unpublished novel, which had been floating around the Fox studio since 1980, stymied by continual changes in studio administration. Naturally, their fellow retirees and spouses soon want the same, and questions of life, death and even departing Earth eventually come into play. The cocoons cause the water to have a rejuvenating effect, and the men suddenly find their youthful strength, vigor, and passion flowing back into their bodies. The aliens have been collecting the cocoons and storing them in a swimming pool used by three elderly men from the retirement home for their daily swims. The story concerns members of a Florida retirement home who discover a fountain of youth thanks to a swimming pool, some strange pods (cocoons) therein, and the efforts of extraterrestrial aliens in the form of neatly dressed tourists. Joining them are younger veterans Maureen Stapleton (60), Gwen Verdon (60) and Wilford Brimley (51), and directing them all is Ron Howard, a mere 31. Three of the leading players, for instance, are old pros Don Ameche (age 77), Hume Cronyn (74) and Jessica Tandy (76). The movie blends genres (comedy, drama and sci-fi) various storytelling methods (equal parts visual effects and ensemble acting, as well as multiple plot threads with no central character) and even wide-ranging ages of its key creative artists. One of the biggest hits of the summer of 1985 was the gentle fantasy Cocoon, a film that proved a challenge to make because of its mix of so many opposing ingredients.
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