Themes: Whistleblowers, Fighting the System, Political Corruption
Main Cast: Elliott Gould, James Brolin, Brenda Vaccaro, Sam Waterston, O.J. Simpson
Release Year: 1978
Country: US
Run Time: 127 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Astronauts Charles Brubaker, John Walker, and Peter Willis (James Brolin, O.J. Simpson, and Sam Waterston, respectively) are hailed as heroes when they become the first men to be rocketed to Mars. Actually the space travelers are as phony as their mission controller, Dr. James Kelloway (Hal Holbrook); to avert a failure that might cost the space program its funding, the Mars-bound vessel has been sent up without a crew, while the helmeted astronauts sit on a movie soundstage, pretending to be in outer space for the benefit of the TV cameras. Unfortunately the Mars ship crashes on arrival, making the astronaut trio thoroughly expendable. Investigative reporter Robert Caulfield (Elliott Gould), who's smelled a rat all along, races against time to prevent NASA from "terminating" the hapless astronauts in order to cover up the conspiracy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
This agreeable high-concept effort is one of Peter Hyams' most accomplished films. The script's conspiracy-theory premise requires a major suspension of disbelief, but Hyams makes it worthwhile for those willing to make that leap with some inspired work behind the camera. The script is peppered with plenty of rapid-fire dialogue worthy of a Howard Hawks comedy (the exchanges between Elliott Gould and Karen Black are particularly memorable) and Hyams applies plenty of style and pizzazz to the film's action set pieces, especially the memorable "dogfight" finale. The thrills Hyams generates are bolstered by plenty of noteworthy assistance behind the camera, the most notable contributions being Bill Butler's sharp widescreen cinematography and Jerry Goldsmith's rousing, militaristic score. However, the glue that holds the film together is the tight ensemble work of its gifted cast: Elliott Gould effectively utilizes his off-kilter charm to flesh out a stock "intrepid reporter" role, James Brolin is appropriately stoic as the bravest of the astronaut trio, and Hal Holbrook is quietly effective as a government figure with a hidden agenda. There are also plenty of great cameos, the best being Telly Savalas' scene-stealing work as an easily annoyed aviator. In the end, Capricorn One is a lightweight but likable affair which provides plenty of fun for thriller fans. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide
Hal Holbrook - Dr. James Kelloway; David Huddleston - Hollis Peaker; David F. Doyle - Walter Loughlin; Denise Nicholas - Betty Walker; Robert Walden - Elliot Whittier; Lee Bryant - Sharon Willis; Alan Fudge - Capsule Communicator; Karen Black - Judy Drinkwater; Telly Savalas - Albain; Norman Bartold - President; Barbara Bosson - Alva Leacock; Jon Cedar - F.B.I. Man #1; Ron Cummins - F.B.I. Man #2; Trent Dolan - Man at Hangar #2; Lou Frizzell - Horace Gruning; Todd Hoffman - NASA Usher; James Karen - Vice President Price; Paul Picerni - Jerry; Milton Selzer - Dr. Burroughs; James B. Sikking - Control Room Man; Steve Tannen - Man at Hangar #1; Zack Taylor - F.B.I. Man #4; Darrell Zwerling - Dr. Bergen; Nancy Malone - Mrs. Peaker; James Bacon - Reporter #4; Ken White - Tracking Technician; Frank Farmer - Policeman
Credit
David M. Haber - Art Director, Michael Rachmil - Associate Producer, Pat Norris - Costume Designer, Irby Smith - First Assistant Director, Peter Hyams - Director, James Mitchell - Editor, Jerry Goldsmith - Composer (Music Score), Michael Westmore - Makeup, Albert Brenner - Production Designer, Bill Butler - Cinematographer, Michael Rachmil - Production Manager, Paul N. Lazarus III - Producer, Rick Simpson - Set Designer, Henry Millar - Special Effects, Jerry Jost - Sound/Sound Designer, Peter Hyams - Screenwriter
The setting is the late 1970s, and the first manned mission to Mars is on the launch pad. NASA authorities including Dr. James Kelloway (Hal Holbrook) realize that a faulty life support system has doomed any chance of a successful flight, so for political and financial purposes they decide to fake the landing rather than cancel the mission.
Minutes before launch, the bewildered crew of Col. Brubaker (James Brolin), Lt. Col. Willis (Sam Waterston), and Cmdr. Walker (O. J. Simpson) are removed from the capsule and flown to an old abandoned United States Army Air Corps base deep within the desert. The televised launch proceeds on schedule, but the public is unaware that the spacecraft (Capricorn One) does not have a crew.
At the remote base, the astronauts are informed they will fake the television footage from Mars and it is their patriotic duty to participate. Initially they refuse, but authorities imply their careers and the lives of their families are at stake if they do not cooperate.
The astronauts remain in captivity for a period of several months and are filmed landing on Mars within a studio located at the base. The conspiracy is known to only a select few NASA officials, until alert technician Elliot Whittier (Robert Walden) stumbles across a bizarre technical anomaly i.e. television transmissions from Mars made by the crew are being received by ground control before the spacecraft telemetry arrives. He is confused by the anomaly and wishes to investigate further, but is told not to worry about it by his employer. Even so, Whittier feels sufficiently uneasy to share his concerns with journalist friend Robert Caulfield (Elliott Gould) at a local bar, but before Whittier can fully set out his concerns, he mysteriously disappears.
As Caulfield discovers that all evidence of his friend's life appear to have been erased, he becomes suspicious and begins investigating the Mars mission. Attempts to silence Caulfield by trying to kill him are made, but Caulfield survives. Meanwhile back at the abandoned military base, the astronauts begin to suspect that if the conspiracy is to be successful, they will eventually have to be eliminated. The astronauts' suspicions become reality when their empty capsule burns up during atmospheric reentry and they are declared dead to a mournful nation. The captive astronauts immediately stage a daring escape and attempt to evade military forces in order to expose the conspiracy. Stranded in the desert, they try to make their way back to civilization while being pursued by a pair of black helicopters.
In the end, Brubaker is the only crew member to avoid capture, Willis and Walker are captured and presumably murdered. Caulfield's investigation leads him to the desert, where he finds the military base and the set, and with the help of a cropduster pilot (Telly Savalas), he manages to rescue Brubaker before the men in the helicopters can capture or kill him.
The film ends with Caulfield bringing Brubaker to the astronauts' memorial service, exposing the conspiracy in dramatic fashion in front of dozens of witnesses and live national television.
Two novelizations of the film were written and published by separate authors, a rarity in the business of such books. The first was written by Ken Follett (written under the pseudonym Bernard L. Ross) and published in the United Kingdom, the other written by Ron Goulart and published in the United States.[2]
