Supergirl (film)

Supergirl
File:Supergirlposter.jpg Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Jeannot Szwarc
Produced by	Timothy Burrill
Screenplay by	David Odell
Based on	Characters by Otto Binder Al Plastino
Starring	Faye Dunaway Helen Slater Hart Bochner Peter Cook Mia Farrow Marc McClure Brenda Vaccaro Peter O'Toole
Music by	Jerry Goldsmith
Cinematography	Alan Hume
Edited by	Malcolm Cooke
Production company	Artistry Ltd Cantharus Productions Pueblo Film Group
Distributed by	TriStar Pictures
Release dates	19 July 1984 (1984-07-19)
Running time	124 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	$35 million
Box office	$14.3 million

Supergirl is a 1984 British superhero film directed by Jeannot Szwarc and written by David Odell, based on the DC Comics character of the same name and serves as a spin-off to Alexander and Ilya Salkind's Superman film series. The film stars Faye Dunaway, Helen Slater as Supergirl, and Peter O'Toole, with Marc McClure reprising his role as Jimmy Olsen from the Superman films. He was the only actor to do so.

The film was released in the United Kingdom on July 19, 1984 and failed to impress critics and audiences alike. Dunaway and O'Toole earned Golden Raspberry Award nominations for Worst Actress and Worst Actor, respectively. However, Slater was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Actress. The film's failure ultimately led the Salkinds to sell the Superman rights to Cannon Films in 1986.

The first DVD release was by the independent home video company Anchor Bay Entertainment in 2000, under license from StudioCanal. Warner Bros. acquired the rights to the film and reissued it on DVD late in 2006 to coincide with the release of Superman Returns. Although it is canon with the Christopher Reeve Superman films, it is not included in any of the Superman DVD or Blu-ray box sets by Warner Bros.

A book adaptation of the film was written by Norma Fox Mazer and this was released in paperback form in 1984.

Plot

Kara Zor-El (Helen Slater) lives in an isolated Kryptonian community called Argo City, in a pocket of trans-dimensional space. A man named Zaltar (Peter O'Toole) allows Kara to see a unique and immensely powerful item known as the Omegahedron, which he has borrowed without the knowledge of the city government, and which powers the city. However, after a mishap, the Omegahedron is blown out into space. Much to the distress of her parents (Simon Ward and Mia Farrow), Kara follows it to Earth (undergoing a transformation into "Supergirl" in the process) in an effort to recover it and save the city.

On Earth, the Omegahedron is recovered by Selena (Faye Dunaway), a power-hungry would-be witch assisted by the feckless Bianca (Brenda Vaccaro), seeking to free herself from her relationship with warlock Nigel (Peter Cook). Whilst not knowing exactly what it is, Selena quickly realizes that the Omegahedron is powerful and can enable her to perform real magical spells. Supergirl arrives on Earth and discovers her powers. Following the path of the Omegahedron, she takes the name Linda Lee, identifies herself as the cousin of Clark Kent, and enrolls at an all-girls school where she befriends Lucy Lane (Maureen Teefy), the younger sister of Lois Lane who happens to be studying there. Supergirl also meets and becomes enamoured with Ethan (Hart Bochner) who works as a groundskeeper at the school.

Ethan also catches the eye of Selena, who drugs him with a love potion (which will make him fall in love with the first person he sees for a day); however, Ethan regains consciousness in Selena's absence and wanders out into the streets. An angry Selena uses her new-found powers to animate a construction vehicle which she sends to bring Ethan back, causing chaos in the streets as it does so. Supergirl rescues Ethan and he falls in love with her instead while in the guise of Linda Lee.

Supergirl and Selena repeatedly battle in various ways, until Selena uses her powers to put Supergirl in an "eternal void" known as the Phantom Zone. Here, stripped of her powers, she wanders the bleak landscape and nearly drowns in an oily bog. Yet she finds help in Zaltar, who has exiled himself to the Phantom Zone as a punishment for losing the Omegahedron. Zaltar sacrifices his life to allow Supergirl to escape. Back on Earth, Selena misuses the Omegahedron to make herself a "princess of Earth", with Ethan as her lover and consort. Emerging from the Phantom Zone through a mirror, Supergirl regains her powers and defeats Selena by putting her and Bianca into the vortex. After that, it transforms back into the mirror. Free from Selena's spell, Ethan admits his love for Linda and that he knows that she and Supergirl are one and the same, but knows it is possible he may never see her again and understands she must save Argo City. The final scene shows Kara returning the Omegahedron to a darkened Argo City, which promptly lights up again.

Cast

• Faye Dunaway as Selena
• Helen Slater as Kara Zor-El / Linda Lee / Supergirl
• Peter O'Toole as Zaltar
• Hart Bochner as Ethan
• Mia Farrow as Alura In-Ze
• Brenda Vaccaro as Bianca
• Peter Cook as Nigel
• Simon Ward as Zor-El
• Marc McClure as Jimmy Olsen
• Maureen Teefy as Lucy Lane
• David Healy as Mr. Danvers
• Sandra Dickinson as The Pretty Young Lady
• Matt Frewer as Eddie
• Kelly Hunter as Argonian Citizen

Cast notes

Christopher Reeve was slated to have a cameo as Superman, but bowed out early on. His non-appearance in the film is explained via a news broadcast (overheard by Selena) stating that Superman has left Earth on a "peace-seeking mission" to a distant galaxy. Director Jeannot Szwarc said in the Superman documentary "You Will Believe..." that Reeve's involvement in this film would have given the feature higher credibility and he admitted he wished Reeve had made a contribution to the film's production. A publicity photo of him as Superman and Supergirl, however, did appear as a poster in Lucy and Linda's shared dorm room.

Marc McClure makes his fourth of five appearances in the Superman films; he is the only actor to appear in all five films. Demi Moore auditioned for and was cast as character Lucy Lane, but bowed out to make the film Blame It on Rio. Maureen Teefy was signed instead.

Dedications

At the end of the film's end credits, dedications were made to the memory of Marguerite Green, Gary Evans, and Andrew Warne. Green was the film's production coordinator, Evans was a member of the junior special effects technicians, and Warne was an uncredited production assistant. All three died during the film's production.

Production

Upon gaining the film rights for Superman: The Movie in 1978 , Alexander Salkind and his son, Ilya, also purchased the rights to the character of Supergirl, should any sequel or spin-off occur. After the critical and commercial disappointment of Superman III, the Salkinds opted to make a Supergirl movie to freshen the franchise. Ilya later recounted "[It was] something different, to an extent. I thought it was a very different area to explore."

The producers attempted, and failed, to get the services of Richard Lester, who had directed Superman III and Supergirl completed the second film after original director Richard Donner was fired. Robert Wise also turned down the director's chair. French filmmaker Jeannot Szwarc was ultimately chosen after a meeting with Christopher Reeve, who had complimented the Somewhere in Time director. Szwarc sought advice from Donner over some technical aspects of the production.

Hundreds of actresses tested for the role of Supergirl/Linda, among them Demi Moore and Brooke Shields. Shields was Alexander's top choice, but they were ultimately rejected by both Ilya and Szwarc, who wanted an unknown actress and picked Helen Slater. Years later, Ilya Salkind stated that he thought Slater was miscast and that Shields was the better choice. Dolly Parton turned down the role of Selena before it was offered to Dunaway.

Much of the film was shot at Pinewood Studios in London. Production took place between the summer and fall of 1983.

Although the Salkinds financed the film completely on their own budget, Warner Bros. were still involved in the production as the studio owned the distribution rights to the film and its parent company, Warner Communications, was also the parent company of DC Comics, which held the original copyright. The entire film was shot, edited and overseen under the supervision of Warner Bros. Warners only had a July 1984 slot open for Supergirl, but the producers insisted on opening it during the holiday season. That conflict, along with the disappointing critical and financial performance of Superman III and Supergirl, prompted the studio to relinquish its distribution rights to the Salkinds. The film proceeded to be released overseas, however, and received a Royal Film Premiere in the United Kingdom in July 1984. Superman and Supergirl

Soundtrack

Supergirl: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
File:Supergirlsoundtrack.jpg
Film score by Jerry Goldsmith
Released	1985
Recorded	1984
Genre	Soundtrack
Length	39:35 (Varèse Sarabande) 77:37 (Silva Screen)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link
Filmtracks	link

The film score for Supergirl was composed and conducted by veteran composer Jerry Goldsmith, who had been the initial interest of director Richard Donner to compose for the first Superman film. Goldsmith used a number of techniques to identify the music to the film, such as synthesizers simulating the sounds of take-off during the main theme. The soundtrack has been released twice, through Varèse Sarabande in 1985 and an extended version through Silva Screen in 1993. It has also been referred by critics as one of the only redeeming qualities of the movie.

"The Superman Poster," included on the 1993 release, incorporates John Williams' Superman theme.

1985 Varèse Sarabande Album

1. "Main Title" (3:12)
2. "'Where Is She?'" (1:05)
3. "Black Magic" (4:06)
4. "First Flight" (4:14)
5. "The Butterfly" (1:34)
6. "'Where Is Linda?'" (1:14)
7. "The Monster Tractor" (7:26)
8. "The Bracelet" (1:24)
9. "Monster Storm" (2:55)
10. "A New School" (2:08)
11. "The Flying Car" (1:25)
12. "The Map" (1:10)
13. "9M-3" (1:41)
14. "End Title" (6:05)

1993 Silva Screen Album

1. "Overture" (6:07)
2. "Main Title & Argo City" (3:15)
3. "Argo City Mall" (0:56)
4. "The Butterfly" (1:36)
5. "The Journey Begins" (1:12)
6. "Arrival on Earth/Flying Ballet" (5:36)
7. "Chicago Lights/Street Attack" (2:23)
8. "The Superman Poster" (0:52)
9. "A New School" (2:13)
10. "The Map" (1:10)
11. "Ethan Spellbound" (2:13)
12. "The Monster Tractor" (7:34)
13. "Flying Ballet - Alternate Version" (2:13)
14. "The Map - Alternate Version" (1:13)
15. "The Bracelet" (1:44)
16. "First Kiss/The Monster Storm" (4:35)
17. "'Where Is She'/The Monster Bumper Cars" (2:57)
18. "The Flying Bumper Car" (1:28)
19. "'Where's Linda?'" (1:21)
20. "Black Magic" (4:08)
21. "The Phantom Zone" (3:42)
22. "The Vortex/The End of Zaltar" (5:49)
23. "The Final Showdown & Victory/End Title - Short Version" (12:10)

Release

Reception

Supergirl earned extremely negative reviews. The film currently holds a 7% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 27 reviews with the consensus: "The effects are cheesy and Supergirl's wide-eyed, cheery heroine simply isn't interesting to watch for an hour and a half." The film was nominated for two Razzie Awards including Worst Actor for Peter O'Toole and Worst Actress for Faye Dunaway.

However, John Grant in The Encyclopedia of Fantasy was more positive about the film, describing Slater as "an exceptionally charming Supergirl" and arguing Supergirl had some "excellent-and excellently realised-flights of imagination". However, Grant also criticised the "inconsistent" characterization of Slater and Dunaway's characters. Summing up, he stated while Supergirl "was less than the sum of its parts, not all of those parts are insignificant".

Box office

In the U.S., Supergirl was picked up by TriStar Pictures for holiday release in November 1984. Test audiences found the film overlong and the film was edited from 135 minutes to 105 minutes for its North American release. Critical reviews in the U.S. were poor, and although the film took the #1 slot at the North American box-office during its opening weekend, it is widely considered to be a box office bomb after making only $14.3 million in North America.

Home media

The film has since been released several times on home video, laserdisc, and DVD. In 1985 the movie's first home video was released by now defunct U.S.A. home video. In 1990, the 105 minute version of the film was re-released Supergirl on VHS by Avid Home Entertainment. By the mid-1990s, the rights to the film were acquired by Pueblo Film Licensing (successor-in-interest to the Salkind production company) and French production company StudioCanal and Anchor Bay Entertainment had assumed the video rights, where it was re-issued on VHS in 1998 as the 114-minute cut under the Anchor Bay Entertainment Family Movies label. For their DVD release in 2000, two versions were issued. The first of these was a 2-disc "Limited Edition" set (limited to 50,000 copies only) featuring the 124-minute "International Version" (never seen in the U.S., which was digitally mastered by THX for this DVD release), along with a 138-minute "director's cut", which had been discovered in StudioCanal's archives. The second version was a single-disc version featuring the 124-minute "International Version", with many bonus features: a 16-page full color booklet; Audio Commentary with Director Jeannot Szwarc and Special Project Consultant Scott Michael Bosco; “The Making of Supergirl” Featurette; U.S. & Foreign Theatrical Trailers; U.S. TV Spots; Original Storyboards; Still & Poster Galleries; and Talent Bios (these extra features were also available on the 2-disc "Limited Edition" set). Anchor Bay re-issued a new VHS release once again, this time the 124-minute "International Version" coinciding with the DVD release, both a separate fullscreen and widescreen editions (widescreen version labeled as the "Collector's Edition") under different packaging artwork and digitally mastered by THX. The "Director's Cut" DVD was made from the last print known to exist of the cut, which was apparently prepared for release before the film was edited into its various versions. In 2002, Anchor Bay re-issued the 138 minute "Director's Cut" separately. In November 2006, coinciding with the home video release of Superman Returns, Warner Home Video now owning the rights to the film through their parent company Warner Brothers, released a single-disc DVD featuring the 124-minute "International Version" cut of the film, with only some extra material being carried over from the former out-of-print Anchor Bay releases, a commentary by director Jeannot Szwarc and Special Project Consultant Scott Bosco, and the theatrical trailer.

Deleted material

File:SuperGirlAltCostume.jpg

Prototype costume based on the actual 1984 comic book costume at the time, used only for camera test shoots and lighting.

Material that was cut for the 105-minute version of the film included the Argo City opening, which was originally longer.

Another cut scene is known as the "flying ballet". As Supergirl arrives on Earth, she is surprised to find herself capable of almost anything, especially flying. She can use her super-strength to crack rocks into dust, and use her heat-ray vision to help flowers grow.

Scenes concerning Selena, Bianca, and Nigel were also trimmed. In the U.S. version, Selena's introduction was merely a few lines long when the Omegahedron lands on Earth, and Selena takes it for use of its magic. The full introduction establishes Selena as an impatient witch, who is sick of her mentor and lover, Nigel, who is himself, a warlock. Later scenes not seen before the 2000 DVD release from Anchor Bay Entertainment, include Selena using the Omegahedron for the first time, and realizing that she has no control of herself when under its influence. Selena later throws a party for all her followers, and deleted material shows Nigel insulting Selena after being dismissed. Nigel then gets friendly with another party member, on whom Selena pulls a vicious magical prank.

Other scenes involve Linda Lee making a temporary home in the city of Midvale, Illinois, and an extended version of the tractor sequence in which the possessed machine runs amok on the Midvale streets and kills a civilian. Another cut scene shows Supergirl unable to find the Omegahedron because Selena keeps it in a lead box, demonstrating that Supergirl's limitations are similar to those of her cousin. The Phantom Zone scenes are also longer.

The 2006 DVD release by Warner Home Video, whose parent company, Warner Bros., is the current rights holder to the Superman movies, is the International Edition, also called the "European Theatrical Edition".

Much of the deleted material appeared in DC Comics's one-shot comic book adaptation of the film, primarily the scenes that fleshed out Selena's character.

Broadcast television version

The American theatrical cut for Supergirl ran at 105 minutes. Supergirl originally ran at 124 minutes in its European version. When it aired on network television in 1987, ABC added numerous scenes from the International theatrical version as well as sequences not contained in any other edit. Shown in a three-hour slot, some believe this expanded edit is the same as the "Director's Cut" seen in Anchor Bay's DVD release, particularly because profanity had been dubbed over and the soundtrack was mixed in mono. There was also a shorter 92-minute version seen in syndication (as well as superstations such as TBS and WGN) by Viacom.

Some broadcast television versions have a scene not seen in either laserdisc edition: After Selena's defeat, Nigel is standing on the street. He bends over to pick up the Coffer of Shadows, now restored to its original, small size and decides to keep it as a memento. In another broadcast-only scene, after Supergirl flies off to return to Argo City, Ethan gets into his truck. He then stops to say goodbye to Lucy and Jimmy. Both scenes can be found in the director's cut.

External links

• Supergirl at IMDb
• Supergirl at the TCM Movie Database
• Supergirl at AllMovie
• Supergirl at Rotten Tomatoes
• SUPERGIRL the Movie at Supergirl: Maid of Might
• Superman Homepage: Supergirl – Movie Synopsis/Review/Critique
• The Superman Super Site - Super Girl
• Original New York Times review
• "My Dinner with Supergirl", People magazine, December 3, 1984, Vol. 22 No. 23; interview with Helen Slater, on newsstands during the film's U.S. release.