Flight of the Navigator (1986)

Director:

Randal Kleiser

Writers:

Mark H. Baker (writer)
Michael Burton (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

30 July 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Come along on the greatest adventure of the summer!

Plot:

In 1978, a boy is moved 8 years into the future and has an adventure with the alien ship that is responsible for that.

Plot Keywords:

Alien | Flying Saucer | 1986 | Police Car | Police Station

Awards:

4 nominations

Cast

Joey Cramer	...	David Freeman
Paul Reubens	...	Max (voice) (as Paul Mall)
Veronica Cartwright	...	Helen Freeman
Cliff De Young	...	Bill Freeman
Sarah Jessica Parker	...	Carolyn McAdams
Matt Adler	...	Jeff (16 years)
Howard Hesseman	...	Dr. Faraday
Robert Small	...	Troy
Albie Whitaker	...	Jeff (8 years)
Jonathan Sanger	...	Dr. Carr
Iris Acker	...	Mrs. Howard
Richard Liberty	...	Mr. Howard
Raymond Forchion	...	Detective Banks
Cynthia Caquelin	...	Woman Officer
Ted Bartsch	...	Night Guard Brayton
Gizelle Elliott	...	Female Technician #1
Brigid Cleary	...	Female Technician #2
Michael Strano	...	Technician #3
Parris Buckner	...	Scientist #1
Robyn Peterson	...	Scientist #2
Tony Tracy	...	Observation Guard
Philip Hoelcher	...	NASA Officer
Julio Oscar Mechoso	...	Hangar Guard #1
Butch Raymond	...	Hangar Guard #2
Bob Strickland	...	Control Room Guard #1
Michael Brockman	...	Control Room Guard #2
Louis Cutolo	...	Radar Technician #1
Debbie Casperson	...	Radar Technician #2
Chase Randolph	...	Lieutenant King
John Archie	...	Agent #1
Tony Calvino	...	Agent #2
Rusty Pouch	...	Gas Station Attendant
Robert Goodman	...	Tourist Man
Ryan Murray	...	Tourist Boy
Keri Rogers	...	Jennifer Bradley
Peter Lindquist	...	Newscaster #1
Jill Beach	...	Newscaster #2
Kenneth Ian Davis	...	Kid in Mustang
Bruce Lake	...	Bixby
Arnie Ross	...	NASA Technician #1
Fritz Brauner	...	NASA Technician #2
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tim Blaney	...	Puppeteer (voice)
Tony Urbano	...	Puppeteer
Bob Barker	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Stephen Luscombe	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)

Directed by
Randal Kleiser

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Mark H. Baker		writer
Michael Burton		writer
Matt MacManus		writer

Produced by
Mark Damon	....	executive producer
Malcolm R. Harding	....	co-producer
John W. Hyde	....	executive producer
David Joseph	....	co-producer
Jonathan Sanger	....	executive producer
Dimitri Villard	....	producer
Robert Wald	....	producer (as Robbie Wald)

Original Music by
Alan Silvestri

Cinematography by
James Glennon

Film Editing by
Jeff Gourson

Casting by
Jane Feinberg
Mike Fenton
Valorie Massalas

Production Design by
William J. Creber

Art Direction by
Michael Novotny

Set Decoration by
Scott Jacobson

Costume Design by
Mary Lou Byrd

Makeup Department
Philip Goldblat	....	makeup supervisor
Diana Johnson	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Malcolm R. Harding	....	production manager
Hal Harrison	....	post-production manager
Mike Moder	....	executive in charge of production: Norway
Inge Tenvik	....	production manager: Norway

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Randall Badger	....	second assistant director
Peter Bogart	....	assistant director
Michelle Marx	....	assistant director: aerial unit
Terry Miller	....	second assistant director
Mike Moder	....	assistant director: Norway

Art Department
John Balling	....	scenic painter
Lewis Bowen	....	stand-by scenic
Thomas Cocheo	....	property manager
Thierry Coup	....	set builder
Kenneth J. Creber	....	draughtsman
Gabriel C. Ell	....	construction manager
Edward Eyth	....	conceptual artist
George Fidler	....	leadman
Joe Griffith	....	illustrator
David C. Hardie	....	construction manager
Kevin Scott Mack	....	set designer
Rox Ann Madera	....	art coordinator
Per Mørk	....	construction manager: Norway
Norman E. Weber	....	painter
Scot Broadus	....	model maker (uncredited)

Sound Department
Jim Borgardt	....	adr editor (as Jim Bogart)
D. Rex Downham	....	sound
Gaspar	....	assistant sound editor
Walter A. Gest	....	sound recordist (as Walter Guest)
Jean-Pierre Halbwachs	....	sound trainee
William Hooper	....	sound editor
Michael Hoskinson	....	assistant sound editor
Jan Lindvik	....	sound mixer: Norway
Robert J. Litt	....	sound re-recording mixer
Dessie Markovsky	....	sound designer
Dessie Markovsky	....	supervising sound editor
Steve Maslow	....	sound re-recording mixer
Glenn T. Morgan	....	assistant sound editor
Emile Razpopov	....	sound designer
Emile Razpopov	....	supervising sound editor
Frank Serafine	....	additional sound effects
Mark P. Stoeckinger	....	sound editor
Elliot Tyson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Robert Wald	....	sound designer
Scott Warren	....	boom operator
Tim Webb	....	sound recordist
Bill Young	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Jack Bennett	....	special effects supervisor
John Boisseau	....	special effects
Petter J. Borgli	....	special effects: Norway
Craig Boyajian	....	special effects coordinator: Norway
Bruce Hanover	....	special effects
Tony Murchland	....	lighting special effects: Norway
Joseph Williams	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
Mori Biener	....	computer animation
Bruce A. Block	....	matte cameraman
Harold Buchman	....	computer animation
Harold Buchman	....	digital artist
Bradford L. Calhoun	....	computer animation
Patrick DeWarren	....	computer animation
Peter Donen	....	visual effects supervisor
David Emerson	....	optical camera
C. Robert Hoffman III	....	computer animation
John Howard	....	computer animation
Jeffrey Kleiser	....	digital effects supervisor
Douglas R. MacMillan	....	computer animation
Bret Mixon	....	rotoscoping
Rocky Mohoney	....	optical line-up
John Pennie	....	computer animation
Randall Rudd	....	creative director
David W. Sieg	....	computer animation
Joseph Thomas	....	FX animation/animation camera
Joseph Wallikas	....	optical effects supervisor: Norway
Mark Wolf	....	motion control miniature effects
Carl N. Frederick	....	graphics programmer (uncredited)
Tom Gleason	....	model maker (uncredited)

Stunts
Courtney Brown	....	stunt double
Kevin McCoy	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
Jo Banoun	....	electrician: Norway
Christian Berrum	....	electrician: Norway
Jerry Bertolami	....	dolly grip
Gunnar Bøvollen	....	grip: Norway
Peter Lyons Collister	....	director of photography: second unit (as Peter Collister)
Bud Elam	....	motion control photography
Ron Goodman	....	camera operator: Norway
Craig Haagensen	....	camera operator
David R. Hardberger	....	motion control photography
Margaret Herron	....	assistant camera: Norway
Gary Holt	....	gaffer
Jordan Klein Sr.	....	underwater camera operator
Ben Lowe Jr.	....	key grip
William McConnell	....	assistant camera
Gordon Miller	....	second assistant camera
George Muhs	....	motion control photography
Tom Olsen	....	grip: Norway
Pierre Roseman	....	best boy electric
Barry Ryan	....	best boy grip
Fred Valentine	....	electrician
Warner R. Wacha	....	second assistant camera
Peter Wagner	....	key grip: Norway

Casting Department
Barbara Harris	....	adr voice casting
Dee Miller	....	casting: Florida

Editorial Department
Donah Bassett	....	negative cutter
Michael Greenfeld	....	assistant editor
Frederika Kesten	....	first assistant editor
William J. Meshover	....	assistant editor
Janice Parker	....	assistant editor
Beverly Pinnas	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Lori Hollingshead	....	assistant music editor
Kenneth Karman	....	music editor
David Kitay	....	music arranger: source music
Gary Moon	....	music arranger: source music
Steve Tyrell	....	music producer: source music
Steve Tyrell	....	source music supervisor

Transportation Department
Israel Brinson	....	transportation manager

Other crew
Katrine Amundsen	....	second assistant production: Norway
Steve Austin	....	spaceship designer
John Buckingham	....	mechanic: Norway
Janis Benjamin Collister	....	production coordinator (as Janis Collister)
Doug Dulmage	....	laser effects technician
Torill Ek	....	production assistant: Norway
Will Fowler	....	technical advisor
Al Guthery	....	pilot
Luke Halpin	....	marine services
Knut Haraldsen	....	second assistant production: Norway
Stephen Howell	....	assistant: Randal Kleiser
Trond G. Lockertsen	....	assistant production manager: Norway
Lillian O. MacNeill	....	script supervisor
Jamie Marshall	....	assistant: Mr. Kleiser (as Jaime Marshall)
Tony Miller	....	location accountant
Gardner Monks	....	production assistant
Mark Moormann	....	production assistant
Bridget Murphy	....	production coordinator
Jan Nicholls	....	teacher
Lynn Novatt	....	production assistant
Kjersti Paulsen	....	production assistant: Norway
Derry J. Pearce	....	unit accountant
Amund Prestegaard	....	second assistant production: Norway
Maxine Pryor	....	production secretary: Robby Wald
Marsha Robertson	....	unit publicist
Cathy A. Roszell	....	production assistant
David B. Sharp	....	spaceship designer (as David Sharp)
Sheree Smith-Mullins	....	production assistant
Anthony R. Stabley	....	production assistant
Sam Tedesco	....	location manager (as Samuel P. Tedesco)
Inger Cecilie Weedon	....	production assistant: Norway
Sherry Thorup	....	assistant location manager (uncredited)

Production Companies

• New Star
• PSO
• Viking Films
• Walt Disney Pictures

Distributors

• Buena Vista Pictures (1986) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1988) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Aquarius TV (2005) (Greece) (DVD)
• Manga Films (2005) (Spain) (DVD)
• Roadshow Home Video
• Walt Disney Home Video (1993) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Walt Disney Home Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Walt Disney Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Available Light Productions
• Omnibus Computer Graphics Center (computer animation) (as Omnibus Computer Graphics)

Other Companies

• Randall Larsen Productions  video editing
• Universal Title and Optical  titles and opticals (as Universal Optical)

Also Known As:

The Navigator (Norway)
Avaruuden sankari (Finland) [fi]
Borta med tiden (Sweden) [sv]
Der Flug des Navigators (West Germany) [de]
El vuelo del navegante (Spain) [es]
Navigator (Italy) [it]
Tilbage til virkeligheden (Denmark) [da]
Ucieczka navigatora (Poland) [pl]

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA | Norway

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:G | UK:U | USA:TV-PG (cable rating) | New Zealand:G | Norway:7 | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | USA:PG (certificate #28230) | West Germany:6

Filming Locations:

Florida, USA

Company:

New Star

Trivia:

In his room in Nasa base, David asks when "Starsky and Hutch" is broadcast. Director Randal Kleiser also directed "Starsky and Hutch" (1975).

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): During his "first class maneuver" Max says to David: "I can analyze species from civilizations light years beyond your own". Since a light year is simply a measure of distance, this statement has no logical meaning. Such an improper use of the term "light year" is quite common, however, and perhaps it might be justified as a figure of speech for humans, but not for a machine.

Quotes:

Woman Officer: David, what is the date today?
David: [sighs] It's the Fourth of July.
Woman Officer: And what year?
David: [impatiently] 1978!
Detective Banks: [a beat] David... who is the President of the United States?
David: Duh. You need that for your paperwork?
Detective Banks: Mmm-hmm.
[long pause]
Detective Banks: Well?
David: It's Jimmy Carter!
[...]

Movie Connections:

References "Starsky and Hutch" (1975)

Soundtrack:

Count On Me

More than meets the eye

This movie is an entertaining fantasy, but there's quite a bit more to it just beneath the surface. The protagonist is a 12-y/o kid raised, as most are in Western culture, to be incompetent, overly dependent on adults, and untrusting of his own judgment. When he finds himself aboard an alien spacecraft, he naturally first attempts to transfer that dependency to the robotic pilot Max, which, all-seeing eye and all, represents the omniscient grown-up. As time goes on, though, David begins to realize that: 1) his own interests do not in fact always coincide with Max's, 2)that therefore he must advocate for himself to achieve a favorable outcome, and 3) that he's the one who has to decide just what outcome will best meet his needs. Much unlike most "kid movies," this character shows real growth, and in the end confronts a real moral and personal dilemma. Whether you agree with his choice or not, you have to respect him for what he has become.