"Jules"

2023 * PG-13 * 1h 27m  Imagine, if you will the movie “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” for adults. Or seniors, to be more exact. That’s a fairly apt description of this absolutely charming, tenderhearted, and unique little film. It’s directed by Marc Turtletaub, who’s known for such memorable films as “Little Miss Sunshine,” “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” “Safety Not Guaranteed,” and “The Farewell.” The fact that Sir Ben Kingsley stars in the movie doesn’t hurt either. When you see his nuanced performance here, you realize why he’s been knighted.  And hearing his American accent, it also confirms just how well trained so many British actors are.  

 

Milton (Kingsley) is a doddering older duffer who lives alone in a small Pennsylvania town. He has a son who lives in California who he has little contact with. Fortunately, his daughter Denise (Zoe Winters), a busy veterinarian lives nearby and frequently checks up on hm. His life isn’t very exciting, to say the least. The highlight of his month is the city council meeting, which he regularly attends. At each session, during the open forum, he recites the same prepared list of complaints. Naturally, his speech is met with rolled eyes from his fellow citizens. 

 

One night, something remarkable occurs. A spaceship crashes in his backyard. Now if this happened to you or me, we’d go crazy. However, Milton is such a mild-mannered soul, he’s almost totally unfazed by the event. In fact, his main concern is that the craft landed on his beloved Azaleas!  The next day he discovers an alien laying on the ground half way to his back door. This is no ordinary being. He’s a silver, androgynous creature with kindly eyes and is totally silent. Milton dubs the alien “Jules” and the beginning of a subtle, intergalactic friendship commences. Jules is played by Juade Quon, who in spite of not speaking, conveys a sense of compassion and empathy. You want to just go up and give the little creature a hug!

 

When Milton discovers Jules enjoys eating sliced apples, he heads to the store to stock up on the fruit. There he tells the cashier he’s buying a big sack of apples for an alien that’s crashed in his backyard. Naturally, word gets back to his daughter who’s already concerned about his mental state. She’s noticed he’s recently done little things like leaving a can of beans in the medicine cabinet, which he shrugs off as being forgetful.  After hearing him talking about an alien in his yard, she arranges for him to meet with a neurologist. When she suggests he may want to look into assisted living, he storms out of the office. End of discussion. 

 

Naturally it’s hard keeping a spaceship in one’s backyard a secret for long. Milton eventually confides in two acquaintances, Sandy (Harriet Sansom Harris) and Joyce (Jane Curtin).  The three co-conspirators soon figure out that Jules is working on repairing his craft, hoping to return to his home planet. To that end, they join forces to provide him what he needs to make that happen. 

 

What’s more, an event like a ship crashing in a small town doesn’t go unnoticed by the government. The incident is initially reported on the news as a weather satellite falling out of the sky. But as more information is gathered, they suspect it’s from outer space. And the race is on for agents to discover its whereabouts. 

 

I really enjoyed this different take on the alien story. While it’s a sci-fi movie on paper, it has a quiet, folksy feel to it, minus all the histrionics typical of a Hollywood production. It was one of those rare films I simply didn’t want to end. The trio of Kingsley, Curtain, and Hansom was so sweet, you wish you had relatives like them.

4 1/2 out of 5 stars

 

Note to parents: The film is rated PG-13 and I think it would be fine for family viewing. About the only thing objectionable are a couple of F-bombs. But I ask you, what kid hasn’t heard that? 

 

Currently streaming for free with your library card on Kanopy. Also on Paramount, and to rent on Prime Video.