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'Astronaut's Wife' is creative, miscast acting doesn't hold up

Johnny Depp, an All-American Good 'Ol Boy? Charlize Theron, a sweet, innocent second-grade teacher?

Small details are the deciding factor in Rand Ravich's "The Astronaut's Wife," a movie that revolves around little changes in behavior. Unfortunately for Ravich, in asking an audience to hunt for these disturbances in character, he has subjected his film to above-average scrutiny - and it doesn't hold up.

"The Astronaut's Wife" begins with Depp going into space as an average Southern gentleman and coming back an alien. After strategically impregnating Theron with twins (done with a lot of sly pulse taking followed by an unexpected rape), she slowly begins to realize that her husband has changed (the rape doesn't immediately clue her in). Theron must then decide if her unborn children are aliens and if they need to be destroyed.

On a broad scale, the plot is a pretty original idea and, unlike most of the films out this summer, does not end with a cheap, obvious finish.

The set design was also a high point. The theme was obviously to place Theron in "alien" environments as soon as Depp/alien returns - an extravagant hospital, an odd, high-tech, see-through tent, a new, ultra-modern apartment - all of which were a little over the top, but creative.

Likewise, the cinematography by Allen Daviau was simply beautiful. There are also many moments early in the film that were touching in their quietness. However, key elements within the film drag the rest of it down.

For instance, casting could have taken a little more thought. Johnny Depp's character was meant to change from a loving husband into a goal-driven alien. But Depp is not exactly an average Joe to begin with. Choosing Tim Burton's leading man to play a "warm and fuzzy" character was definitely an unusual choice. While he was an adequate disturbed spaceman, there wasn't a huge leap from the American hero he was playing earlier.

Similarly, Charlie Theron does not lend herself easily to the role of nurturer. The few scenes in which she actually interacts with children as their second-grade teacher, she looks terrified - she sits in her chair or leans against her desk, keeping distance between herself and the kids. She moves as little as possible - reminiscent of a deer caught in headlights. Make no mistake, there is no motherly glow emanating from this woman.

Also, the first major plot point - Depp's accident in space - is strangely anticlimactic. Almost immediately after the audience learns that something has gone wrong, they find out that everything's fine. Apparently the bad part is supposed to be when the wives of the affected men, Theron and Donna Murphy, are told that NASA briefly lost contact with their husbands.

"You lost contact? What do you mean you lost contact? . . . They were all alone out there," Murphy screams over and over, supposedly to make the audience realize the importance of this event.

But it really didn't seem like it would be that big of an issue. Yes, they lost contact, but would it really be that traumatic if you knew that contact was back, that they were on the shuttle again and, as they point out later in the film, they had been trained extensively for just that sort of accident?

Later on there is cause for panic, once it is clear that something bad happened up there, but given the information available at that point in the movie, it really didn't make sense.

Beyond that, little discrepancies ruined the feel of the movie. Things such as a very pregnant Theron drinking alcohol, her sister (the horribly annoying Clea Duvall) attending the funeral of her sister's husband's co-worker (and looking very upset to boot), and Theron telling what seems to be a little kids story about a prince and princess - which would make sense, her being a teacher and all - that ends in rape and suicide.

The final problem arises from the total lack of threat from the alien/Depp. What do the aliens want? Why is it so horrible to have alien babies? Why not find out about another planet?

He invaded Depp's body, but that doesn't necessarily make him evil. Hey, give the guy a chance.

As far as aliens go, Theron had plenty of other people to be more afraid of - especially herself and Depp pretending to be normal human beings.