# Blue Sky (1994 film)

Blue Sky is a 1994 American comedy drama film directed by Tony Richardson and written by Rama Stagner, Arlene Sarner, and Jerry Leichtling. The film stars Jessica Lange and Tommy Lee Jones, alongside Powers Boothe, Carrie Snodgress, Amy Locane, Chris O'Donnell, and Mitchell Ryan in supporting roles. It tells the story of a military officer (Jones) who uncovers a nuclear cover-up while grappling with his wife's (Lange) erratic behavior, leading to a tense clash between duty and family. The film's score was composed by Jack Nitzsche. Blue Sky was Richardson's final film as director, as he died on November 14, 1991.
Blue Sky is based on the relationship between Rama Stagner-Blum's parents, Clyde and Gloria Lee Moore-Stagner, during the 1960s when her father was serving in the army. The couple later divorced, and Gloria remarried before her death in 1982.
Blue Sky was released on September 16, 1994 to generally positive reviews from critics, with Lange's performance receiving critical acclaim. However, the film emerged as a commercial disappointment at the box office, grossing $3.4 million in the United States and Canada against a budget of $23 million.
Blue Sky won Lange the Academy Award for Best Actress, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama and a nomination for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role. She became the second actress, after Meryl Streep, to win the Academy Award for Best Actress after previously receiving the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (for Tootsie (1982)), an achievement that was not repeated until nearly 20 years later by Cate Blanchett.

## Plot

In 1962, Major Hank Marshall (Jones) and his wife, Carly (Lange), face marital difficulties due to the pressures of Hank's military career and Carly's mental health issues. Hank is a nuclear engineer who favors underground nuclear testing, an initiative code-named "Blue Sky," rather than above-ground, open-air detonations. Carly, a free spirit who appears to be mentally unbalanced, struggles with domestic monotony and her advancing age, causing tension within their family. Their move from Hawaii to a remote base in Alabama worsens Carly's erratic behavior and unsettles their eldest daughter, Alex Marshall (Locane).
The day after their arrival, Hank meets with base commander Colonel Vince Johnson (Boothe), who dismisses Hank's underground testing proposal despite strong scientific evidence. Meanwhile, Vince's wife, Vera Johnson (Snodgress), extends an invitation to Carly for a social event hosted by the base officers' wives. At the party, Carly becomes intoxicated and performs an exotic dance, prompting Vera to persuade Vince to address Carly's behavior, though Vince plans to remove Hank from the equation first.
Alex begins a relationship with Vince's son, Glenn (O'Donnell). On their first date, they find what Alex believes to be a dud grenade, which detonates and reveals their relationship, adding to Vince's motivation to remove Hank. Carly is invited by the officers' wives to participate in a dance recital and dedicates herself to rehearsing. Hank is then sent to the Nevada Test Site to oversee the initial underground test under Lieutenant Colonel Robert Jennings (McClendon).
During the test, Hank observes two cowboys in the testing area and requests that Robert abort the test, but Robert refuses, disregarding the cowboys' safety and sending Hank back to Alabama. While Hank is away, Alex and Glenn discover that Vince has orchestrated Hank's removal to pursue an affair with Carly.
Hank learns of the affair during the dance recital and reacts violently, leading to Carly being pushed out of a window and hospitalized. Hank is subsequently arrested, and Vince presents Carly with a choice: to either have Hank court-martialed or commit him to a psychiatric facility. Hank expresses a preference for court-martialing to publicize the incident with the cowboys but realizes he has been set up by Vince. Before he can act on this realization, MPs (Military police) transport him to the hospital, where he is heavily sedated.
Suspecting foul play, Carly investigates Hank's documents and discovers the report on the cowboys. She drives cross-country with her daughters and finds the cowboys suffering from radiation sickness then urges them to expose their story. When they refuse, Carly steals a horse and enters the test site to reenact their experience, attracting media attention. As a result, Robert is forced to release both Carly and Hank.
Carly returns home to find Hank waiting for her, having resigned from his position, and that Vince has been relieved of his duties. Hank announces a new job opportunity in the private sector in California, and the family moves happily to start anew.

## Cast

* Jessica Lange as Carly Marshall
* Tommy Lee Jones as Hank Marshall
* Powers Boothe as Vince Johnson
* Carrie Snodgress as Vera Johnson
* Amy Locane as Alex Marshall
* Anna Klemp as Becky Marshall
* Chris O'Donnell as Glenn Johnson
* Mitchell Ryan as Ray Stevens
* Dale Dye as Col. Mike Anwalt
* Tim Scott as Ned Owens
* Annie Ross as Lydia
* Gary Bullock as Dr. Vankay
* Michael McClendon as Lt. Col. Robert Jennings
* Anthony Rene Jones as Helicopter Pilot
* Jay H. Seidl as Soldier on Island
* David Bradford as Soldier #1
* Rene Rokk as Yves French NATO Officer
* Matt Battaglia as NATO Soldier
* Rod Masterson as Unnamed Reporter

## Production

Blue Sky was filmed from May 30 to August 28, 1990. However, due to the bankruptcy of Orion Pictures, the film's release was delayed until 1994.
It also marks the final film of director Tony Richardson, who died on November 14, 1991, prior to the film's release.

## Reception
### Critical Response

Blue Sky received generally positive reviews from critics, with Lange's performance receiving critical acclaim. The film holds an 80% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 25 reviews, with an average rating of 6.4/10.
The New Yorker praised Lange, describing her role as "a stunning performance—perhaps the best of [her] remarkable career," while Entertainment Weekly described her performance as "a fierce, brave, sexually-charged performance, one of the most convincing portrayals I've seen of someone whose behavior flirts with craziness without quite crossing into it." The Los Angeles Times also lauded her work, calling it "striking" and noting that "Lange's acting in Blue Sky leaves you awestruck. It's a great performance — probably her best." Variety highlighted Lange's "full-blown star turn" as Carly Marshall, observing that "Brigitte Bardot and Marilyn Monroe are about the only other actresses one can imagine pulling off such a role as well as Lange has... [She] has the showy role, with almost unlimited opportunities to emote and strut her stuff, which she does magnificently and with total abandon." The Washington Post described her portrayal as "a plush, platinum star turn," noting, "She is what Carly imagines she might have become if only she hadn't been a military wife: mostly Monroe with a soupçon of Bardot." The New York Times echoed these sentiments, stating, "It is a lavish role for Ms. Lange, and she brings to it fierce emotions and tact. [It] echoes [her] dazzling role in Frances (1982)," while the New York Daily News observed, "Lange smolders, storms, rages and whimpers through Blue Sky, acting with every muscle in her body."

### Awards and nominations

| Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
| Academy Awards | Best Actress | Jessica Lange | Won |
| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actress | Jessica Lange | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama | Jessica Lange | Won |
| Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actress | Jessica Lange | Won |
| National Society of Film Critics Awards | Best Actress | Jessica Lange | 3rd Place |
| Sant Jordi Awards | Best Foreign Actress | Jessica Lange | Won |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role | Jessica Lange | Nominated |
| Young Artist Awards | Best Performance by a Youth Actress Co-Starring in a Motion Picture | Anna Klemp | Nominated |
| Young Artist Awards | Best Performance by a Youth Actress Co-Starring in a Motion Picture | Amy Locane | Nominated |

### Year-end lists

* 4th – Peter Rainer, Los Angeles Times
* Honorable mention – David Elliott, The San Diego Union-Tribune