David looks toward the sky and smiles. Cast Don Ameche as Art Selwyn Wilford Brimley as Ben Luckett Hume Cronyn as Joe Finley Brian Dennehy as Walter Jack Gilford as Bernie Lefkowitz Steve Guttenberg as Jack Bonner Maureen Stapleton as Mary Luckett Jessica Tandy as Alma Finley Gwen Verdon as Bess McCarthy Herta Ware as Rose Lefkowitz Tahnee Welch as Kitty Barret Oliver as David Linda Harrison as Susan Tyrone Power Jr. as Pillsbury Clint Howard as John Dexter Charles Lampkin as Pops Paul Arlen Talbert as Coroner Mike Nomad as Doc Jorge Gil as Lou Pine Rance Howard as St. Petersburg detective James Ritz as DMV clerk Peter Cody as boy in nursing home lobby Jim Fitzpatrick as Dock Worker (uncredited) Casting for the film and its sequel was overseen by casting director Beverly McDermott. Production Robert Zemeckis was originally hired as director, and spent a year working on it in development. He was at the time directing Romancing the Stone, another film for the same studio, 20th Century Fox. Fox executives previewed Romancing the Stone before its release in 1984 and hated it. That, in addition to his two previous directorial efforts, I Wanna Hold Your Hand and Used Cars, both being commercial failures (though critically acclaimed) led the studio to fire Zemeckis as director of Cocoon. He was replaced with Ron Howard. Location filming took place in St. Petersburg, Florida, between August 20 and November 1, 1984. Wilford Brimley was only 49 when he was cast as a senior citizen, and turned 50 during filming; he was as much as 26 years younger than the actors playing the other elderly characters. In order to look the part, Brimley bleached his hair and moustache to turn them gray, and had wrinkles and liver spots drawn on his face. Soundtrack The score for Cocoon was composed and conducted by James Horner. The soundtrack was released twice, through Polydor Records in 1985 and a reprint through P.E.G. in 1997 and features eleven tracks of score and a vocal track performed by Michael Sembello. Despite the reprint, it is still considered a rarity among soundtrack collectors. Reception The film received mostly positive critical reception. Commented The New York Times Janet Maslin, "Mr. Howard brings a real sweetness to his subject, as does the film's fine cast of veteran stars; he has also given Cocoon the bright, expansive look of a hot-weather