Fine Tuning story
For their science project, three high-schoolers, Andy, Jimmy, and George, manage to construct an antenna that can pick up interstellar transmissions. Through these transmissions, the trio discover a race of aliens that have modeled their entire civilization on 1950s television, and learn that these aliens are en route to Earth to meet some of their favorite stars. Directed by: Bob Balaban. Story by: Steven Spielberg, Earl Pomerantz.
12 total · 2 choice · 3 major · 7 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| celebrity worship | choice | The story is premised on aliens crossing interstellar space to meet their favorite Hollywood entertainers. |
| extraterrestrial being | choice | A crew of diminutive, starstruck aliens crossed interstellar space to meet some of their favorite Hollywood entertainers. |
| communicating with someone who speaks a different language | major | The high school friends struggled to communicate with the visiting space aliens who spoke their own alien language. |
| friendship | major | The story concerns a trio of high school friends discovering that space aliens will soon arrive in Hollywood. |
| kids' science project | major | Andy built an antenna as his science project and ended up intercepting alien broadcasts. Then Andy and his friends met the said aliens. |
| father and son | minor | Andy's father made an attempt to show interest in his son's science project, but was intimidated by the complexity and back out of the bedroom. |
| husband and wife | minor | Andy's parents went to his room to let him know that dinner would soon be ready. |
| mother and son | minor | Andy's mother was not about to let his science project stand in the way of dinner. |
| music | minor | Andy played prerecorded clarinet music in his bedroom to trick his parents into believing that he was practicing. |
| practical joking | minor | One of the aliens sprang the old joy buzzed hand shake gag on Andy. |