My Stepmother Is An Alien (1988)

“Barbarella Goes Shopping” is the premise of this clunky cosmic satire, saved by Kim Basinger’s hitherto untapped flair for light comedy.

She plays Celeste, a gorgeous ET, who shacks up with widowed scientist slob Dr Steven Mills (Dan Aykroyd) to save her planet from destruction.

Celeste finds herself falling for the man she’s been sent to swindle. But they’ve not counted on Steve’s young daughter Jessie (Alyson Hannigan), who’s none too thrilled by the prospect of a new mother – especially not one from another planet.

Forget the plot, just settle down and watch a series of goofy culture-clash sketches revolving around Basinger coping with suburban life on Earth armed only with her talking alien handbag.

Fine moments of inspired lunacy jostle with predictably slight comic relief, but Basinger’s eager-to-please freshness and verve make this intergalactic muddle impossible to dislike.

Dr Steven Mills
Dan Aykroyd
Celeste Martin
Kim Basinger
Ron Mills
Jon Lovitz
Jessie Mills
Alyson Hannigan
Dr Lucas Budlong
Joseph Maher
Fred Glass
Seth Green
Grady
Wesley Mann
Dr Morosini
Adrian Sparks
Lexie
Juliette Lewis
Carl Sagan
Harry Shearer

Director
Richard Benjamin