Star Trek: The Motion Picture
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{{For|the forthcoming 2009 film|Star Trek (film)}}
{{Infobox Film |
name = Star Trek: The Motion Picture |
image = Star_Trek_I.jpg |
caption = Theatrical release poster by [[Bob Peak]] |
writer = [[Alan Dean Foster]] (story)<br>[[Harold Livingston]] (screenplay)<br>[[Gene Roddenberry]] (creator) |
starring = ''[[#Cast|See table]]'' |
director = [[Robert Wise]] |
producer = [[Gene Roddenberry]] |
distributor = [[Paramount Pictures]] |
released = [[December 7]] [[1979]] |
runtime = 136 min. ([[Director's cut]]) |
music = [[Jerry Goldsmith]] |
editing = [[Todd C. Ramsay]] |
cinematography = [[Richard H. Kline]] |
country = {{USA}} |
language = [[English language|English]] |
budget = $35,000,000 (estimated) |
gross = $139,000,000 (worldwide) |
followed_by = ''[[Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan]]'' |
amg_id = 1:46515 |
imdb_id = 0079945 |
}}
'''''Star Trek: The Motion Picture''''' is a [[1979]] [[Academy Award]]-nominated<ref>IMDB [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079945/awards ''Star Trek: The Motion Picture''] retrieved [[June 25]] [[2007]]</ref> [[science fiction]] film from [[Paramount Pictures]]. It is the first feature [[film]] based on the ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek]]'' science fiction [[television series]].
The third science fiction film directed by multiple Academy Award-winning director (and ''[[Citizen Kane]]'' editor) [[Robert Wise]], ''Star Trek: The Motion Picture'' revitalised the [[Star Trek]] franchise, spawning nine motion picture sequels, with a prequel currently in development as of [[2008]].
== Plot ==
The ''[[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)|Enterprise]]'' is undergoing a major refit, and [[James T. Kirk]] has been promoted to Admiral and is now Chief of [[Starfleet]] Operations at Starfleet Headquarters on Earth.
A powerful [[Extraterrestrial life|alien]] force, in the shape of a massive energy cloud, is detected in [[Klingon]] space and appears to be heading for [[Earth in fiction|Earth]]. The cloud destroys three Klingon [[starships]] and Epsilon 9, a [[Starfleet]] monitoring station that it encounters en route. As it is the only ship in intercept range, Starfleet decides to dispatch the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)|USS ''Enterprise'']] to intercept the cloud, requiring its lengthy and complicated refit process to be quickly finished and tested while in transit.
As part of this plan, Admiral Kirk assumes his former command of the ship, angering Captain [[Willard Decker]], who had been overseeing the refit as its new commanding officer. With many of the former crew members of the ship aboard, the ''Enterprise'' embarks on its journey; however, testing of its new systems goes poorly, including a malfunctioning [[Transporter (Star Trek)|transporter]] that kills the science officer and one other. An imbalance in the calibration of the ship's warp engines resulting in the formation of an artificial wormhole causes further tension between Kirk and Decker, mainly due to Kirk's unfamiliarity with the Enterprise's redesigned phasers.
Many problems are resolved by the arrival of a familiar replacement science officer, the [[Vulcan (Star Trek)|Vulcan]] Commander [[Spock]], who had been on his homeworld of [[Vulcan (Star Trek planet)|Vulcan]], undergoing the ''[[kolinahr]]'' ritual. His failure to complete ''kolinahr'' and purge his [[emotion]]s has led him to seek his answers on the ''Enterprise'', explaining, "On Vulcan I began sensing a [[consciousness]]. Thought patterns of exactingly perfect order. I believe they emanate from the intruder. I believe it may hold my answers."<ref name= TMP:DE>''Star Trek: The Motion Picture Directors Edition'', [[Paramount Pictures]], 2001</ref>
The ''Enterprise'' intercepts the alien cloud, survives its initial assault, and journeys inside the cloud, finding a vast alien vessel, which draws the [[starship]] inside. An alien probe appears on the [[bridge]] and attacks Spock after he tries to prevent it from gathering sensitive Starfleet information. He is assisted by new navigator Lieutenant [[Ilia (Star Trek)|Ilia]], whom the probe abducts. She is later replaced by a [[Robot|robotic probe]] that reveals that she/it has been sent to study the "carbon-based units" ([[Human (Star Trek)|humans]]) by something called [[V'ger]]. Decker is distraught over the loss of Ilia, with whom he had a romantic history, and is troubled to be assigned to get information from the mechanical [[doppelgänger]], which he discovers has Ilia's memories and feelings buried within. Meanwhile, Spock takes a spacewalk into the alien vessel, and attempts to [[telepathy|telepathically]] [[mind meld]] with it. In doing so, he learns that the vessel is V'ger itself; a living machine. He also comes to terms with his emotions, realizing that the pure [[logic]] V'ger represents is "barren... cold."<ref name=TMP:DE/>
The ship gradually journeys to the center of V'ger, where V'ger is revealed to be the unmanned scientific probe named ''Voyager 6'', which was (fictitiously) part of the NASA [[Voyager program]], and launched in the "twentieth century". The damaged probe was found by an alien race of living machines that interpreted its programming as instructions to "learn all that is learnable" and return that information to its creator. Although not specifically stated in the film, V'ger is portrayed as a God-like entity at the center of some unknown machine-based civilization. These machines made V'ger into something capable of fulfilling that mission, and "on its journey back it gathered so much knowledge that it achieved consciousness itself!" However, Spock realizes that what V'ger lacks is the ability to give itself a purpose other than its original mission. Having learned all that is learnable on its journey home, which took V'ger across the [[Universe]], V'ger finds itself empty and without a purpose. Only through the creator can V’ger begin to explore illogical things, such as other [[dimension]]s and higher [[Plane (cosmology)|planes]] of being. In the climax of the film, V'ger (in the persona of the Ilia probe) merges with Commander Decker and then vanishes into a higher realm of being. Earth is saved and the crew of the ''Enterprise'' go "Out there. That'a way!"
== Cast ==
[[Image:Star Trek TMP cast.jpg|thumb|300px|right|The cast of ''Star Trek: The Motion Picture'']]
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor="#CCCCCC"
! Actor !! Role
|-
| [[William Shatner]] || Admiral [[James T. Kirk]]
|-
| [[Leonard Nimoy]] || Commander [[Spock]]
|-
| [[DeForest Kelley]] || Commander (Dr.) [[Leonard McCoy]]
|-
| [[James Doohan]] || Commander [[Montgomery Scott]]
|-
| [[George Takei]] || Lt. Commander [[Hikaru Sulu]]
|-
| [[Walter Koenig]] || Lieutenant [[Pavel Chekov]]
|-
| [[Nichelle Nichols]] || Lt. Commander [[Uhura]]
|-
| [[Majel Barrett]] || Lt. Commander (Dr.) [[Christine Chapel]]
|-
| [[Grace Lee Whitney]] || Transporter CPO [[Janice Rand]]
|-
| [[Persis Khambatta]] || Lieutenant [[Ilia (Star Trek)|Ilia]]
|-
| [[Stephen Collins]] || Captain/Commander [[Willard Decker]]
|-
| [[Mark Lenard]] || [[Klingon]] captain
|}
== Origins ==
In the wake of ''Star Trek'''s popularity in the early 1970s as a result of newborn ''Trek'' [[fandom]] and [[television syndication|syndication]], there were several failed attempts to produce a ''Trek'' feature film, starting in 1974. A number of ideas were seriously pitched for a film to be entitled ''Star Trek II''. These included "The God Thing" by Gene Roddenberry about a vessel visiting [[Earth]] claiming to be God, a story by [[Harlan Ellison]] about alien reptiles changing Earth's past to make snakes evolutionarily dominant, and "The Planet of the Titans."<ref name= CL>''Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages'' Little Brown & Co, 1995.</ref><ref name= mostmp>''The Making of Star Trek--the Motion Picture'' Pocket Books, 1980.</ref>
"The Planet of the Titans" was nearly produced as the first ''Star Trek'' motion picture. Written by [[Allan Scott]] and [[Chris Bryant]], the script involved the crew of the ''Enterprise'' rescuing the starship ''Da Vinci'' from a disaster. During the rescue, Kirk suffers a shock to the [[brain]] causing him to go mad and disappear. Years later, the ''Enterprise'', now under Captain Gregory Westlake, is dispatched to a planet near where Kirk disappeared. This planet is slowly being sucked into a [[black hole]], and contains a wealth of information that the Klingons (who have also dispatched ships) want as well. Kirk is found, but the planet and the ''Enterprise'' are pulled, via the black hole, into Earth's past, where they become the [[Titans]] of [[Greek mythology]] (a plot reminiscent of "[[Who Mourns for Adonais? (TOS episode)|Who Mourns for Adonais?]]," a ''Star Trek'' television episode that had aired in the '60s). It was to be directed by [[Philip Kaufman]]. [[Ralph McQuarrie]] did pre-production art and [[Ken Adam]] storyboarded the script. The second issue of ''[[Starlog]]'' magazine trumpeted the production of the film on a front cover headline. The movie was abandoned in late 1976 when Paramount finally rejected Scott and Bryant's [[Screenplay|script]].<ref name= mostmp>''The Making of Star Trek--the Motion Picture'' Pocket Books, 1980.</ref>
Instead, in 1977, attention was turned away from a film and toward a second television series, to be entitled ''[[Star Trek: Phase II]]'', as part of a fourth television network to be created by Paramount. Work began on scripts for the series, including a 2-hour pilot titled "In Thy Image" (based on a pitch script for Roddenberry's ''[[Genesis II (film)|Genesis II]]'' called "Robot's Return"). In the midst of preparation for shooting, [[Michael Eisner]], then-head of Paramount, called a landmark studio meeting. Eisner was said to declare regarding the pilot, "we've been looking for a ''Star Trek'' motion picture for five years and this is it!" Despite already-existent casting, costuming, set production, and 12 written scripts, the new series, along with the new Paramount network, were both abandoned. Paramount's idea to launch a new broadcast network with a new ''Star Trek'' series would eventually be revitalized in 1995 with the 2 hour pilot episode [[Caretaker (Voyager episode)| Caretaker]] of ''[[Star trek voyager| Star Trek: Voyager]]'', which ran for 7 seasons and 172 episodes.
Work commenced on rewriting the ''Phase II'' pilot episode ''In Thy Image'' as ''Star Trek: The Motion Picture''. At this point, [[Alan Dean Foster]] (one of the authors) was shut out of any work on the screenplay, and, despite ongoing problems with the developing script, his input was never solicited. {{Fact|date=February 2007}} In fact, an attempt was made to keep his name off the final screen credits, and it was only the threat of arbitration with the Writer's Guild that restored him as author of the screen story.<ref name= mostmp>''The Making of Star Trek--the Motion Picture'' Pocket Books, 1980.</ref>
All this couldn't have come at a more opportune moment. By the end of 1977, ''[[Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope|Star Wars]]'' had become a huge box-office success, and Paramount put ''The Motion Picture'' into pre-production. Rather than follow the [[space opera]] feel of ''Star Wars'', TMP instead emulated the mood and format of the 1968 film [[2001: A Space Odyssey (film)|''2001: A Space Odyssey'']], in which [[Douglas Trumbull]] also supervised special effects. The film follows the story of "In Thy Image" only generally, as multiple disputes between screenwriter Harold Livingston and producer [[Gene Roddenberry]] (as well as numerous changes requested by Paramount Executives and the actors) led to extensive and even daily rewrites of the movie right up to the end of filming.<ref name= mostmp>''The Making of Star Trek--the Motion Picture'' Pocket Books, 1980.</ref><ref name= STMM>''Star Trek Movie Memories'' Harper, 1994.</ref>
Major cuts from the ''Phase II'' pilot episode include: Scenes of Kirk trying to recruit McCoy in a park in [[San Francisco]], a conference of admirals discussing the intruder, Lieutenant Xon's entire role, the destruction of the cruiser ''Aswan'', an invasion of the ''Enterprise'' by mechanical probes, scenes of the Ilia-probe attempting to seduce Kirk and Sulu, and scenes of Kirk and Ilia beaming down to San Francisco to show her footage of [[NASA]]'s [[Voyager program|''Voyager'' program]] at [[Starfleet Command]]. The director of the pilot episode, [[Bob Collins]], was briefly set to be the director of the motion picture.<ref name=TMP:DE/><ref name= STMM>''Star Trek Movie Memories'' Harper, 1994.</ref>
== Production ==
[[Image:Spock's spacewalk.JPG|thumb|300px|right|Scene from the original, abandoned spacewalk sequence filmed for ''Star Trek: The Motion Picture'']]
The film was directed by [[Robert Wise]], after the studio decided they wanted a big name director attached to the property, and released ''Phase II'' pilot director Bob Collins.<ref name= STMM/> It displayed state-of-the-art (for the time) special effects, set design and use of models.
The special effects for the movie became one of the biggest production problems. Half way through production it was decided that original effects company working on the project, [[Robert Abel and Associates]], were not up to the task of producing the large number of scenes. In March of 1979. Paramount offered [[Douglas Trumbull]]'s effect company, Entertainment Effects Group, a virtual blank check if they could get all the effects work done by the Christmas release date. Most of the work done by Robert Abel up to that point was scrapped (the wormhole sequence seems to be the only "Abel" effects scene that made it into the final film). Trumbull went ahead with the job to re-visualize and rework most of the effects scenes, using the same crew and equipment from the just finished ''[[Close Encounters of the Third Kind]]'' and even subcontracted work out to [[John Dykstra]] (''[[Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope|Star Wars]]'').<ref name= mostmp>''The Making of Star Trek--the Motion Picture'' Pocket Books, 1980.</ref>
The entire segment of Spock entering V'Ger alone was filmed at the last minute (in June 1979) by Douglas Trumbull, who wrote and directed the sequence. The original sequence, showing Spock and Kirk entering V'Ger's memory core, had been in production but abandoned when it was determined that the sequence brought the movie to a halt and that the costs of the wire-removal and other effects would consume much of the entire effects budget for the film.<ref name= TMP:DE/>
This is the first time in ''Star Trek'' when Klingons are seen with their trademark 'bumpy forehead' look rather than the hooked eyebrows and twirled moustaches seen in the original television series. This change of appearance sparked debate (some even stated the Klingons' behavior in the film was unlike the previous behavior seen in the original series), and a quarter century of fan speculation (and a joking reference in the ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'' episode "[[Trials and Tribble-ations (DS9 episode)|Trials and Tribble-ations]]"), until a [[canon (fiction)|canonical]] rationale for the change was finally provided in a [[Affliction (Enterprise episode)|2005 episode of ''Star Trek: Enterprise'']].
An extended cut of the film on [[videotape]] and ABC network television released in 1983 included a number of small character moments that had been trimmed. This was one of the first occasions in which an extended version of a film was created for television and the then-new home video market. The additional footage included one glaring error in that a scene showing Kirk supposedly floating in space was added, however the scene had no special effects added, so viewers were clearly able to see the scaffolding and ceiling of the soundstage in which the sequence was filmed. (This sequence can still be viewed among deleted scenes included on the 2001 DVD release.)<ref name=TMP:DE/>
In 2001, a ''Director's Edition'' of the film was released on [[VHS]] and [[DVD]]. Robert Wise was given the opportunity to re-edit the film to better match his original vision, and also to use [[computer-generated imagery]] to complete sequences which had been curtailed due to shooting deadlines. The new effects were based on storyboards from the original production and produced to appear as if done using the effects technology of the time. Several [[Continuity (fiction)|continuity]] errors were also corrected, but some were also added. Edits to improve the film's pacing were made, especially effective in the film's second half, where segments were trimmed to curtail prolonged reaction shots of the actors to the interior of V'Ger. This ''Director's Edition'' of the film also has a proper [[sound mix]], which was lacking in the theatrical presentation. This version of the film is generally considered a significant improvement over the original film.<ref name=DB>[http://www.thedigitalbits.com/reviews2/startrektmp.html"The Digital Bits"]</ref>
== Music and sound effects ==
The score for ''Star Trek: The Motion Picture'' is regarded by many{{who?}} as Jerry Goldsmith's most impressive.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} This was the beginning of his long association with ''Star Trek'', which would lead to him composing the scores for ''[[Star Trek V: The Final Frontier]]'', ''[[Star Trek: First Contact]]'', ''[[Star Trek: Insurrection]]'', and ''[[Star Trek Nemesis]]''. Goldsmith would also compose the theme for ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' (which was adapted from the main title music for ''Motion Picture'') as well as the [[Emmy award]]-winning theme to ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]''. Gene Roddenberry had originally wanted Goldsmith to score ''Star Trek''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s pilot episode, "[[The Cage (Star Trek)|The Cage]]", but the composer was unavailable.
For ''Star Trek'', Goldsmith was charged with depicting a universe with his music, and so it is extremely expansive. Goldsmith's initial main theme was not well-received by the filmmakers (director Robert Wise felt "It sounds like sailing ships").<ref>''Star Trek: The Motion Picture Director's Edition'' DVD commentary track by [[Robert Wise]].</ref> Although somewhat irked by its rejection, Goldsmith consented to re-work his initial ideas.
[[Alexander Courage]], who composed the theme for the original ''Star Trek'' television series, was a friend of Goldsmith's, and served as his orchestrator on several scores. Courage also provided a new arrangement of his theme from the original series for use in ''Star Trek: The Motion Picture''. Another of the original series' composers, [[Fred Steiner]], provided a few minor cues based on Goldsmith's original material (as deadlines prevented Goldsmith from completing every last scene). A considerable portion of the score for ''Star Trek: The Motion Picture'' was conducted by an uncredited [[Lionel Newman]] (as Goldsmith, owing to the unusual instrumental blends, preferred to monitor the balance in the recording booth).
''Star Trek: The Motion Picture'' is the only ''Star Trek'' film to have a true [[Overture#Film|overture]], using Ilia's love theme for this music. ''Star Trek'' and ''[[The Black Hole]]'' would be the only feature films to use an overture from the end of 1979 until the year 2000 (with the movie ''[[Dancer in the Dark]]'').
After the overture the film launches immediately into the title music, which was later adapted as the theme for ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]''. As the credits end, "Klingon Battle" theme is introduced, a clarion call introduced by woodwinds, accompanied by angklungs (bamboo rattles from Indonesia). Both the opening theme and the Klingon theme would make frequent appearances in Goldsmith's other ''Trek'' scores, appearing in ''Star Trek V: The Final Frontier'' (throughout the film), ''Star Trek: First Contact'' (in "Red Alert" and the end credits music), ''Star Trek: Insurrection'' (in the opening and closing music), and ''Star Trek Nemesis'' (in "Repairs" and the end credits music).
Much of the recording equipment used to create the movie's intricately complicated sound effects was, at the time, extremely cutting edge. Among these pieces of equipment was the ADS (''Advanced Digital Synthesizer'') 11, manufactured by [[Pasadena, California]] custom synthesizer manufacturer [[Con Brio, Inc.]] The movie provided major publicity at the time and was used to advertise the synthesizer, although no price was given at the time.<ref name="VS">''Vintage Synthesizers'' Backbeat Books, 2000</ref>
The film's soundtrack also provided a debut for the [[Blaster Beam]], an electronic instrument about 10 feet long, stringed, and played with an artillery shell. Jerry Goldsmith used it to create the eerie signature V'Ger sound. The Blaster Beam was developed by musician [[Craig Huxley]], who, as a child actor, had appeared on two episodes of the original ''Star Trek'' TV series. Goldsmith also utilized a large pipe organ, which required the score be recorded at 20th Century Fox (which had the only scoring stage in Los Angeles equipped with such an organ).
Jerry Goldsmith's score was nominated for an [[Academy Award for Original Music Score]], although the award went to [[Georges Delerue]] for ''[[A Little Romance]]'' instead. This was the only ''Star Trek'' score to be nominated for an Academy Award other than ''[[Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s score by [[Leonard Rosenman]].
When the film was originally made, the rush to get it into theaters on time left much of the sound design unfinished. When the DVD ''Director's Edition'' was released, Robert Wise and Foundation Imaging took the time to complete the sound mix, adding in many of the previously unfinished elements, as well as create a [[Dolby Digital]] 5.1 mix.<ref name="DB" />
== Reaction ==
''Star Trek: The Motion Picture'' grossed $82,258,456 in the U.S. and $139,000,000 worldwide.<ref>[http://www.amazon.imdb.com/title/tt0079945/business http://www.amazon.imdb.com/title/tt0079945/business] ''Amazon.imdb.com'' Retrieved on 05-25-07 </ref> Though it made a lot of money, the film's gross was considered to be disappointing, considering its large $35,000,000 budget. The film was nominated for three [[Academy Awards]], for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Effects and Best Music.<ref>IMDB [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079945/awards ''Star Trek: The Motion Picture''] retrieved [[June 25]] [[2007]]</ref>
''[[TIME (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine gave the film an unfavorable review, criticizing the slowness of the film and its reliance on special effects.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,920726,00.html|title=Warp Speed to Nowhere|date=December 17, 1979|publisher=Time Magazine}}</ref> A 2001 [[BBC]] review claims the film was a critical failure.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2001/09/04/star_trek_the_motion_picture_1979_review.shtml|title=Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)|author=William Gallagher|date=September 4, 2001|publisher=BBC|accessdate=2006-12-28}}</ref> James Berardinell, reviewing the film in 1996, mirrored these criticisms, also finding that it bore too close a resemblance to the original series episode "[[The Changeling (TOS episode)|The Changeling]]", but considered the start and end of the film to be strong.<ref name=berardinelli>{{cite web|url=http://www.reelviews.net/movies/s/st1.html|author=[[James Berardinelli]]|title=Review: Star Trek: The Motion Picture|date=1996|accessdate=2006-12-28}}</ref>
==Novelization==
To coincide with the release of the film [[Pocket Books]] published a novelization of the film written by ''Star Trek'' creator Gene Roddenberry. This book, which was published in both paperback and hardcover editions, is significant for several reasons. It was the first and only ''Star Trek'' novel published by Roddenberry himself, and it launched Pocket Books' literary ''Star Trek'' franchise, which has spanned hundreds of volumes covering all subsequent spin-off TV series, into 2008. The authorship of the book was debated for a time, with incorrect rumors in the 1980s that it was actually [[ghost writer|ghost written]] by [[Alan Dean Foster]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Ayers, Jeff|title=Voyages of Imagination: The Star Trek Fiction Companion|publisher=Pocket Books|date=2006|id=ISBN 1416503498}}</ref>
Roddenberry's novel adds elements to the film story that are not referenced on screen. According to Gene Roddenberry's novelization of the film, [[Will Decker]] is the son of Commodore [[Matt Decker]] from the original series episode "[[The Doomsday Machine (TOS episode)|The Doomsday Machine]]", which was also the plan for the ''Phase II'' television series. Despite not being mentioned onscreen in the movie, this relationship has assumed at least semi-canonical status, considering its Roddenberry origins, and the fact that it has never been officially contradicted in the years since. He also introduces the Klingon ships as "the new K't'inga-class" and says that some Starfleet technicians feared that they might be more powerful than Starfleet's "First Line Constitution-Class ships."
V'Ger is spelled "Vejur" through to nearly the end of the novel, until Kirk removes the corrosion from ''Voyager 6'''s nameplate, with only the letters V, G, E, and R on the nameplate (as shown in the movie itself) remaining undamaged from the many years of exposure to spatial hazards.
Roddenberry's adaptation also reveals that the second individual (alongside Vulcan Commander [[Sonak]]), who perishes in the ''Enterprise'' transporter accident is a Starfleet Admiral named "Lori Ciana". The novelization states that Lori Ciana was a Starfleet [[Vice Admiral (Star Trek)|Vice-Admiral]] assigned as Rear Admiral James T. Kirk's commanding officer in his post as chief of Starfleet Operations (as well as his ex-wife, for some of the two-and-a-half years since he relinquished captaincy; it is sometimes erroneously stated that the character was his fiancée). The purpose of the character of Vulcan Sub-commander [[T'Pol]] in the [[Star Trek: Enterprise]] series started out being the same as that of Lori Ciana, observing the actions of Captain [[Jonathan Archer]] aboard the NX-01 ''Enterprise''. As credited in the film, "Woman in Transporter" was played briefly by [[Susan J. Sullivan]] (aka [[Susan O'Sullivan]]).
Roddenberry's book also gives Kirk's middle name as Tiberius, which was first revealed in an episode of ''[[Star Trek: The Animated Series]]'' but never officially established in canon until ''[[Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country]]''. Roddenberry also has Kirk utter the epithet "shit" at one point, followed by a brief discussion of how such swearing had become passée by the time of ''Star Trek'' (a theme revisited in ''[[Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home]]'').
In an editor's note in Kirk's voice, Roddenberry deftly [[Sexuality in Star Trek#Star Trek: The Original Series|walks the line]] and placates fans on both sides of the issue with an ambiguously worded response concerning the emotionally charged scenes between [[Kirk/Spock|Kirk and Spock]] and Spock's repeated references to Kirk by the evocative Vulcan term '''T'hy'la''' or ''friend, brother, lover''.
==Influence==
Elements of the film were also resurrected in ''The Next Generation'', such as the dashing young executive officer ([[William Riker|Commander Riker]]) who had a personal relationship with an [[empathy|empathic]] alien woman ([[Deanna Troi|Counselor Troi]]) and the one-piece [[Starfleet uniform]]s.
The film's storyline is reminiscent of the ''Original Series'' episode [[The Changeling (TOS episode)|"The Changeling"]], which features an Earth-born probe, enhanced by alien technology and seeking to return to its "point of origin". The probe, in this case [[Nomad (Star Trek)|Nomad]], mistakenly believes Kirk to be its creator, and possesses a strong drive to sterilize all "imperfect" life forms. This led some fans to dub the film "Where Nomad Has Gone Before."<ref name=berardinelli />
In addition, the animated episode "One of Our Planets is Missing" had already given screen treatment to the major plot element of the ''Enterprise'' traveling through a gigantic, planet-devouring (or planet-assimilating) force. Nevertheless, according to the Star Trek Concordance and commentary for the DVD, the storyline of the Motion Picture was essentially one that would have been used in the "Star Trek Phase II" series, especially in its episode proposal named "In Thy Image", which was being planned at the time that Paramount decided to switch the project into feature film format.
In William Shatner's novel [[The Return (Star Trek)|''The Return'']], in which the [[Romulan]]s and the [[Borg (fictional aliens)|Borg]] team up to revive Kirk and destroy the Federation, Spock was nearly assimilated by the Borg, but was saved by the fact that he mind-melded with V'ger, implanting a part of the Borg Collective. This is because, according to Shatner's novel, the alien race that found V'ger was an earlier form of the Borg. (Gene Roddenberry had speculated that perhaps the living machine world found by V'ger was the Borg homeworld. Indeed, in the novelization of the film, written by Roddenberry, V'ger at one point tells itself that the ''Enterprise'''s "resistance was futile," presaging the Borg motto.)
== Additional production information ==
{{Trivia|date=August 2007}}
*The ''Enterprise'' engine room shown in this film would later be used again, as the engine room of the ''[[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)|Enterprise]]''-D, in ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]''.
*[[Isaac Asimov]] was the science consultant on the film and is credited in the closing credits.
*A single, curved corridor set is made to appear as different levels of the ''Enterprise'' by changing the color of wall panels. A similar technique was used when [[Robert Wise]] directed [[The Andromeda Strain (film)|''The Andromeda Strain'']]. Redressing the set for this purpose limits the order in which scenes must be filmed.
*Many of this film's starship sets, built in 1978 on Paramount Stage 9, were fully enclosed and interconnected. They would remain standing, with significant remodeling and expansion, for use in every ''Star Trek'' movie, ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'', and ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]'', until 2001.
*The ''Star Trek Meal'' was the first [[McDonald's]] [[Happy Meal]] to promote a motion picture.
*Artist [[Andrew Probert]] proposed a climactic sequence involving the ''Enterprise'' being attacked by the Klingon ships from the beginning of the movie, which would rematerialize as V'ger moved to its new plane of existence, but this sequence was not filmed.<ref name= AST>''The Art of Star Trek'' Pocketbooks, 1997</ref> The sequence was also to involve the saucer section of the ''Enterprise'' separating from the engineering section - although not filmed, production drawings of this sequence exist.
*Writer [[David Gerrold]] is an uncredited extra, playing an ''Enterprise'' crewman. Also appearing as extras were Robert Wise's wife, Millicent, Gene Roddenberry's assistant, Susan Sackett, and [[Bjo Trimble]].
*Marcy Lafferty, who had been married to Shatner at the time, appears in the film as relief navigator Chief DiFalco.
*Adjusting for [[inflation]], this film had the highest [[budget]] of any ''Star Trek'' movie. However, this budget appears larger than it would be otherwise, because costs of all the abandoned efforts from 1975 on, including ''Star Trek: Phase II'', were included.
*An original trailer for the film was narrated by [[Orson Welles]].
*''Star Trek: The Motion Picture'' was the first ''Star Trek'' work to significantly feature non-English alien languages, particularly [[Vulcan (Star Trek)|Vulcan]] and [[Klingon language|Klingon]]. The Klingon in the film is based on vocalizations proposed by [[James Doohan]]. The Vulcans featured in the film were in fact speaking English on set, as is apparent by studying their lips, but were dubbed in post-production using alien words that match the corresponding English lip movements.
*To reduce the cost for [[Star Trek II|the next movie]] the producers reused many of the exterior shots of the ''Enterprise'', especially the ones where it is in space dock.
*In [[Gene Roddenberry]]'s 1974 Sci-Fi TV pilot ''[[Planet Earth]]'', Roddenberry recycled the Kreeg soldiers head bumps when he added them to the Klingons in ''Star Trek: The Motion Picture''. The unused [[Genesis II (film)|Genesis II]] episode synopsis, "The Robot's Return" was the basis for the screenplay.
*The USS ''Enterprise''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s engine intermix uses the same projector-based effect as does the engine room on ''Star Trek: Voyager''.
*This film is one of five Star Trek stories used as the subject of a set of [[View-Master]] reels.
*One of the Klingons in the opening sequence was played by actor [[Mark Lenard]] who had previously played both a Romulan and a Vulcan (Spock's father [[Sarek]]) in the original series. He would later reprise his role of Sarek in ''[[Star Trek III: The Search For Spock]]'', ''[[Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home]]'', ''[[Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country]]'' and in two episodes of ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]''. He is the only actor to play all three of the most prominent aliens in the ST universe ([[Vaughn Armstrong]] holds the record for most characters and races played, but he has never played a Vulcan).
== Books ==
*''[[Chekov's Enterprise: A Personal Journal of the Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture]]'', by Walter Koenig.
*''[[Star Trek Movie Memories]]'', by William Shatner with Chris Kreski. (New York: HarperPrism, 1994)
*''[[The Making of "Star Trek: The Motion Picture"]]'', by Gene Roddenberry (with Susan Sackett). (New York: Pocket Books, 1980).
== References and footnotes ==
{{Reflist}}
== External links ==
{{wikiquote}}
*{{imdb title|id=0079945|title=Star Trek: The Motion Picture}}
*{{amg movie|id=1:46515|title=Star Trek: The Motion Picture}}
*{{rotten-tomatoes|id=star_trek_the_motion_picture|title=Star Trek: The Motion Picture}}
*{{mojo title|id=startrek|title=Star Trek: The Motion Picture}}
{{Memoryalpha article|Star_Trek:_The_Motion_Picture|''Star Trek: The Motion Picture''}}
*[http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/MOV/001/index.html ''Star Trek: The Motion Picture''] at StarTrek.com
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{{Star Trek Vulcan stories}}
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