based on novel   movie with surprise ending   beatnik   1950s   sculptor   small town   based on poem   alien   critically acclaimed   mother   tragic hero   movie with twist in the end   prejudice   based on book   severed hand   son   classroom   alien contact   box office flop   squirrel   school   junkyard   reference to superman   army   comic book   cold war   giant robot   robot   child's point of view   cult cartoon   single mother   daydream   meteorite   anti violence   government agent   resurrection   schoolteacher   uprooting tree   1957   animal in pants   cartoon squirrel   eating non food   metal   nuclear missile   pretending to be statue   reference to mad magazine   triumph   unzipping pants fly   watching horror movie on tv   maine   friendship   cult favorite   fear   hope   paranoia   fish out of water   mother son relationship   submarine   gun   self sacrifice   no opening credits   watching television   tree