Alien Movie Trivia and Facts: “War of the Worlds” (2005)

What happened if something you could not control simply decided to emerge and take over your world? How would you survive and would there be any hope of recovering your former life or even the planet as you know it? In this article, we will explore the facts and trivia surrounding “War of the Worlds” , a film that takes a modern look at aliens coming to destroy the world.

The Plot

Meet Ray Ferrier , a working class man living in New Jersey. He’s not that well connected with his family and he doesn’t have his life put together like he should. Basically, he thinks too much about himself and not enough about his children and other important things. Then, something quite odd and thrilling occurs, sending the mediocre life that Ferrier once knew is turned upside down. A destructive nature is looming in the form of aliens that have planned to destroy the Earth. They make their mark across the country, bringing mass devastation and instantaneous annihilation.

In the end, Ferrier must protect his children and find a way to ensure their survival. The enemy is new and advanced , something no military personnel have ever seen. The rest of the movie explores the different ways that inhabitants try to stay alive and save the planet. Playing the role of Ray Ferrier is Tom Cruise with Dakota Fanning taking on the role of his daughter, Rachel Ferrier. Tim Robbins is another actor in the movie , playing Harlen Ogilvy.

Awards and Recognition

There was a lot of buzz concerning “War of the Worlds” and it did grab the attention of award committees, who took note of the sound effects and other visual elements of the film. While it did not take home an Oscar, the Academy Awards did nominate the film for Best Achievement in Sound Editing, Best Achievement in Sound Mixing, and Best Achievement in Visual Effects. Other awards and honors associated with the movie, include:

The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films gave a Saturn Award to Dakota Fanning for Best Performance by a Younger Actor. Tom Cruise was nominated for Best Actor, alongside Steven Spielberg (Best Direction), John Williams (Best Music), Dennis Muren, Pablo Helman, Randy Dutra, and Daniel Sudick (Best Special Effects), and David Koepp (Best Writing). The movie was also nominated for Best Science Fiction Film.

At the BMI Film & TV Awards, John Williams won a BMI Film Music Award.

At the Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards, Dakota Fanning won a Critics Choice Award for Best Young Actress.

The Central Ohio Film Critics Association awarded a COFCA Award to the film for Best Sound Design.

The Cinema Audio Society nominated two re-recording mixers and a production mixer for a C.A.S. Award in the category of Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Motion Pictures.

At the Empire Awards (a United Kingdom-based event), Steven Spielberg was nominated for an Empire Award in the category of Best Director. The film also received recognition but did not win in the categories of Best Flim and Scene of the Year (for the shot depicting the arrival of the aliens).