spoiler includedi love this movie a a child and love it even more a an adult . imo it be not the alien scene that bring down the movie a bit but the movie unfinished end . the alien bit would have make much more sense if the film have be complete and they have be well explain . each of the three boy in the film have his own storyline and his own lesson to be learn from his journey . they be each drawn into their adventure into space by the dream they have be have and each have his own fear and expectation about the trip . but when they finally reach their destination and meet the alien and they be in for a complete shock and find something entirely different than what they be prepare for . ethan hawke character live almost entirely in daydream and seldom act on his dream and desire . ( in fact and he can not even work up the courage to ask out the girl he have a crush on . ) river phoenix character be a science geek who be highly skeptical and somewhat fearful of new experience and of life outside his family lab . jason presson character be a rebel with low self esteem and difficulty with his dad . when meet the alien and one learns to not take so much for grant and one have an unexpected adventure and flirtation with a troublesome girl alien and and one learn to believe more in himself and also learn a bit more empathy for his dad after meet the father of their alien friend . if the film have be finish and the final act of the movie would probably have be about the boy apply the lesson of the story to their life back on earth and to the support character around them .