Above: Mr. Frakes, playing William Riker
In the late 1980s, Jonathan
Frakes decided that he wanted to direct an episode of “Star Trek: The Next
Generation.” It wasn’t an outlandish
idea; he was already an integral part of the show as the heroically-bearded
Commander William Riker. Nevertheless,
the producers of “TNG” answered his request with an ultimatum: go to film school.
For some actors, that would be the end of it. But Mr. Frakes did indeed go onto study film,
which led to his directorial debut—a “TNG” episode called “The Offspring.” And it wasn’t just good; it was heart-swelling. A story about a father, a daughter, and an
anguished moment of technological failure, “The Offspring” was both painful and
wonderful, an ode to parenthood, unexpected humanity, and, most of all, love.
Post-“Offspring,” Mr. Frakes firmly established himself
as a fine television director, before graduating to movies by directing two
“Star Trek” films (“Star Trek: First Contact” and “Star Trek: Insurrection,”
both excellent). But now, if he has his
way, that achievement will be eclipsed by the heftiest undertaking of his
career—directing the third installment in the bigger, louder, brighter, J.J.
Abrams-produced “Star Trek” saga.
There are some, I’m sure, who think that Mr. Frakes is a
relic, that the new “Trek” should be handed to a blockbuster maven at the
height of their popularity (like Rupert Wyatt or Edgar Wright, both of whom
have been rumored for the job). But I
disagree. I argue that not only is Mr.
Frakes the right man for the project because he understands “Star Trek,” but
because he is a bold and sensitive filmmaker, an artist wise to the omnipotence
of emotion and the tactile details that reveal it.
Understanding “Star Trek” has always been a damning
obstacle for filmmakers. Ever since
William Shatner’s Captain Kirk first announced his intention “to boldly go
where no man has gone before,” “Star Trek” has been about exploration, not
conflict. Yet while the franchise has
produced some fine sci-fi films, even the best of them dutifully imitate the
“Star Wars” formula—an intergalactic tyrant gets his crafty hands on a super-weapon
and the fireworks begin. And that’s made
it difficult for the series to probe its signature questions about the nature
of humanity and the ethics of exploration.
I can’t say that Mr. Frakes has entirely avoided this booby
trap; after all, the villains of “First Contact” and “Insurrection” (Alice
Krige’s Borg Queen and F. Murray Abraham’s Ru’afo, respectively) both had the
usual planet-destroying ambitions. Yet
Mr. Frakes made more of them than most filmmakers would. The Borg Queen, for one, was not solidly
evil; she tempted even the noble android Data (Brent Spiner) with her offer of
power and sexual pleasure. “Strange,” Data
murmurs after slaying her. “Part of me
is sad that she is gone.”
“Insurrection” was an even richer tapestry. Set on idyllic, youth-preserving planet, it
allowed the “Trek” characters to frisk about in the sun, casting off their
inhibitions (along with their trademark purple uniforms). Patrick Stewart’s Picard danced to an Alan
Silvestri mambo; Data bonded with a young, technophobic boy; and Marina Sirtis’
Troi and Mr. Frakes’ own Riker got into some bubble bath-related mischief that
is better seen than described. The
kicker? That all of these hi jinks were
more than crowd-pleasing; they exemplified the characters’ playfulness and
their love for each other, offering a lithe and gentle spirit that could be a
perfect way to soften the aggressively fast-paced violence of Mr. Abrams’
films.
I don’t mean to knock Mr. Abrams—he’s a true auteur, a
beautifully eccentric talent who infuses all of his projects with a singular
blend of anguish and adrenaline. Yet I
still think that Mr. Frakes is a gifted filmmaker in his own right, especially
when it comes to penetrating the private spaces of characters. Remember the moment in “First Contact” when
Picard washes his face in a small metal sink?
Or when Michael Dorn’s Worf bangs his head on his bedroom ceiling in
“Insurrection”? I do. Those scenes may not have made it into the
“Star Trek” history books, but they provided more character development than a
hundred-page monologue about an unhappy childhood ever could.
That
said, several years have passed since Mr. Frakes last directed a
theatrically-released movie (his last was 2004’s “Thunderbirds”); for all I
know, his talent has waned in the intervening years. But as a both a “Star Trek” fan and movie
lover, I want to see him return to that adventurous, hopeful universe. Any filmmaker can make a “Trek” movie, but
Mr. Frakes is one of the few who can say that right or wrong, hit or miss, his
will mean something, will transport you, take you into the vistas of space and
into the thoughts of its explorers as they boldly go, yet again.
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