Bicentennial Man
USA 1999
Reviewed by Mike Higgins
Synopsis
Our synopses give away the plot in full, including surprise twists.
The US, the present. Richard Martin and his young family acquire an NDR 114 domestic android (nicknamed Andrew) which quickly exhibits an uncannily human personality. As the years pass, Andrew cultivates his 'humanity' under the tutelage of Richard and his youngest daughter, the by-now adult 'Little Miss'. Andrew then requests and is reluctantly granted his freedom by Richard. Andrew comes across Rupert Burns, the son of the man who designed him, and funds Burns to complete his transformation, physiologically at least, into a human being.
He returns to Little Miss and, following her death from old age, falls in love with and proposes to her granddaughter Portia. However, the World Congress states Andrew's effective immortality prevents Congress from recognising him as a human being so his marriage attempt is rejected. Burns enables Andrew to age and die. Years later, he and Portia die together as the World Congress finally declares Andrew 'human'.
Review
In a film which shows the passage of 200 years with such blandness, perhaps it's understandable director Chris Columbus turns a blind eye to the history of cinema - a mere century, after all. Almost wilfully, Columbus ignores the long film heritage of the mechanical man - and the fundamental issues raised by that walking, talking oxymoron - in this risibly uninspired adaptation of Isaac Asimov's and Robert Silverberg's writings. So Andrew the android (aka NDR 114) has none of the disarming peevishness of Star Wars' C-3PO nor any of the simple pathos of the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz (1939). Instead his appeal rests largely on the fact that he's a positronic analogue of Robin Williams. That stocky frame, those restless eyebrows, the characteristic simper set in a metallic rictus - Andrew's very specific anthropomorphism even extends to a faltering approximation of the star's trademark manic wisecracking.
Irritating with the cloying sentiment Williams' presence has long guaranteed in any film of his, Columbus is unable even to draw out the dramatic or intellectual implications of Andrew's personal development. One need look no further than Hal in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), the replicants of Blade Runner, or even RoboCop to see the dramatic potential of Frankensteinian machines exercising apparent human consciousness. Instead Columbus refers mainly to his own egregious body of work - after all, comparable issues of unasked-for freedom crop up in his earlier Home Alone films - so Andrew ends up being a techno version of a small boy left to his own mischievous devices in a big house.
As it is, Andrew's growth into a human being is brought about by the most objectionably conservative means: a series of fireside chats with the paternalistic Richard Martin, the love of a good woman and a lot of plastic surgery, all laced together with clumsy biblical overtones (he is expelled from the Edenic Martin household and makes a prodigal's return decades later). A similar lack of imagination is at work in the film's woefully anachronistic mise en scène. Dismayingly, the Martins inhabit an insipid future-world reminiscent more of post-war science expo films than any of the compellingly grubby dystopias envisaged by science-fiction cinema over the last 25 years.
Were there some consistency to this banal vision of the near future, Bicentennial Man might hope to have conveyed some of its literary sources' epic time scales. But the film swiftly settles into an unevenly paced, episodic structure, unsure whether it's a family saga, a sci-fi drama or a children's comedy. The interminable passage of succeeding generations of the Martin family is punctuated only by several protracted death-bed scenes. Indeed, the one distinguishing feature in this narrative desert - Little Miss' unrequited love for Andrew and his eventual marriage to her granddaughter - leaves a nasty taste in the mouth precisely because we're asked to consider as straightforwardly romantic a cross-generational, quasi-incestuous relationship between a 150-year-old robot and a young woman. It makes you imagine what Bicentennial Man could have been like in the hands of David Cronenberg.
Credits
- Director
- Chris Columbus
- Producers
- Wolfgang Petersen
- Gail Katz
- Neal Miller
- Laurence Mark
- Chris Columbus
- Mark Radcliffe
- Michael Barnathan
- Screenplay
- Nicholas Kazan
- Based on the short story by Isaac Asimov and the novel The Positronic Man by
- Isaac Asimov
- Robert Silverberg
- Director of Photography
- Phil Meheux
- Edited by
- Neil Travis
- Production Designer
- Norman Reynolds
- Music/Music Conductor
- James Horner
- ©Touchstone Pictures and Columbia Pictures
- Production Companies
- Touchstone Pictures and Columbia Pictures present a 1492 Pictures production in association with Laurence Marks Productions and Radiant Productions
- Executive Producer
- Dan Kolsrud
- Associate Producer
- Paula DuPré Pesmen
- Production Co-ordinator
- Katie Gilbert
- Unit Production Manager
- Geoffrey D. Hansen
- Location Managers
- Rory Enke
- Ralph Coleman
- Assistant Directors
- David Sardi
- Maggie Murphy
- Jennifer Giancola
- 2nd Unit:
- L. Dean Jones Jr
- Michael Kitchens
- Script Supervisor
- Carol DePasquale
- Casting
- Janet Hirshenson
- Jane Jenkins
- ADR Voice:
- Barbara Harris
- 2nd Unit Director of Photography
- Brian Sullivan
- Camera Operators
- Kim Marks
- Brian Sullivan
- Steadicam Operator
- Kirk Gardner
- Visual Effects Supervisor
- James E. Price
- Visual Effects
- Dream Quest Images
- Visual Effects Producer:
- Erika Wangberg Burton
- Digital Producer:
- Lisa Goldberg
- Digital Effects Supervisor:
- Dan DeLeeuw
- Digital Compositing Supervisor:
- David Lauer
- Lead TD:
- Adolph Lusinsky
- 3D Matte Painters:
- Eric Hanson
- John Huikku
- Mark Lefitz
- Lead Lighters/Texture Painters:
- Colin Eckart
- Mark Siegel
- Texture Painters:
- Travis Price
- Christine Serino
- Shader Development/TD:
- Chu M. Tang
- Flocker Development/TD:
- Paul Van Camp
- Lead Modeller:
- Thanh (John) Nguyen
- Digital Modellers:
- Marty Havran
- Ardie Johnson
- David B. Mooy
- Effects Animator:
- Francis P. Liu
- Animator/Lead Match Mover:
- Merrick Rustia
- Match Movers:
- Jon Aghassian
- Louis Flores
- Lead Compositor:
- Rory Hinnen
- Compositors:
- Brian Adams
- Daniel J. Miller
- Michael F. Miller
- Kim O'Donnell
- Amy Pfaffinger
- Marc J. Scott
- Inferno Artist:
- Jeff Olm
- 2D Graphics Designer:
- R. Christopher Biggs
- Digital Matte Painter:
- Craig Mullins
- Software Development:
- Dan Ruderman
- Bruce Tartaglia
- Production Co-ordinator:
- Rachel Fondiller
- Digital Co-ordinator:
- Edward P. Busch III
- Art Director:
- Michael Meaker
- Conceptual Artist:
- Matt Suzuki
- Visual Effects Editor:
- Daniel Arkin
- Stage Photography Supervisor:
- Scott Beattie
- Visual Effects Director of Photography:
- Scott Campbell
- Motion Control Programmers:
- Kevin Fitzgerald
- Joe Stevenson
- Special Effects Co-ordinator:
- John Gray
- Special Effects Lead:
- John Downey
- Model Shop Supervisor:
- Fredric Meininger
- Project Supervisor:
- Carlyle Livingston
- Model Designer/Builders:
- Jim Key
- Niels Nielsen
- Lead Model Builder:
- Ray Moore
- Model Shop Co-ordinators:
- Guadalupe Cabrera
- Warren Farina
- Pre-visualization Artists:
- Bob Arvin
- Michael Jackson
- Additional Matte Paintings
- Illusion Arts
- Syd Dutton
- Bill Taylor
- Matte Artist:
- Rocco Gioffre
- Robotic Effects
- Steve Johnson's XFX Inc
- Production Manager:
- Sean Taylor
- Project/Set Supervisor:
- Chris Nelson
- Project Supervisor:
- Bob Newton
- Art Director:
- Lennie MacDonald
- Designers:
- Carlos Huante
- Constantine Sekeris
- Sculpting Supervisor:
- José Fernandez
- Sculptors:
- Jeff Buccacio
- Jim Kagel
- Hiroshi Katagiri
- Horacio Fernandez
- John Weldy
- Lead Painter:
- Tom Killeen
- Paint Designer:
- Mark Killingsworth
- Animatronic Department Supervisor:
- Eric Fiedler
- Animatronic Engineers:
- Brian Cox
- Mike Elizalde
- Hiroshi 'Kan' Ikeuchi
- Luke Khanlian
- Jim Kundig
- Christian Ristow
- Mike Scanlon
- Lead Acrylic Technician:
- Rob Hinderstein
- Lead Effect Technician:
- Dan Rebert
- Effect Technician:
- Bernie Eichholz
- Fabrication Department Supervisor:
- Bill Bryan
- Lead Fabricators:
- Vince Verdi
- Fred Cervantes
- Mold Department Supervisor:
- Matt Singer
- Previsualization:
- John R. McConnell
- Mechanical/Electronics Effects
- Gustavo Ferreyra
- Cad Designer
- Peter Maguire
- Shop Foreman
- Jesse Thomas II
- Mechanist Foreman
- Joseph 'Chris' Allen
- Electronics Foreman
- Christian T. Andrews
- Mechanical Foreman
- Michael F. Steffe
- Special Effects Co-ordinator
- John McLeod
- Special Effects Foreman
- Frank Tarantino
- Editor
- Nicolas de Toth
- Art Directors
- Mark Mansbridge
- William Hiney
- Bruton E. Jones Jr
- Set Designers
- William A. Taliaferro
- Geoff Hubbard
- Darrell L. Wight
- James E. Tocci
- Set Decorator
- Anne Kuljian
- Costume Designer
- Joseph G. Aulisi
- Costume Supervisor
- Elaine Maser
- Key Make-up
- Brad Wilder
- 2nd Make-up
- Karen Blynder
- Old Age Make-up Effects Design/Application
- Greg Cannom
- Old Age Make-up Effects Creation
- Keith Vanderlaan's Captive Audiences Productions, Inc
- Prosthetics Make-up Supervisor:
- Brian Sipe
- Production Supervisor:
- Jennifer Teves
- Production Co-ordinator:
- Jill Fischer
- Sculptors:
- Miles Teves
- Glen Hanz
- Moto Hata
- Steve Wang
- Jacobien van der Meer
- Joel Harlow
- Effects Technicians:
- Frank Diettinger
- Chris Gallaher
- Silicone Effects Technician:
- Mark Nieman
- Effects Technicians:
- Sam Sainz
- Bryan Smith
- Mold Department Supervisor:
- Art Pimental
- Silicone Effects Technician:
- Richard Starke
- Operations Manager:
- Harvey Lowry
- Effects Technicians:
- Shea Clayton
- Steve Stewart
- Mike Peterson
- Brett Moore
- Michael Harper
- Daniel Yeager
- Old Age Make-up
- Wes Wofford
- Key Hair
- Yolanda Toussieng
- Hairstylist
- Lee Ann Brittenham
- Main Titles Design
- Imaginary Forces
- Opticals
- Pacific Title/Mirage
Featured Piano- Ralph Grierson
- Orchestrations
- J.A.C. Redford
- James Horner
- On-camera Music Arrangers/Orchestrations
- Marshall Bowen
- Harvey Cohen
- Executive in Charge of Music, Buena Vista Motion Pictures Group
- Kathy Nelson
- Supervising Music Editor
- Jim Henrikson
- Music Editors
- Joseph E. Rand
- Katherine Quittner
- Music Recordist/Mixer
- Simon Rhodes
- Additional Music Recording
- David Marquette
- On-camera Music Recordist/Mixer
- Rick Norman
- Soundtrack
- "Then You Look at Me" music by James Horner, Will Jennings, performed by Celine Dion; "The Washington Post" performed by University of Michigan Marching Band; "Mesicku na nebi hlubokóm" ("Rusalka's Song to the Moon)" from "Rusalka" music by Antonín Dvorák, words by Jaroslav Kvapil, performed by Lucia Popp; "I Found a Million Dollar Baby (In a Five and Ten Cent Store)" by Harry Warren, Billy Rose, Mort Dixon, performed by Bing Crosby; "Dolly" by Gabriel Fauré; "Muskrat Ramble" by Edward Ory, Ray Gilbert; "Respect" by Otis Redding, performed by Aretha Franklin; "(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone" by Aretha Franklin, Ted White, performed by Aretha Franklin; "Petite Suite" by Claude Debussy; "If I Only Had a Heart" by Harold Arlen, E.Y. Harburg; "Embraceable You" by George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin; "The Very Thought of You" by Ray Noble; "The Hunt Quartet Suite No. 1" - Second movement "Menuetto" by Joseph Haydn
- Sound Design
- Randy Thom
- Sound Mixer
- Nelson Stoll
- Re-recording Mixers
- Gary Summers
- Randy Thom
- Supervising Sound Editor
- Robert Shoup
- Dialogue Editors
- Jonathan Null
- Marshall Winn
- Sound Effects Editors
- David Hughes
- Stephen Kearney
- ADR
- Supervising Editor:
- Gwendolyn Yates Whittle
- Foley
- Artists:
- Dennie Thorpe
- Jana Vance
- Mixer:
- Tony Eckert
- Editor:
- Sandina Lena Bailo-Lape
- Stunt Co-ordinator
- Mike Mitchell
- Animal Trainer
- All Star Animals
- Cast
- Robin Williams
- Andrew
- Sam Neill
- Sir
- Embeth Davidtz
- Little Miss/Portia
- Oliver Platt
- Rupert Burns
- Wendy Crewson
- Ma'am
- Hallie Kate Eisenberg
- Little Miss, 7 years old
- Stephen Root
- Dennis Mansky
- Lynne Thigpen
- female president
- Bradley Whitford
- Lloyd
- Kiersten Warren
- Galatea robotic/human
- John Michael Higgins
- Bill Feingold
- George D. Wallace
- male president
- Lindze Letherman
- Miss, 9 years old
- Angela Landis
- Miss
- Igor Hiller
- Lloyd, 10 years old
- Joe Bellan
- Brett Wagner
- robot delivery men
- Scott Waugh
- motorcycle punk
- Quinn Smith
- Frank
- Kristy Connelly
- Monica
- Jay Johnston
- Charles
- Ples Griffin
- Zimbabwe representative
- Marcia Pizzo
- Lloyd's wife
- Paula DuPré Pesmen
- Feingold's assistant
- Clarke Devereux
- priest
- Bruce Kenneth Wagner
- engagement party guest
- Paula West
- singer
- Kevin 'Tiny' Ancell
- Richard Cross
- restoration workers
- Adam Bryant
- humanoid head
- Eric Fiedler
- Billy Bryan
- Christopher Nelson
- Jim Kundig
- Terry Sandin
- Mike Elizalde
- Mark Garbarino
- Christian Ristow
- Lennie MacDonald
- Dan Rebert
- Bernhard Eichholz
- Evan Brainard
- Benny Buettner
- Kamela Portugues
- Michael F. Steffe
- Mark J. Walas
- puppeteers
- Certificate
- PG
- Distributor
- Columbia Tristar Films (UK)
- 11,788 feet
- 130 minutes 59 seconds
- Dolby digital/Digital DTS sound/SDDS
- In Colour
- Prints by
- Technicolor