Bicentennial Man (1999)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Chris Columbus

Writers (WGA):

Isaac Asimov (short story "The Bicentennial Man")
Isaac Asimov (novel) ...

Release Date:

17 December 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

One robot's 200 year journey to become an ordinary man.

Plot:

An android endeavors to become human as he gradually acquires emotions.

Plot Keywords:

Android | Humanity | Robot | Reference To Methuselah | Robot As Pathos

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 6 nominations

Cast

Robin Williams	...	Andrew Martin
Embeth Davidtz	...	Little Miss Amanda Martin / Portia Charney
Sam Neill	...	'Sir' Richard Martin
Oliver Platt	...	Rupert Burns
Kiersten Warren	...	Galatea
Wendy Crewson	...	'Ma'am' Martin
Hallie Kate Eisenberg	...	Little Miss Amanda Martin - Age 7
Lindze Letherman	...	'Miss' Grace Martin - Age 9
Angela Landis	...	'Miss' Grace Martin
John Michael Higgins	...	Bill Feingold - Martin's Lawyer
Bradley Whitford	...	Lloyd Charney
Igor Hiller	...	Lloyd Charney - Age 10
Joe Bellan	...	Robot Delivery Man #1
Brett Wagner	...	Robot Delivery Man #2
Stephen Root	...	Dennis Mansky - Head of NorthAm Robotics

Also Known As:

Andrew Martin (USA) (working title)
Der 200 Jahre Mann (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated PG for language and some sexual content.

Runtime:

132 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Brazil:Livre | South Korea:All | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | France:U | Germany:o.Al. | Hong Kong:IIA | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:PG | Peru:14 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:Btl | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG | USA:PG (certificate #37072) | Philippines:G | Finland:S | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Alameda, California, USA

Company:

1492 Pictures

Trivia:

The aria that Andrew is listening to when he first uses the record player is from Dvorak's opera "Rusalka." The opera is concerned with the fairy-tale story of a water nymph who wants to become mortal for love.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Some of the continents on the world map in the council chamber are in the wrong positions, notably South America (which is rotated significantly) and Australia (which is directly below India). This may have been an attempt to illustrate continental drift, however, these continents would not have moved that significantly in only 200 years.

Quotes:

President Marjorie Bota: Andrew Martin
Andrew Martin: I've always tried to make sense of things. There must be some reason I am as I am. As you can see, Madame Chairman, I am no longer immortal.
President Marjorie Bota: You have arranged to die?
Andrew Martin: In a sense I have. I am growing old, my body is deteriorating, and like all of you, will eventually cease to function. As a robot, I could have lived forever. But I tell you all today, I would rather die a man, than live for all eternity a machine.
President Marjorie Bota: Why do you want this?
Andrew Martin: To be acknowledged for who and what I am, no more, no less. Not for acclaim, not for approval, but, the simple truth of that recognition. This has been the elemental drive of my existence, and it must be achieved, if I am to live or die with dignity.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Troldspejlet: (#23.9)" (2000)

Soundtrack:

The Washington Post

uneven but often rewarding film

Owing to the fact that it is based on an Isaac Asimov story, `Bicentennial Man' turns out to be a more interesting and meaningful film than both its advertising campaign and its own opening section would indicate. The caveat for those seeking out a fun film for the entire family is that this movie, though initially sold as a warm cuddly comedy in the tradition of say `Mrs. Doubtfire,' actually deals with some very heavy and heady issues like sexuality, aging and dying, which may make it less-than-ideal viewing for young children.

The first section of the film is, by far, its weakest. In 2005, the wealthy Martin family receives delivery of a brand new servant android (Robin Williams) who, almost immediately, begins to display a remarkable range of human emotions and interests. Thus, we are set up for yet another in a long line of predictable tales (i.e. `Harry and the Hendersons,' `Stuart Little') in which a family comes to adopt a strange, not-quite-human creature, welcoming him in as one of their own. Indeed, in the film's early stages, there is no shortage of either bland humor or drippy sentimentality as Andrew, the android, ingratiates himself with all but one of the Martin household. The `wit' in the film consists, basically, of endless jokes about how Andrew takes all idioms at literal face value, a running gag that is, finally, as unoriginal as it is wearying.

Then, however, just as we are about to give up hope in it, the movie becomes more intriguing. Rather than staying within the context of the present life of this one family, the screenplay begins to move ahead in time, exploring Andrew's gradual growth toward total humanity, while the initial family grows up and eventually dies off. Actually, despite how one may feel about the film itself, one must admire its boldness and audacity, for it is not often that, in a film billed as a mass audience comedy, all the main characters pass on to their heavenly reward at one point or another – but, then again, how many comedies span a two hundred year time period? `Bicentennial Man' obviously has more on its mind than mere fish-out-of-water buffoonery, as it becomes an often-elegiac reflection on the transience of life, the meaning of being human and the search for societal acceptance. The mood of the film is remarkably hushed and reflective at times, which again might make it slow going for the modern mass audience more conditioned to a faster pace and giddier tone, especially in a Robin Williams film (though, of late, his films have certainly been taking on a much more somber quality, vide `What Dreams may Come,' `Patch Adams' and `Jakob the Liar'). There are times when `Bicentennial Man' seems overly impressed with its own self-importance, yet one appreciates its refusal to settle for the easy path of cheap comedy and upbeat sentiments. There is, indeed, a real sadness to much of the film.

Special acknowledgement should be made of the superb art direction, set design, costume design, makeup and special effects that together give the film its understated and believable futuristic look. In addition, James Horner's melancholic symphonic score, though a bit lubricious at times, does create an atmosphere of contemplative seriousness that perfectly matches the tone and purpose of the film.

`Bicentennial Man' may not turn out to be what you are looking for when you first seek it out, but, if you approach it with an open mind and a certain degree of tolerance and indulgence, you may be pleasantly surprised and, perhaps, even rewarded.