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:

Drama | Family | Fantasy | Romance | Sci-Fi

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 | Robot | Hologram | Futuristic | Box Office Flop

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

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Brazil:Livre | South Korea:All | Netherlands:AL (DVD rating) | 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:

In the original "Bicentennial Man" story by Isaac Asimov, the robot manufacturer was named "U.S. Robots and Mechanical Men". Around 1971, a new modem-manufacturing company took the name "U.S. Robotics", partly to honor Asimov. Unfortunately, since in the movie the robot manufacturing company is not portrayed positively, the real-world company asked the filmmakers to use a different name. Hence, "NorthAm Robotics". There are a few places in the film where you can see the old name and logo.

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:

World Congress Moderator: Ladies and Gentlemen: Ms. Marjorie Bota, President of the World Congress.
President Marjorie Bota: According to the records at the NorthAm Robotics Company, the robot also known as Andrew Martin, was powered up at 5:15 pm on April 3rd, 2005. In a few hours, he'll be 200 years old, which means that with the exception of Methuselah and other biblical names, Andrew is the oldest living human in recorded history. For it is by this proclamation, I validate his marriage to Portia Charney, and acknowledge his humanity.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Troldspejlet: (#40.2)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

I Found a Million Dollar Baby (In a Five and Ten Cent Store)

Some Prose Is Poetry

For Ray Bradbury the masterwork of perfect poignance is Drink Entire: Against the Madness of Crowds. For Isaac Asimov it is Bicentennial Man. Only Asimov could remake Pinocchio as compelling science fiction. So many have tried to create a sweet and funny story of the machine that would be man, but this is it's perfect telling.

Only Robin Williams could play the unlikely hero of this story with perfect comedic timing and perfect emotional pitch. Embeth Davidtz as his leading lady matches his skills at every turn, and Sam Neill turns in one his best performances as the man who first recognized the irreplaceable uniqueness of his mistuned android.

Bicentennial Man is first rate science fiction – without physical conflict, without wars, without new ways to incinerate each other. In the end, it makes you glad to be a messy human. Watching this truly beautiful film is a wonderful way to spend an evening, and a guarantor of better dreams than you've had in many years.