Taglines: One robot’s 200 year journey to become an ordinary man.
Bicentennial Man follows the ‘life’ and times of the lead character, an android who is purchased as a household robot programmed to perform menial tasks. Within a few days the Martin family realizes that they don’t have an ordinary droid as Andrew begins to experience emotions and creative thought. In a story that spans two centuries, Andrew learns the intricacies of humanity while trying to stop those who created him from destroying him.
Bicentennial Man is a 1999 Canadian-American science fiction comedy-drama film starring Robin Williams, Sam Neill, Embeth Davidtz (in a dual role), Wendy Crewson, and Oliver Platt. Based on the novel The Positronic Man by Isaac Asimov and Robert Silverberg (which is itself based on Asimov’s original novella of the same name), the plot explores issues of humanity, slavery, prejudice, maturity, intellectual freedom, conformity, sex, love, and mortality. The film, a co-production between Touchstone Pictures and Columbia Pictures, was directed by Chris Columbus. The title comes from the main character existing to the age of two hundred years, and Asimov’s novella was published in the year the United States had its bicentennial.
The film underperfomed at the box office and received mostly negative reviews, but makeup artist Greg Cannom was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Makeup at the 72nd Academy Awards, and the film has drawn a cult following.
Bicentennial Man (1999)
Directed by: Chris Columbus
Starring: Robin Williams, Sam Neill, Embeth Davidtz, Wendy Crewson, Oliver Platt, Hallie Kate Eisenberg, Lindze Letherman, Angela Landis, John Michael Higgins
Screenplay by: Nicholas Kazan
Production Design by: Norman Reynolds
Cinematography by: Phil Meheux
Film Editing by: Nicolas De Toth, Neil Travis
Costume Design by: Joseph G. Aulisi
Set Decoration by: Anne Kuljian, Josh Fifarek
Art Direction by: William Hiney, Bruton Jones, Mark W. Mansbridge
Music by: James Horner
MPAA Rating: PG for language and some sexual content.
Distributed by: Buena Vista Pictures (USA & Canada) TriStar Pictures (International)
Release Date: December 17, 1999
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