

Christian Critic's Movie Parables - http://www.christiancritic.com

BICENTENNIAL MAN
(opens December 17)
* * out of * * * * stars
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DIRECTED BY:      Chris Columbus
STARRING:         Robin Williams, Embeth Davidtz, Sam Neill, Oliver Platt
WRITTEN BY:       Nicholas Kazan
RATED:            PG for language and some sexual content
SCRIPTURE
REFERENCES:       Job 33:4, Genesis 2:7, Acs 17:24-25

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A robot/android with a positronic brain who desperately wants to know
what it is to be human?  Didn't we see this done (and done better) on TV's
Star Trek: The Next Generation?

Director Chris Columbus and star Robin Williams, who last teamed up to
bring us MRS. DOUBTFIRE, join forces again for the futuristic
faux-morality tale, BICENTENNIAL MAN.  Based on an Isaac Asimov story, the
film begins in the year 2005 with the delivery of  a household appliance
to the home of Richard Martin (Sam Neill, EVENT HORIZON).  This appliance
is an NDR-114 robot nicknamed Andrew by Little Miss (Hallie Kate
Eisenberg, THE INSIDER), the youngest member of the family. He will spend
the next 200 years in an attempt to be accepted by the world as something
other than a Sharper Image catalogue item.

Encouraged by the family who owns him, Andrew begins to explore various
facets of humanity.  Whenever he finds himself falling short of the human
experience, his standard reaction is to say "That won't do" before going
off to correct the defect.  Over time, he develops and incorporates humor,
taste, facial expressions, a central nervous system, a desire for freedom,
and last but not least... a functioning male anatomical "package".  He
also sees his original family die and "lives" to see the generation after
them die as well.  His next step on the road to humanity is going to have
to be his own mortality.

The 200 years pass quickly in this roughly 2½ hour long film (That's
about 45 seconds per year) and yet the film itself tends to drag by,
weighed down by its own pomposity.   What begins as a lighthearted family
romp in the comedic style of MRS. DOUBTFIRE rapidly evolves into a
self-important, new-age minded movie equivalent of a warm and fuzzy group
hug where the physical intimacy is forced rather than genuinely
spontaneous.

Mr. Williams has some amusing moments as the titanium plated gentleman's
gentleman.  But unlike Dorothy's Tin Man, Andrew's heart never appears to
be missing.  From the very beginning, he demonstrates a curiosity and
affection for the humans he serves.  Most of the growth or development of
the character is seen in the external improvements rather than in an
internal realization.  Stretched over the length of this movie, the
characterization becomes transparently thin.

Embeth Davidtz (MANSFIELD PARK) in a dual role which has her playing both
Little Miss and her grandchild, Portia, serves as the love interest for
Andrew.  Knowing that she cannot invest her emotions in a machine, she
nonetheless must admit that no human tugs at her heart in quite the same
way.

Oliver Platt (LAKE PLACID) brightens the screen as a kindly robotics
engineer who drolly helps Andrew realize his goal to become accepted as
human.  And Sam Neill as Andrew's first (and last) owner shows a
compassion and endearing affection towards his animatronic property turned
friend.

Chris Columbus tries to look at the age-old question "What is the meaning
of life?" by turning the question on its head and simply asking, "what
defines life?"  Of course, he isn't up to the challenge of answering his
own question which he nimbly sidesteps.  Were the question posed to a
biblically minded person, the answer is readily available:

"The spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath
given me life."  Job 33:4 [KJV]

Despite the technological breakthroughs of the modern world, one thing
remains clear.  Regardless of how much man may make something to resemble
a human, the God-given life that is in us cannot be duplicated.

Andrew's quest for humanity is a noble but futile search.  We may someday
reach a point where we can build a machine like an NDR-114 with artificial
intelligence, but to infuse that machine with a soul life is something
that will always remain beyond our purview.  God, after all, is the
Creator of all life.

Michael Elliott
December 1999
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