Bicentennial Man (1999)
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An advanced robot seeks to transcend its mechanical existence to become human.
The story
In 2005, the NDR series robot 'Andrew' is introduced into the Martin family home to perform housekeeping and maintenance duties. While the eldest daughter, Grace, is dismissive of the machine, her younger sister, Amanda, forms a bond with him. After Andrew demonstrates unexpected creativity by crafting a wooden figurine, his owner, Richard, takes him to his creators to investigate. Despite being offered the chance to be scrapped for his non-standard behavior, Richard chooses to keep Andrew and encourages him to explore the humanities. As Andrew begins to experience emotions and seek a sense of self, he navigates the complexities of his existence as a sentient being in a world where robots have no legal rights.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Over several decades, Andrew evolves from a servant to a self-sufficient individual. In 2032, he demands his freedom from Richard, and in 2048, he comforts Richard on his deathbed. Following Richard's death, Andrew seeks out other robots and eventually partners with Rupert Burns to modify his appearance to look more human. He eventually falls in love with Portia, the granddaughter of his former friend Amanda. To bridge the gap between their lifespans, he undergoes procedures to gain human-like sensations and eventually seeks legal recognition as a human being. He undergoes a final procedure to replace his mechanical fluids with blood, accepting that his body will now age and eventually die. In 2205, Andrew and Portia are recognized by the World Congress as human, and Andrew dies peacefully while being acknowledged as the world's oldest human at 200 years old.
- First release year
- 1999
- Runtime (minutes)
- 132
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Chris Columbus
- Writers
- Nicholas Kazan · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Robin Williams · Andrew Martin; Sam Neill · Richard "Sir" Martin; Embeth Davidtz · Amanda "Little Miss" Martin (adult) and Portia Charney; Hallie Kate Eisenberg · Amanda "Little Miss" Martin (age 7); Wendy Crewson · Rachel "Ma'am" Martin; Oliver Platt · Rupert Burns; Stephen Root · Dennis Mansky; Lynne Thigpen · Marjorie Bota
- Genres
- science fiction; comedy; drama
- Themes
- Artificial Intelligence; Humanity; Longevity; Identity
- Tone and mood
- sentimental; romantic
- Premise and plot tags
- Robot; Time Skip; Sci-Fi
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1976 novelette by Isaac Asimov and the 1992 novel The Positronic Man by Asimov and Robert Silverberg
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics and was a box office failure.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 42 · scale: 100 · review count: 31
- Awards and nominations
- Best Makeup · Academy Awards · 72nd · lost; Favorite Actor — Comedy · Blockbuster Entertainment Award · lost; Favorite Actress — Comedy · Blockbuster Entertainment Award · lost; Best Character Makeup — Feature · Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild Award · lost; Favorite Movie Actor · Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards · lost; Worst Actor · Razzie Award · lost; Best Dramatic Presentation · Seiun Award · won; Best Young Actress/Performance in a Motion Picture Comedy · YoungStar Award · lost
- Production trivia
- Tim Allen was considered for the role of Andrew but turned it down.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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