Making Mr. Right (1987)

User Rating:

5.1/10   

Director:

Susan Seidelman

Writers:

Floyd Byars (writer)
Laurie Frank (writer)

Release Date:

3 April 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance | Sci-Fi

Plot:

A reclusive scientist builds a robot that looks exactly like him to go on a long term space mission...

Plot Keywords:

Android | Astronaut | Identity Swap | Birthday | Robot As Pathos

Cast

John Malkovich	...	Dr.Jeff Peters / Ulysses
Ann Magnuson	...	Frankie Stone
Glenne Headly	...	Trish
Ben Masters	...	Steve Marcus
Laurie Metcalf	...	Sandy
Polly Bergen	...	Estelle Stone
Harsh Nayyar	...	Dr. Ramdas
Hart Bochner	...	Don
Susan Berman	...	Ivy Stone
Polly Draper	...	Suzy Duncan
Christian Clemenson	...	Bruce
Merwin Goldsmith	...	Moe Glickstein
Sid Raymond	...	Manny
Sidney Armus	...	Jeweler
Robert Trebor	...	Tux Salesman

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:M | Finland:K-12 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | West Germany:6

Filming Locations:

Miami, Florida, USA

Company:

Barry & Enright Productions

Trivia:

John Malkovich, Glenne Headly, and Laurie Metcalf, have been acting together since the late-'70s as members of Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company.

Goofs:

Plot holes: After Frankie looses Ulysses at the mall, she uses a pay phone to call Trish at her place. However, in her first car, there is a car-phone clearly visible on her dashboard. So, there would be no need to use a pay phone.

Quotes:

Ulysses: It takes a man this sensitive to know your needs!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in S1m0ne (2002)

Soundtrack:

Happy Together

In love with an android.

Making Mr. Right is one of director Susan Seidleman's funniest movies, perhaps even funnier than Desperately Seeking Susan. Plus, I love Seidleman's style, with such goofy situations always set in beautiful atmospheres with bright, art deco settings and neo/retro (60s with an 80s modification) wardrobe for both female and male characters. They were part of what made her movies so interesting.

Once again, Seidleman has directed another great romantic comedy with a terrific cast. Ann Magnuson is Frankie Stone, a woman who works in high class advertising. She has taken on a new project to help find the proper advertising angle for a new creation that is going to change the future--an android named Ullyseus (Malkovich), designed by a seriously detached scientist named Jeff Peters (also Malkovich). A scientist and an identical, eager android is already destined for great laughs as the situations lead to a few wild misunderstandings.

To Peter's dismay, Stone's quality time with Ullyseus (so she can figure out a successful advertising campaign) starts to make the android more human. And, ironically, he gains more human emotion than his identical creator, Jeff Peters, who gradually sinks into something more like an emotionless, android state. But Ullyseus wants to know what true love is all about (and Stone wants to know if such a thing is even possible).

It is a sweet movie, as Seidleman's movie often are, mostly because all the actors (and their respective characters) work so well together. In particular, this is a great demonstration of Malkovich's talents. It is one of the few comedies I have seen him in. And, it's fantastic to seem his try to act like an android acting like a human. Also, Laurie Metcalf (who was in Desperately Seeking Susan), as usual, is one of the funniest characters in the whole movie (just wait till you watch the scene with her and Ullyseus at the mall). It is a great romantic comedy, and one that I think 80s fans are sure to enjoy. Plus, Chaz Jenkel (who did some of the music for 'Real Genius') adds some great synthesizer/bongo drums music for this movie.