Brainstorm (1983)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Douglas Trumbull

Writers:

Bruce Joel Rubin (story)
Robert Stitzel (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

30 September 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

...The Ultimate Experience

Plot:

Brilliant researchers Lillian Reynolds and Michael Brace have developed a system of recording and playing back actual experiences of people...

Plot Keywords:

Technology | Military | Memory | Chimpanzee | Peanut Butter

Awards:

2 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Christopher Walken	...	Michael Brace
Natalie Wood	...	Karen Brace
Louise Fletcher	...	Lillian Reynolds
Cliff Robertson	...	Alex Terson
Jordan Christopher	...	Gordy Forbes
Donald Hotton	...	Landan Marks
Alan Fudge	...	Robert Jenkins
Joe Dorsey	...	Hal Abramson
Bill Morey	...	James Zimbach
Jason Lively	...	Chris Brace
Darrell Larson	...	Security Technician
Lou Walker	...	Chef
Stacey Kuhne-Adams	...	Andrea
John Hugh	...	Animal Lab Technician
Ira David Wood III	...	Barry (as David Wood)

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:M (original rating | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1984) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG | Singapore:PG | Canada:PG (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA

Company:

JF Productions

Trivia:

Natalie Wood died before filming was complete, thus the ending had to be constructed from scenes shot earlier. The film was dedicated to her memory.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Lillian is recording her death, the tape reel is almost empty and it only records for about 30 seconds. After the funeral, when Brace and Hal are in the lab , the reel on the table is full. Then later, when we see the tape reel in the tape lab, it's almost empty again.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Dr. Lillian Reynolds: Can you see better if I move it a little closer?
Dr. Michael Anthony Brace: I can see something. It's parts of the grid, but it's still rotating. It's not locking up.
Hal Abramson: Maybe we all need a little break, Lillian.
Dr. Lillian Reynolds: Hal, you take a break.

Movie Connections:

Features Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)

Difficult, but Talented

First off, let's get a few things out of the way:

Yes, "Brainstorm" is marred by uneven acting and the death of its lead actress, Natalie Wood, under circumstances that to this day are still the stuff of speculation.

Yes, Louise Fletcher's death scene is overacted to the point of parody.

Yes, it's not easy to accept Christoper Walken in a role of a semi-normal person.

Yes, "Brainstorm" was only Douglas Trumbull's second film as a director, and some might argue that it was little better than "Silent Running."

But, even despite all of that, the story is incredibly engaging, the visuals are striking (what else would you expect from the wizard responsible for "2001" and "Blade Runner"?), James Horner's music is absolutely divine, and the film is quite enjoyable.

Also, in its favor, a great deal of the credit (or blame, as many would say) for the final result lies squarely with MGM/UA. Still dealing with United Artists' financial baggage after their merger, the company all but took the film away from Trumbull after Wood's death--not to mention the studio's lack of support for Trumbull's plan to film the "helmet" sequences in his ultra-realistic Showscan process.

So, in point, I highly recommend this movie, but just be aware of what you're getting into...