IMDb > Creator (1985)
Creator
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

IMDb Holiday Movie Guide

Overview

User Rating:
5.4/10   1,570 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?

Down 1% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Ivan Passer

Writers:

Jeremy Leven (novel)
Jeremy Leven (screenplay)

Contact:

View company contact information for Creator on IMDbPro.

Release Date:

20 September 1985 (USA) more

Genre:

Comedy | Romance | Sci-Fi more

Tagline:

It's potentially dangerous, probably illegal and definitely crazy.

Plot:

An eccentric scientist teaches a student in his own manner while he looks for a way to clone his deceased wife. full summary | add synopsis

NewsDesk:

Who Are Your Favorite Movie Professors?
 (From Cinematical. 10 July 2009, 10:02 AM, PDT)

User Comments:

A wacky, gentle, thoughtful love story. more (34 total)


Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Peter O'Toole ... Dr. Harry Wolper

Mariel Hemingway ... Meli

Vincent Spano ... Boris Lafkin

Virginia Madsen ... Barbara Spencer

David Ogden Stiers ... Dr. Sid Kullenbeck
John Dehner ... Paul
Karen Kopins ... Lucy Wolper
Kenneth Tigar ... Pavlo
Elsa Raven ... Mrs. Mallory
Lee Kessler ... Mrs. Pruitt
Rance Howard ... Mr. Spencer

Ellen Geer ... Mrs. Spencer
Ian Wolfe ... Prof. Brauer
Mike Jolly ... Boom-Boom
Burton Collins ... Lyman
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:

The Big Picture (USA) (alternative title)
more

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1 more

Sound Mix:

Stereo


Fun Stuff

Trivia:

While filming a scene where Harry (Peter O'Toole) rides his bicycle on a downtown street, an extra stepped out from a building too early and caused him to have a minor crash. more

Goofs:

Factual errors: At one point Harry and Boris steal Syd's sequencer to "get her [Lucy's] amino acids in the right sequence". This is most likely a case of literary license on behalf of the script writers. Protein sequencers are used to determine the amino acid sequences of constituent peptides and invariably destroy the samples being analyzed. more

Quotes:

Dr Harry Wolper: (to patient) Well now, haven't you put yourself into a pretty old pickle?
Boris: Harry.
Dr Harry Wolper: Eh heh?
Boris: Harry, she's in a coma.
Dr Harry Wolper: Comas confuse me. She's not asleep. She is not dead. She must be alive, don't you think?
Boris: Yes.
Dr Harry Wolper: But what we need round here is some consciousness.
more

Soundtrack:

String Trio Rock more


FAQ

Chapter Headings, an unofficial version:
more
9 out of 9 people found the following comment useful.
A wacky, gentle, thoughtful love story., 6 May 1999
9/10
Author: TVholic from New York

Actually three love stories in one. There's Harry Wolper and his long departed wife, putting the lie to "till death do us part." Then there's the developing relationship between Meli and Wolper. And finally the impulsive young love of Boris and Barbara. All interwoven like so much spaghetti. There's so much love in the air that this would be a great date movie so long as both parties are comfortable with the occasional detours into science and philosophy. The dialogue is usually sharply written and often witty, almost intellectual. The editing, though, was a bit choppy.

In today's world, where human cloning is coming ever closer to reality and paranoia about it is common, Jeremy Leven's screenplay should be a good reminder that genes don't make us who we are. As Boris said, even a cloning breakthrough wouldn't be able to bring back the woman he loved, for he could never recreate the experiences that originally shaped her mind and soul.

Peter O'Toole again plays his patented charming eccentric. It's a role virtually tailor-made for him, and he carries it well. Whether he's spouting technical or medical jargon, wistfully remembering his lost wife, or rhapsodizing on the nature of God and the Big Picture, O'Toole truly loses himself in this character and comes through as totally convincing. Vincent Spano and Virginia Madsen showed great chemistry as the young college couple. Mariel Hemingway was the weak link. Her character was supposed to be street-smart and self-assured but unfortunately often came across as simply shrill.

The melancholy score meshes well with the movie, successfully evoking the loneliness surrounding the characters. Surprising, as it was composed by Sylvester Levay, best known for his pounding, synthesizer-rich theme for TV's "Airwolf."

It's worth renting this movie on tape or DVD, because the version edited for television cuts several scenes that are very important to the plot. Without those scenes, some lines just don't make sense. Regrettably, there is no widescreen version even on DVD, although the standard 1.33:1 Academy Frame does help keep the story intimate. Occasionally, though, some characters will have their faces cut off the side of the screen. But even the DVD is a very imperfect version. The sound level wavers wildly, the only DVD I've ever had that does this. Sometimes it's barely audible while seconds later it's back at full volume. And the beginning of the movie is truncated, with the opening titles cutting in a few notes into the score. The print is also grainy, painfully so in a few of the darker scenes. All in all, a very careless transfer.

Note for Star Trek fans: this film contains a veritable cavalcade of Trek guest stars. At least four of the cast have appeared on various incarnations of Trek, including Madsen and Stiers on The Next Generation and Ian Wolfe and Jeff Corey on the original show.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (34 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Creator (1985)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Chapter Headings, v1.00: annevejb
Cut Scenes floatingweeds2000
Music from CREATOR by Sylvester LeVay powerslaw
Help!!!! FlyByBethy
one of those great movies.... questionmarkunderscore
VHS or DVD ? gldrgidr-1
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
The Boys from Brazil Porky's Starter for 10 The Human Stain The Reader
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Comedy section IMDb USA section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.