Mannequin (1987)

Director:

Michael Gottlieb

Writers:

Michael Gottlieb (writer)
Edward Rugoff (writer)

Release Date:

13 February 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Fantasy | Romance

Tagline:

Coming To Life February 13th.

Plot:

Jonathan Switcher is a young artist. He just doesn't seem to last in any job he does. But when he builds a mannequin...

Plot Keywords:

Mannequin | Love | Department Store | Pennsylvania | Beautiful Woman

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 5 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Andrew McCarthy	...	Jonathan Switcher
Kim Cattrall	...	Ema 'Emmy' Hesire
Estelle Getty	...	Claire Prince Timkin
James Spader	...	Mr. Richards
G.W. Bailey	...	Captain Felix Maxwell
Carole Davis	...	Roxie Shield
Steve Vinovich	...	B.J. Wert
Christopher Maher	...	Armand
Meshach Taylor	...	Hollywood Montrose
Phyllis Newman	...	Emmy's Mother
Phil Rubenstein	...	Mannequin Factory Boss
Jeffrey Lampert	...	Factory Worker
Kenneth Lloyd	...	Superdad
Jake Jundef	...	Superkid
Harvey Levine	...	Balloon Boss

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Singapore:NC-16 | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | USA:PG-13 (original rating) | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:S | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG (re-rating) | West Germany:6

Filming Locations:

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Gladden Entertainment

Trivia:

Director Michael Gottlieb got the idea for this film when he was walking by a store window and was startled to "see" a mannequin move by itself. He realized it was just an optical illusion caused by a combination of lights and shadows, but began to wonder what would happen if a mannequin actually DID come to life.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During the hang gliding scene, the strings are clearly visible holding it up.

Quotes:

Jonathan Switcher: I'm helping Hollywood with the window.
Felix: Oh the little Mary has an assistant now? Where do you people come from?
Jonathan Switcher: Ohio.

Movie Connections:

References The Terminator (1984)

Soundtrack:

DO YOU DREAM ABOUT ME

Delightfully silly romantic comedy-fantasy

"Mannequin" is a silly movie to be sure. But I found it to be very funny at times. I was just a teenager when I first saw this movie back when it came out in 1987. My mom took me and a friend to see this, and we all laughed and had a good time. It's no classic, but so what. All that matters is that it's a fun movie, and that's exactly what this is. Andrew McCarthy stars as a man who's had bad luck with working jobs. His main interest is to be a sculptor. At one of his jobs he made mannequins, and for some odd reason he seems to fall in love with the last mannequin he made. Later he gets employed at a department store that has taken that mannequin in. And before you know it, the mannequin comes to life in the form of an Egyptian princess. But she only comes to life when the two are alone together. When someone else comes into the scene, she freezes up and turns into a mannequin again. This may sound like a stupid premise, but I don't care. "Mannequin" is a movie that's very entertaining. It's not a laugh riot, but I did laugh quite a bit throughout. Andrew McCarthy and Kim Cattrall (as the mannequin) look as if they're having a blast, and if I was the McCarthy character, I would have a blast too. The supporting cast includes Estelle Getty (from TV's "The Golden Girls") as Mrs. Timkin, the friendly owner of the store; James Spader (in an early film role) as the smarmy manager of the store; G.W. Bailey (from the "Police Academy" films) as the bumbling midnight security guard of the store (who spends most of his time talking to his dog); Meshach Taylor (from TV's "Designing Women") as McCarthy's assistant (who acts strange most of the time); and Carole Davis as McCarthy's former girlfriend (who works at a rival department store nearby). All join in on the lunacy of "Mannequin". This is a nice, little picture.

*** (out of four)