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The Lawnmower Man (1992)

R | | Horror, Sci-Fi | 6 March 1992 (USA)
A simple man is turned into a genius through the application of computer science.

Director:

Writers:

(title only), (screenplay) | 1 more credit »
Reviews
Popularity
3,811 ( 848)

On Disc

at Amazon

3 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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Terry McKeen
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Father Francis McKeen
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The Director
Colleen Coffey ...
Caroline Angelo
Jim Landis ...
Ed Walts
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Lieutenant Goodwin
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Carla Parkette
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Security Chief
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Patrolman Cooley
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Jake Simpson
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Storyline

A scientist performs experiments involving intelligence enhancing drugs and virtual reality on a simple-minded gardener. He puts the gardener on an extensive schedule of learning, and quickly he becomes brilliant. But at this point the gardener has a few ideas of his own on how the research should continue, and the scientist begins losing control of his experiments. Written by Ed Sutton <esutton@mindspring.com>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

God made him simple. Science made him a god.

Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, sensuality and a scene of violence | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

| |

Language:

Release Date:

6 March 1992 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Stephen King's The Lawnmower Man  »

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$32,101,000 (USA)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Jenny Wright did only the close-ups in the VR strobe scene because the strobe light made her sick. Her wide-angle shots were done using a double, and the close-ups to her face were done with a blue screen so that she didn't have to move. See more »

Goofs

Dr. Angelo, remarking on Jobe's progress with Latin, says that he himself took a year to learn just the Latin alphabet, which is still in use, plus a few letters, as the English alphabet. (In mitigation, he could be referring to the difficulty in reading ancient manuscripts, or how long a child takes to learn how to read, though this seems unlikely in context.) See more »

Quotes

Jobe Smith: You realize, Dr. Angelo, that my intelligence has surpassed yours...
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Crazy Credits

At the start of the movie, just after the New Line Cinema logo, the following Virtual Reality 'statement' is given (the director stated that this was rewritten many times): By the turn of the millenium a technology known as VIRTUAL REALITY will be in widespread use. It will allow you to enter computer generated artificial worlds as unlimited as the imagination itself. Its creators foresee millions of positive uses - while others fear it as a new from of mind control... See more »

Connections

Referenced in Midnight Screenings: X-Men: First Class (2011) See more »

Soundtracks

State of Shock
Written by John Hayes, Lyn Vaus
Performed by Carnal Garage
Courtesy of Scraping By Music
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Frequently Asked Questions

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User Reviews

 
an early look at the coming power of computers
12 July 2006 | by (Portland, Oregon, USA) – See all my reviews

Stories about a simple person getting turned into something more seem pretty common in movies, but none are like "The Lawnmower Man". Portraying scientist Pierce Brosnan turning retarded Jeff Fahey into a super-genius (with unintended consequences), this is one movie destined to blow your mind. The visual effects were beyond impressive even for 1992, but they never dominate the movie. We might say that the movie deals with the dangers of people relying too much on technology, and also the dangers of militarism, but even aside from that, this is a movie worth seeing. Check it out.

Oh, and I think that we can all agree that the sequel needs to be avoided at all costs.


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