I.Q. (1994)

Albert Einstein helps a young man who's in love with Einstein's niece to catch her attention by pretending temporarily to be a great physicist.

Director:

Fred Schepisi

Writers:

Andy Breckman (story), Andy Breckman (screenplay),

Stars:

Tim Robbins, Meg Ryan, Walter Matthau

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tim Robbins	...	Ed Walters
Meg Ryan	...	Catherine Boyd
Walter Matthau	...	Albert Einstein
Lou Jacobi	...	Kurt Gödel
Gene Saks	...	Boris Podolsky
Joseph Maher	...	Nathan Liebknecht
Stephen Fry	...	James Moreland
Tony Shalhoub	...	Bob Rosetti
Frank Whaley	...	Frank
Charles Durning	...	Louis Bamberger
Keene Curtis	...	Eisenhower
Alice Playten	...	Gretchen
Danny Zorn	...	Dennis
Helen Hanft	...	Rose
Roger Berlind	...	Duncan

Storyline

Edward Walters, an auto mechanic, falls for the intelligent and beautiful Catherine Boyd. It is love at first sight. There is however a problem, she's engaged to jerk James Moreland. Fortunately, Catherine's uncle likes Ed, and with his friends they scheme to make Catherine fall for Ed. The comedy in this movie stems from the fact that Catherine's uncle is none other than Albert Einstein, who's portrayed as a fun loving genius, as are his mischievous colleagues, Nathan, Kurt and Boris.

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Plot Keywords:

uncle | love at first sight | mechanic | genius | car | 

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Taglines:

With Einstein as Cupid what could possibly go wrong?

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some mild language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English German

Release Date:

25 December 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Fórmula para amar

Filming Locations:

Cranbury, New Jersey, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$26,372,663 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Sandollar

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Lou Jacobi's last feature film.

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Goofs

In the Cafe, Ed repeatedly picks up his beer, without putting it down.

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Quotes

Albert Einstein: Catherine is my niece.
Ed Walters: She's your niece?
Albert Einstein: Yes
Ed Walters: She's... your niece?
Albert Einstein: I can't have a niece?
Ed Walters: But that makes you... her uncle.
Albert Einstein: It works nicely, doesn't it?

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Crazy Credits

Several characters' names are given incorrectly in the credits; Stephen Fry's character is spelled "James Morland" without the E, Lou Jacobi's character Kurt Gödel is spelled with no umlaut over the O, and Tony Shalhoub's character is titled "Bob Watters," not Bob Rosetti as given throughout the film.

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Connections

Referenced in Game K N B: Episode dated 3 March 2007 (2007)

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Soundtracks

"SH-BOOM (LIFE COULD BE A DREAM)"
by James Keyes, Carl Feaster, Floyd McRae, Claude Feaster & James Edwards
Performed by The Crew Cuts
Courtesy of PolyGram Markets

User Reviews

perfect blend of goofy, sweet, funny, romantic and scientific

Bottom line - best romantic comedy ever. This movie accomplishes what all great movies strive for: the creation of a world and time that we want to re-visit and makes us glad to be part of the human race. When I am blue, this movie lifts my spirit and makes me laugh (and that is still true after many viewings - always fresh).

All of the actors are in top form. The characterizations are so dead on and the characters mesh so well together that you forget the actor (usually difficult to do with Matthau, Robbins and Ryan). The supporting cast is consistently brilliant: Fry ("agae", "a total pygmy package"!), Jacoby & Saks & Maher (the three theoretical physicists as "Greek chorus" - "but time doesn't exist"), Durning ("something we can launch from NJ"), Shalhoub & Whaley (Robbins' boss and co-worker at the service station), and Curits (Eisenhower - how many comedies have Eisenhower??).

Don't miss this overlooked treasure.