Molly (1999)

A bachelor becomes the unwilling guardian of his autistic, retarded sister; then an experimental treatment works a dramatic change in her brain and his attitude.

Director:

John Duigan

Writer:

Dick Christie

Stars:

Elisabeth Shue, Aaron Eckhart, Jill Hennessy

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Elisabeth Shue	...	Molly McKay
Aaron Eckhart	...	Buck McKay
Jill Hennessy	...	Susan Brookes
Thomas Jane	...	Sam
D.W. Moffett	...	Mark Cottrell
Elizabeth Mitchell	...	Beverly Trehare
Robert Harper	...	Dr. Simmons
Elaine Hendrix	...	Jennifer Thomas
Michael Paul Chan	...	Domingo
Lucy Liu	...	Brenda
Jon Pennell	...	Gary McKay
Sarah Wynter	...	Julie McKay
Lauren Richter	...	Molly McKay - 7 Years Old
Tanner Lee Prairie	...	Buck McKay - 8 Years Old (as Tanner Prairie)
Nicholas Pryor	...	Dr. Prentice

Storyline

Molly McKay is a profoundly autistic twenty-something woman who has lived in an institution from a young age following her parents' death in a car accident. When the institution must close due budget cuts, Molly is left in the charge of her neurotypical, older brother, Buck McKay, an advertising executive and perennial bachelor. Molly, who verbalizes very little and is obsessed with lining up her shoes in neat rows, throws Buck's life into a tailspin as she runs off her nurses and barges into a meeting Buck's agency naked. When Buck consults Molly's (beautiful) neurologist, Susan Brookes, Dr. Brookes suggests an experimental surgery in which healthy brain cells are harvested from a donor and implanted into Molly's brain. While Buck initially balks at the suggestion, he finally consents to the surgery and Molly makes a miraculous "recovery" from her autism when she begins to speak fluidly and to interact with her brother, caretakers, and the world, in general. Buck begins taking Molly ...

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Plot Keywords:

autism | regression | experimental surgery | headstone | actor | 

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Taglines:

She was a child of 3, a woman of 28 and a miracle waiting to happen!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some sex-related material and nudity

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

July 1999 (Norway)

Also Known As:

Rescue Me

Filming Locations:

Alverno High School - 200 North Michillinda Avenue, Sierra Madre, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$21,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$9,683 (USA) (22 October 1999)

Gross:

$15,593 (USA) (29 October 1999)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Absolute Entertainment (II), Cockamamie, Heckerling-Caplan

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film premiered on major airline flights before being shown in cinemas.

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Connections

Version of The United States Steel Hour: The Two Worlds of Charlie Gordon (1961)

User Reviews

A movie in need of major surgery

This movie is just plain daft; a patchy mix of "heartwarming" (i.e. cloyingly sentimental) bonding scenes between cured autistic woman Shue and her initially selfish brother Eckhart, poor editing that seems to dispense with whole chunks of plot (after hastily explained and supremely daft 'ground-breaking' neurosurgery, Shue's regression, once it finally begins, is complete within a couple of scenes), and stultifying cliches. Failing completely to engender any emotional involvement in Molly's predicament, which could have been heartbreaking if skilfully handled, the movie shamelessly strives to manipulate the viewer in almost every scene and quickly outstays it's welcome.

Shue's performance is ok, and Eckhart offers solid support, but they're both let down by the material, and before the movie is half over you'll be wondering why they ever made the wretched thing in the first place.