Minority Report (2002)

Director:

Steven Spielberg

Writers (WGA):

Philip K. Dick (short story)
Scott Frank (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

21 June 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

What would you do if you were accused of a murder, you had not committed... yet?

Plot:

In the future, criminals are caught before the crimes they commit, but one of the officers in the special unit is accused of one such crime and sets out to prove his innocence.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Future | Washington D.C. | Police | Computer

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 16 wins & 47 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sat. Dec. 5	12:00 PM	TNT
Sun. Dec. 6	3:00 AM	TNT

Cast

Tom Cruise	...	Chief John Anderton
Max von Sydow	...	Director Lamar Burgess
Steve Harris	...	Jad
Neal McDonough	...	Fletcher
Patrick Kilpatrick	...	Knott
Jessica Capshaw	...	Evanna
Richard Coca	...	Pre-Crime Cop
Keith Campbell	...	Pre-Crime Cop
Kirk B.R. Woller	...	Pre-Crime Cop
Klea Scott	...	Pre-Crime Cop
Frank Grillo	...	Pre-Crime Cop
Anna Maria Horsford	...	Casey
Sarah Simmons	...	Lamar Burgess' Secretary
Eugene Osment	...	Jad's Technician
James Henderson	...	Office Worker

Also Known As:

Total Recall 2 (USA) (original script title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violence, brief language, some sexuality and drug content.

Runtime:

145 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Swedish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX | DTS-ES | SDDS

Certification:

Indonesia:Dewasa | Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Malaysia:U | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) (original rating) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:PG (Ontario) (video rating) (2005) | Brazil:14 | New Zealand:M | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Austria:14 (Niederösterreich) | Austria:16 (Steiermark) | Finland:K-15 | France:U | Germany:12 | India:A | Ireland:15 (video rating) | Israel:PG | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:NC-16 | Singapore:PG (censored version) | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:12 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #39066) | Ireland:12PG (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Ambassador Hotel - 3400 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

According to sound designer Gary Rydstrom, the sounds for the Mag-Lev (Magnetic Levitation) car system was made from the sounds of his own washing machine.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Dr. Eddie injects Anderton with the anesthetic Anderton bends Eddie's arm behind him and lays him down on a table. Anderton then removes the needle from Eddie's hand. We then cut to a closeup of Eddie saying "You wouldn't break the hand of the violinist before the concert" and the needle is back in his hand.

Quotes:

Wally the Caretaker: You're not allowed in here - who are you? Do I know you?
John Anderton: [in disguise]
[grabs Wally by the collar]
John Anderton: Listen, Wally - I like you. So, I don't wanna have to kick you or hit you, but only if you promise to help me.
Wally the Caretaker: ...Oh, hi, John.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in (T)Raumschiff Surprise - Periode 1 (2004)

Soundtrack:

Bad Boys

You still have a choice...

Steven Spielberg is one of the few directors around today who can still manipulate an audience in one sense while dazzling and daring that same audience with storytelling and character skills fused with ingenious visual effects. Minority Report is a shining example of that, which also has the grace of having an intelligent concept to start with, which so many sci-fi films lack much less summer sci-fi films (look at MIB2 to see what I mean), and also better than average acting.

Cruise takes the lead role here as John Anderton, who leads, more or less, the agency of police that prevent all murders on the basis of predictions from three Pre-Cogs (one of them Samantha Morton who has the most important role of the three). The system is presumably perfect, until to the surprise of Anderton, he is seen to commit a murder and so starts his quest to try and find out if there is a flaw in thirty six hours. This could be the basis for average sci-fi fodder (Impostor, a film based on another Philip K. Dick story that came out earlier this year, is an point of that), yet Spielberg elevates a story and creates a unique atmosphere to coexist with his characters; by the time the film is HALF way through you'll be exhausted in entertainment.

Bottom line, this is the type of picture to see twice, first to get the feel and presence, and the second to clear up any misunderstandings in the plot (or maybe to avoid Scooby Doo and Windtalkers), since this is indeed one of the best pictures of the year and one of Spielberg's best recent pictures. Grade: A+ or A