Godsend (2004)

Director:

Nick Hamm

Writer (WGA):

Mark Bomback (written by)

Release Date:

30 April 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Adam Duncan. Born: December 11, 1987. Died: December 12, 1995. Born September 23, 1996.

Plot:

A couple agree to have their deceased son cloned, under the supervision of an enigmatic doctor but bizarre things start to happen years after his rebirth.

Plot Keywords:

Birthday | Doctor | Young Boy | Cloning | Clone

Cast

Greg Kinnear	...	Paul Duncan
Rebecca Romijn	...	Jessie Duncan (as Rebecca Romijn-Stamos)
Robert De Niro	...	Richard Wells
Cameron Bright	...	Adam Duncan
Merwin Mondesir	...	Maurice, Young Thug
Sava Drayton	...	Young Thug #2
Jake Simons	...	Dan Sandler
Elle Downs	...	Clara Sandler
Edie Inksetter	...	Footlocker Cashier
Raoul Bhaneja	...	Samir Miklat
Jenny Levine	...	Sandra Shaw
Thomas Chambers	...	Jordan Shaw
Munro Chambers	...	Max Shaw
Jeff Christensen	...	Hal Shaw
Deborah Odell	...	Tanya

Also Known As:

Adam (Canada: French title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violence including frightening images, a scene of sexuality and some thematic material.

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

France:U | Iceland:16 | Malaysia:18PL | USA:PG-13 (certificate #40522) | Portugal:M/16 | South Korea:15 | Japan:PG-12 | Norway:15 (TV rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Canada:14A | Finland:K-15 | Germany:16 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | UK:15 | Netherlands:16

Filming Locations:

King City, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Lions Gate Films

Trivia:

Before the release of this movie, Lions Gate Films set up two official websites: one conventional site with movie information, and one site that appeared to be a promotional tool for the (fictional) cloning institute depicted in the movie. The website gave an email address and phone number (1-888-699-2672) for the "Godsend Institute;" calling the number resulted in a recorded message giving the institute's office hours. Several news outlets reported that when a few bereaved parents called or emailed the fake institute to inquire about having their children genetically reconstituted, the studio started responding to them and explaining that it was just a movie tie-in and not a real laboratory. Similar advertisements for fictional medical procedures and clinics were also produced as parts of the advertising campaigns for Gattaca (1997) and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004).

Goofs:

Continuity: Towards the end of the movie, Jessie goes to check out the answering machine, then freaks out and pushes it away. A little later Paul tries to phone her up and we see the answering machine back on the table again.

Quotes:

Jessie Duncan: What took you so long?
Paul Duncan: I ran into an old student, I got held up.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Daily Show: (2004-04-27)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

Far Away

Not one to see twice, even with the cloning element.

I guess this film didn't really grip me. You knew from the start where the film was heading, but it seemed to take its sweet time about getting there. Perhaps that's why I found myself nodding off several times, only to be awoken by the obligatory, and repeated use of, shock tactics throughout the film.

I can't really think of anything positive to say about this film, but neither can I say anything greatly negative. It was neither good, nor bad. In fact, watching it was very much like being trapped in limbo. There was little to stimulate the audience's minds through most of the movie.

It's also irritating to see Hollywood moralising about the evils of cloning through the use of film. I'd hesitate to say it was right, but the last thing reasoned debate on the subject needs is idiot screenwriters cashing in on public fears (and fears that are generated by media misrepresentation, at that) and adding more fuel to the fire. What next, a movie about people turning into flies because they ate genetically modified food crops?

This film isn't very good and you won't be seeing it twice even if you do have the foolishness, like me, to watch it once. Lets just hope that this is one film that Hollywood decides NOT to clone in the future.