In a future where all flora is extinct on Earth, an astronaut is given orders to destroy the last of Earth's botany, kept in a greenhouse aboard a spacecraft.
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Title: Silent Running (1972)
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1 nomination.
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Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Bruce Dern | ... | Freeman Lowell | |
 |
Cliff Potts | ... | John Keenan |
| Ron Rifkin | ... | Marty Barker | |
| Jesse Vint | ... | Andy Wolf | |
|
|
Mark Persons | ... | the Drone |
|
|
Steven Brown | ... | the Drone |
|
|
Cheryl Sparks | ... | the Drone |
|
|
Larry Whisenhunt | ... | the Drone |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
Storyline
In a future Earth barren of all flora and fauna, the planet's ecosystems exist only in large pods attached to spacecraft. When word comes in that the pods are to be jettisoned into space and destroyed, most of the crew of the Valley Forge rejoice at the prospect of going home. Not so for botanist Freeman Lowell, who loves the forest and its creatures. He kills his colleagues taking the ship deep into space. Alone on the craft with his only companions being three small robots, Lowell revels in joys of nature. When colleagues appear to "rescue" him, he realizes he has only one option available to him. Written by garykmcd
Taglines:
Amazing companions on an incredible adventure... that journeys beyond imagination! See more »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
10 March 1972 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Running Silent See more »Filming Locations:
Aircraft Hanger, Van Nuys Airport - 6590 Hayvenhurst Avenue, Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California, USA See more »Edit
Box Office
Budget:
$1,000,000 (estimated)Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
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Lyrics by Diane Lampert
Music by Peter Schickele
Performed by Joan Baez
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
To keep costs down, Trumbull hired college students for modelmaking and other such special effects work. One of them, John Dykstra, went on to a distinguished special effects career of his own. See more »Goofs
During the space walk when Huey and Dewey show Louie's foot to Freeman, Freeman is wearing a blue space suit that looks like an ocean diver's dry suit, with a thin helmet. The suit does not look overly tight, nor is it inflated, it merely fits snugly without being skin tight. However, in space, he would need an atmosphere inside the suit, meaning it would have to be inflated, and the vacuum of space would explode that foam suit in an instant. See more »Quotes
Freeman Lowell: Just sit down and shut up! Sit down, sit down, sit down! Shut up and leave me alone, all of you. Let me eat.See more »
Alternate Versions
In the Italian version, the three drones are named after "Paperino", "Paperone" and "Paperina" ("Donald Duck", "Uncle Scrooge" and "Daisy Duck") because calling them "Qui", "Quo" and "Qua" ("Huey", "Dewey", "Louie") would have been cacophonous: "Vieni qui, Qui!" ("Come here, Huey!"). See more »Soundtracks
Silent RunningLyrics by Diane Lampert
Music by Peter Schickele
Performed by Joan Baez
See more »
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Originally having seen this film years back, all I could remember were a few squatty little robots, some kind of personal crusade, and alot of tears from Bruce Dern. Now, after a few years of having the film in my collection, I'm relieved to say that I recall (know) alot more about the underlying storyline therein. Silent Running is by no means a great science fiction film; it is instead a simplistic story about one man's refusal to destroy that which is dear to his heart, against all odds. What makes this film stand out from others, however, is a combination of great special effects (Trumbull was, of course, mentored by Stanley Kubrick on the set of 2001), a good message and... All of that emotion from Bruce Dern. I must admit that, even after all these years, those tearful moments when Dern breaks down stick in my imagination. Looking for a fabulous, laser blastin', grostesque alien, hyperspace shoot 'em up? Then don't rent Silent Running. However, if you are in the mood for a light, (not too preachy) thoughtful, sci-fi tale of a lonely, one-way journey, check this one out.