Mannequin (1987)

A young artist, searching for his vocation, makes a mannequin so perfect he falls in love with it. Finding the mannequin in a store window, he gets a job there and his creation comes to life.

Director:

Michael Gottlieb

Writers:

Edward Rugoff, Michael Gottlieb

Stars:

Andrew McCarthy, Kim Cattrall, Estelle Getty

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 5 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Andrew McCarthy	...	Jonathan Switcher
Kim Cattrall	...	Emmy
Estelle Getty	...	Claire Timkin
James Spader	...	Richards
G.W. Bailey	...	Felix
Carole Davis	...	Roxie
Steve Vinovich	...	B.J. Wert (as Stephen Vinovich)
Christopher Maher	...	Armand
Meshach Taylor	...	Hollywood
Phyllis Newman	...	Emmy's Mother
Phil Rubenstein	...	Mannequin Factory Boss
Jeffrey Lampert	...	Factory Worker
Kenneth Lloyd	...	Superdad
Jake Jundef	...	Superkid (as Jake Jundeff)
Harvey Levine	...	Balloon Boss

Storyline

Down-on-his-luck artist Jonathan Switcher bounces from one dead-end job to another, never managing to hold onto any of them. But everything changes when he builds a mannequin, which he falls in love with. It is the first thing he has made that makes him feel like a real artist. Much to his surprise, Jonathan discovers the mannequin prominently displayed in the window of Prince and Company department store. When he saves the life of an old lady who happens to be the owner of that store, he is rewarded by getting a job at the store as a stock boy. The mannequin later comes to life as Ema "Emmy" Hesire, an ancient Egyptian princess living in the year 2514 BC. Gorgeous and vivacious, this femme fatale helps Jonathan turn his career around, inspiring him to become the best window dresser in town. But Emmy soon discovers that the real world is not very dear, when they run into greedy rivals who want to bring them out of business - for good.

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Plot Keywords:

mannequin | department store | mannequin comes to life | window display | window dresser | 

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Taglines:

Just because Jonathan Switcher has fallen in love with a piece of wood, it doesn't make him a dummy.

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Genres:

Comedy | Fantasy | Romance

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 February 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

Perfect Timing

Filming Locations:

Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,001,208, 16 February 1987, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$42,721,196

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gladden Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

LSD researcher Jerry Kelly convinced himself that this movie was real. He was arrested multiple times for speaking and even at times groping and undressing mannequins at several different retail shops. Eventually, he admitted that it was not the LSD that led him to this.

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Goofs

Right after Hollywood informs Jonathan that all the girl mannequins are gone. The following shot shows Jonathan in the display window where Emmy was and there is still a girl mannequin in the display window.

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Quotes

Hollywood Montrose: [to Jonathan] You know I would never interrupt you when you're getting a piece of wood...

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Connections

Spoofed in Magic to Love (1989)

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Soundtracks

Do You Dream About Me
Performed by Alisha
Produced by Mark Berry
Courtesy of RCA Records, PolyGram Records and Liberation Records
Words & Music by Diane Warren

User Reviews

Underrated Romantic Comedy

Frivolous, fun romantic comedy from the '80s. The basic plot is that a girl (Kim Cattrall) in Ancient Egypt is being forced into a marriage she doesn't want. So she prays to the gods and is magically transported/reincarnated/whatever to the future, where she becomes a mannequin that only comes to life for Andrew McCarthy.

I know this movie is almost universally derided but I can't help but love it. It's a sweet, funny, innocently goofy movie that always puts a smile on my face. McCarthy and Cattrall are adorably likable leads. They're helped by a great supporting cast, including Estelle Getty and Meshach Taylor. Not to mention a soundtrack of great '80s songs. In a lot of ways, this movie reminds me of old comedies from the 1930s or 40s. It doesn't care if every little detail of the fantasy plot makes sense. It's just trying to show the audience a good time and, in my case at least, it accomplishes that.