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

On filming this movie, G.W. Bailey stated, "We didn't think it would ever be released. It was beyond silliness. We would do outrageous double takes over the lines and say that we hadn't done this kind of stuff since high school. And the director would say, 'More. More. You're going in the right direction with it.' Going in the right direction! We didn't believe this. But suddenly the movie is released, and here's this old-fashioned, silly love story very loosely based on One Touch of Venus (1948) and there's not one dirty word in it, not one naked butt." The critics trampled the picture. Much to Bailey's surprise, the public loved the picture.

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Goofs

When Felix and Mr. Richards chase Jonathan and Emmy on Jonathan's motorcycle, the car that the two men are initially sitting in is black but in the next few shots it is a completely different color - a bright green.

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Quotes

Mannequin Factory Boss: You know, you could get the dummy of the week award, Switcher.
Jonathan Switcher: She turned out pretty good, didn't she?
Mannequin Factory Boss: I wasn't talking about her.

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Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theater 3000: Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster (1991)

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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

Delightfully silly romantic comedy-fantasy

"Mannequin" is a silly movie to be sure. But I found it to be very funny at times. I was just a teenager when I first saw this movie back when it came out in 1987. My mom took me and a friend to see this, and we all laughed and had a good time. It's no classic, but so what. All that matters is that it's a fun movie, and that's exactly what this is. Andrew McCarthy stars as a man who's had bad luck with working jobs. His main interest is to be a sculptor. At one of his jobs he made mannequins, and for some odd reason he seems to fall in love with the last mannequin he made. Later he gets employed at a department store that has taken that mannequin in. And before you know it, the mannequin comes to life in the form of an Egyptian princess. But she only comes to life when the two are alone together. When someone else comes into the scene, she freezes up and turns into a mannequin again. This may sound like a stupid premise, but I don't care. "Mannequin" is a movie that's very entertaining. It's not a laugh riot, but I did laugh quite a bit throughout. Andrew McCarthy and Kim Cattrall (as the mannequin) look as if they're having a blast, and if I was the McCarthy character, I would have a blast too. The supporting cast includes Estelle Getty (from TV's "The Golden Girls") as Mrs. Timkin, the friendly owner of the store; James Spader (in an early film role) as the smarmy manager of the store; G.W. Bailey (from the "Police Academy" films) as the bumbling midnight security guard of the store (who spends most of his time talking to his dog); Meshach Taylor (from TV's "Designing Women") as McCarthy's assistant (who acts strange most of the time); and Carole Davis as McCarthy's former girlfriend (who works at a rival department store nearby). All join in on the lunacy of "Mannequin". This is a nice, little picture.

*** (out of four)