The Lawnmower Man (1992)

A simple man is turned into a genius through the application of computer science.

Director:

Brett Leonard

Writers:

Stephen King (title only), Brett Leonard (screenplay)

Stars:

Jeff Fahey, Pierce Brosnan, Jenny Wright

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jeff Fahey	...	Jobe Smith
Pierce Brosnan	...	Dr. Lawrence Angelo
Jenny Wright	...	Marnie Burke
Mark Bringelson	...	Sebastian Timms
Geoffrey Lewis	...	Terry McKeen
Jeremy Slate	...	Father Francis McKeen
Dean Norris	...	The Director
Colleen Coffey	...	Caroline Angelo
Jim Landis	...	Ed Walts
Troy Evans	...	Lieutenant Goodwin
Rosalee Mayeux	...	Carla Parkette
Austin O'Brien	...	Peter Parkette
Michael Gregory	...	Security Chief
Joe Hart	...	Patrolman Cooley
John Laughlin	...	Jake Simpson

Storyline

A scientist performs experiments involving intelligence enhancing drugs and virtual reality on a simple-minded gardener. He puts the gardener on an extensive schedule of learning, and quickly he becomes brilliant. But at this point the gardener has a few ideas of his own on how the research should continue, and the scientist begins losing control of his experiments.

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Plot Keywords:

virtual reality | intelligence | supernatural power | science runs amok | transformation | 

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Taglines:

God made him simple. Science made him a god.

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, sensuality and a scene of violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jobe's lawnmower (Big Red) is a modified McLane Reel.

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Goofs

When Job uses telekinesis to lift a chair, wires can be seen.

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Quotes

Jobe Smith: This technology has peeled back a layer to reveal another universe. Virtual reality will grow, just as the telegraph grew to the telephone - as the radio to the TV - it will be everywhere.
Dr. Lawrence Angelo: You're having delusions, Jobe. Struggle for reason!

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Crazy Credits

At the start of the movie, just after the New Line Cinema logo, the following Virtual Reality 'statement' is given (the director stated that this was rewritten many times): By the turn of the millenium a technology known as VIRTUAL REALITY will be in widespread use. It will allow you to enter computer generated artificial worlds as unlimited as the imagination itself. Its creators foresee millions of positive uses - while others fear it as a new from of mind control...

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Alternate Versions

A director's cut was released with 39 minutes of additional footage which included the following material:

• When Rosco 1138 was shot in the theatrical version he died, but in the directors cut he survived
• A scene when Jobe Smith is attacked by Rosco 1138, but Rosco looks at his pupils and sees he is not a threat
• Dr. Angelo gives some soldiers a briefing on capturing Rosco
• Jobe speaks to Rosco thinking he is a comic book super hero called Cyboman
• Father McKeen finds Rosco with Jobe and calls V.S.I., Dr. Angelo's place of work
• The soldiers go to Jobe's house and Dr. Angelo wants to get Rosco alive, but the soldiers kill Rosco and Jobe starts to cry
• Father McKeen talks to Jobe and tells him how he endangered the church by letting Rosco in his house
• Jobe and Terry McKeen are at the gas station and Jobe tells Terry and Jake about Cyboman and Jake makes fun of him
• Dr. Angelo talks into his audio journal and wonders why Rosco bonded with the retarded man Jobe
• In the theatrical version Dr. Angelo's wife leaves him, but in the director's cut she goes out with her friends. Dr. Angelo follows her to her car and she leaves; then he talks to Peter's mom [Carla Parkett] and they talk about how Peter reminds him of himself at that age
• Terry McKeen and Jobe are in a diner and Jake starts harassing him about Cyboman
• Father McKeen sees Jobe reading and yells at him and Terry defends him and tells Father McKeen to let Jobe be a man. Then Father McKeen leaves and tells Jobe he'll teach him to drive, but he learnt how already with the V.R. treatments he has been getting from Dr. Angelo
• Jobe is with Dr. Angelo on the way to V.S.I. and asks if he is going to do to him what he did with Rosco
• Jobe is scared because he can read minds; he asks Mrs. Angelo where Dr. Angelo is and he reads her mind
• Dr. Angelo asks his wife where Jobe is and she does not respond because she is under Jobe's control
• Dr. Angelo is tied up and his wife asks if he and Jobe need anything, still being under his control
• The agents are going to pick up Jobe and Dr. Angelo when Jobe tells Dr. Angelo "Now you will witness the impossible" and makes Dr. Angelo watch his wife kill an agent and then is killed by the other two while he watches through V.R.

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Connections

Referenced in The Cell (2000)

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Soundtracks

State of Shock
Written by John Hayes, Lyn Vaus
Performed by Carnal Garage
Courtesy of Scraping By Music

User Reviews

Let's party like it's 1992

This effect-laden sci-fi horror film looked pretty impressive back in 1992. But of course times move on, and such movies have a tendency to look dated quicker than most as technology marches on to new levels. I guess The Lawnmower Man is one of these films. But in fairness, it can be quite fun to look back at old special effects and see what was cutting edge back in the day. In truth, today if you were to give a 12 year old child a computer game with graphics similar to those in The Lawnmower Man, that child would turn around and laugh in your face. Such is the speed of computer technology. So yes, The Lawnmower Man no longer looks cutting-edge but neither does it look terrible, its effects work within themselves and are only occasionally atrocious, such as the burning priest.

As most people already know, the story is about a simpleton who is turned into a genius via virtual reality technology. The side effect of this method is that it turns the, otherwise good natured man into an insane evil psychotic.

The Lawnmower Man is neither a particularly good film, nor an especially bad one. There's certainly nothing special here, and the effects were by far its chief selling point. Without them this would almost certainly be a forgotten B-movie. Pierce Brosnan and Jeff Fahey are reasonable enough in their roles, but they were always going to play second fiddle to the CGI. At the heart of it all it's a simple clichéd story that doesn't really hold very many surprises to be perfectly honest. But it's still quite good fun in a silly kind of a way.

Details

Country:

UK Japan USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 March 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

Stephen King's The Lawnmower Man

Filming Locations:

Brandeis-Bardin Institute - 1101 Pepper Tree Lane, Simi Valley, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,751,971, 8 March 1992

Gross USA:

$32,100,816

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$32,100,816

Company Credits

Production Co:

Allied Vision, Fuji Eight Company Ltd., Lane Pringle Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min 140 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1