Harrison Bergeron (1995)

In a distant future, egalitarianism has created a truly equal state. The cost? The sacrifice of everything great about humankind. The question: is peace worth the price?

Director:

Bruce Pittman

Writers:

Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (story), Arthur Crimm

Stars:

Sean Astin, Miranda de Pencier, Eugene Levy

4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sean Astin	...	Harrison Bergeron
Miranda de Pencier	...	Phillipa
Eugene Levy	...	President McCloskey
Howie Mandel	...	Charlie (of 'Chat with Charlie')
Andrea Martin	...	Diana Moon Glampers
Christopher Plummer	...	John Klaxon
Nigel Bennett	...	Dr. Eisenstock
Peter Boretski	...	Newman
David Calderisi	...	Commissioner Benson
Emmanuelle Chriqui	...	Jeannie
Hayden Christensen	...	Eric
Cindy Cook	...	Weatherperson
Roger Dunn	...	George Bergeron
Jayne Eastwood	...	Ms. Newbound
Hal Eisen	...	TV Announcer - San Quentin

Storyline

"All men are not created equal. It is the purpose of the Government to make them so." This is the premise of the Showtime film adaption of Kurt Vonnegut's futuristic short story Harrison Bergeron. The film centers around a young man (Harrison) who is smarter than his peers, and is not affected by the usual "Handicapping" which is used to train all Americans so everyone is of equal intelligence.

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Plot Keywords:

character name as series title | future | dystopia | reference to ludwig van beethoven | under achiever | 

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Taglines:

Welcome to the future. It's a no-brainer.

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Genres:

Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, and for some sexuality and violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

Buck Henry went on to appear in Breakfast of Champions (1999), which was also based on a novel by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

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Quotes

John Klaxon: Can you imagine how I must feel, knowing that I'm striving to create a world in which no Beethoven will ever be born? But it has to be, not just because of some words in a constitution. It has to be.

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Connections

Features It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

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Soundtracks

Tennessee Waltz
Music and Lyrics by Redd Stewart and Pee Wee King
Used by permission of Acuff-Rose Music Inc.

User Reviews

A fascinating look at our times

Even though the film takes place in the future, it is an interesting and frightening look at our own times. It's a combination of 1984 and MATRIX with a 50s-style movie. The fact that we allow ourselves to be told what to think and do is played out in an interesting fashion. The Thoreau-like character sees the facade and learns how to break through. Sean Austin does a great job as the naive innocent who sees into the darkness behind the facade. Christopher Plummer is very effective as the "big brother" who actually has a soul. The film makes us confront the dilemma of whether we want to be "normal" or to be who we really are.

Details

Official Sites:

Cypress Films home page

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 August 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Kurt Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron

Filming Locations:

Ontario, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Atlantis Films, Cypress Films (I)

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1