Impostor (2001)

In the future, an alien race uses androids as bombs to attack Earth. A government weapons specialist is accused of being one such android and sets out to prove his innocence.

Director:

Gary Fleder

Writers:

Philip K. Dick (short story "The Impostor"), Scott Rosenberg (adaptation)

Stars:

Shane Brolly, Vincent D'Onofrio, Gary Sinise

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gary Sinise	...	Spencer Olham
Madeleine Stowe	...	Maya Olham
Vincent D'Onofrio	...	Hathaway
Tony Shalhoub	...	Nelson Gittes
Tim Guinee	...	Dr. Carone
Mekhi Phifer	...	Cale
Gary Dourdan	...	Captain Burke
Lindsay Crouse	...	Chancellor
Elizabeth Peña	...	Midwife (as Elizabeth Pena)
Jason Beck	...	Gang Boy #2
Judy Jean Berns	...	Disgruntled Woman
Veena Bidasha	...	Frowning Nurse
Ellen Bradley	...	Nursing Mother
Shane Brolly	...	Lt. Burrows
Golden Brooks	...	Cale's Sister

Storyline

An exciting, action-packed sci-fi story from the author of Total Recall and Blade Runner, the thrilling Director's Cut of Impostor brings you Gary Sinise (Forrest Gump, Apollo 13), Madeleine Stowe (We Were Soldiers, Playing By Heart), Vincent D'Onofrio (The Cell, Men In Black) and Mekhi Phifer (O, 8 Mile) in a stellar cast. At a time when the earth has been at war with an alien force for over a decade, the latest work of lauded governmental scientist Spencer Olham (Sinise) promises to save the planet. But suddenly, Olham himself is accused of being an alien spy and is thrown headlong into a disorienting nightmare as a fugitive from the law. With blasts of adrenaline-fueled intensity, this futuristic thriller soars as Olham races to prove his identity to the world...and himself...in time to save all mankind.

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Plot Keywords:

watching tv | chair bondage | botox | slums | nasty face | 

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Taglines:

In the Future, not everyone is who they seem to be.

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for intense sci-fi violence, some sensuality and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 January 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Impostor

Filming Locations:

Ambassador Hotel - 3400 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,022,523, 6 January 2002

Gross USA:

$6,285,176

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$8,694,320

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dimension Films, Marty Katz Productions, Miramax

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min 102 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is the 2nd alien movie that both Tony Shalhoub and Vincent D'Onofrio have starred in. The first was Men In Black.

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Goofs

When Captain Burke is explaining to Major Hathaway why they can't get a scan on the building, his lips don't match his words.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Spencer Olham: There wasn't always a war with the Centauri, but in my lifetime it's all I've ever known. By the year 2050, six years after the first attack, we'd lost so many things. We'd lost the sky to electromagnetic domes, to shield the Earth from frequent air raids increasing in intensity. We'd lost the uncovered cities that the government forgot. We'd lost democracy to global leadership. We didn't expect peace anymore with the Centauri, because we came to see that peace wasn't their goal. ...

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Alternate Versions

Current DVD/video release in the US contains the original R-rated version, and not the cut PG-13 version.

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Connections

Features Starship Troopers (1997)

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Soundtracks

Tribal Flight 1
by Richard Downing
Courtesy of Associated Production Music LLC

User Reviews

Better Than I Would Have Thought.

Impostor is a Sci-Fi movie mixed with some elements of action & mystery. This was better than I thought it would be. I even put off watching it for awhile because I did not have very high hopes for it, but it turned out pretty decent.

Gary Sinise plays Spencer Olham, a doctor along with his wife, Maya, played by Madeleine Stowe. Spencer wakes up and goes to work the next morning to find that he is a wanted man. It appears that the military and the U.S. Defense department think that he is actually a cyborg with a bomb placed in it's heart, with a mission to kill the Chancellor! Pretty far out stuff. The visuals explaining this were pretty cool, too.

Spencer manages to escape but always has the military hot on his trail. This is where the mystery comes in. The viewer is forced to wonder whether or not Spencer is actually himself, or the cyborg programmed to be Spencer. The movie does an excellent job of placing doubt in the minds of those watching, no matter which way they are leaning. If they think Spencer is really himself, it still makes you wonder. Major Hathaway, played by Vincent D'Onofrio, claims that the cyborg is merely programmed to act human, as if it really wants to live.

The special effects here are pretty good as well. At the beginning, I thought we would have another Starship Troopers (visually) on our hands. Since the story takes place in the year 2079, it would not be a good science fiction without the cool household gadgets and such. We see plenty of that here, especially in the beginning. Parts of the movie reminded me of I, Robot, Demolition Man and at times, even Star Wars. This comes recommended for science fiction fans.