What Planet Are You From? (2000)

A human-looking alien from a highly advanced but emotionless all-male society is sent to Earth to impregnate a woman and bring the child back to their planet. The alien ends up falling in love there. A suspicious F.A.A. Agent targets him.

Director:

Mike Nichols

Writers:

Garry Shandling (story), Michael Leeson (story)

Stars:

Garry Shandling, Annette Bening, John Goodman

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Garry Shandling	...	Harold Anderson
Annette Bening	...	Susan
John Goodman	...	Roland Jones
Greg Kinnear	...	Perry Gordon
Ben Kingsley	...	Graydon
Judy Greer	...	Rebecca
Danny Zorn	...	Randy
Harmony Smith	...	Rita
Richard Jenkins	...	Don Fisk
Linda Fiorentino	...	Helen Gordon
Caroline Aaron	...	Nadine
Nora Dunn	...	Madeline
Cricky Long	...	Janice
Camryn Manheim	...	Alison
Ann Cusack	...	Liz

Storyline

A highly advanced civilization, whose citizens feel no emotion and reproduce by cloning, plans to conquer Earth from the inside by sending an operative, fashioned with a humming, mechanical penis, to impregnate a human and stay until the birth. The alien, Harold Anderson, goes to Phoenix as a banker and sets to work finding a mate. His approaches to women are inept, and the humming phallus doesn't help, but on the advice of a banking colleague, he cruises an A.A. meeting, meets Susan, and somehow convinces her to marry him. The clock starts to tick: will she conceive, have a baby, and lose Harold (and the child) to his planet before he discovers emotion and starts to care?

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Plot Keywords:

pregnancy | question in title | alien | husband wife relationship | sex scene | 

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Taglines:

To save his planet, an alien must find a woman on Earth to have his baby. There's just one problem.

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Genres:

Comedy | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexuality and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 March 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

De quelle planète viens-tu?

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$60,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,008,746, 5 March 2000

Gross USA:

$6,291,602

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$14,145,677

Company Credits

Production Co:

Brillstein-Grey Entertainment, Columbia Pictures, What Planet Are You From? Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min 87 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

If you look closely, the opening "Columbia" lady's face is very different and holds a very strong resemblance to Annette Bening.

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Goofs

[All goofs for this title are spoilers.]

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Quotes

[first lines]
Title Card: At the far reaches of the Universe lies a planet of men who have advanced technologically beyond the realm of human comprehension. This is no breeding - they are a product of cloning, and their reproductive organs have shrunk and disappeared. All emotions have been bred out of this race and each succeeding generation has become more ambitious and driven than the previous one. They want to rule the Universe, and now they are planning their next takeover from the inside.

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Crazy Credits

Playing on the oft-noted resemblance between Annette Bening and the lady bearing the torch in the Columbia Pictures logo, Bening's face replaces the Columbia lady's.

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Alternate Versions

The German DVD only runs 87 minutes. At least 3 scenes from the trailer are missing. The subplots involving Linda Fiorentino and John Goodman's characters are mostly deleted.

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Connections

References Rosemary's Baby (1968)

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Soundtracks

The Meaning of Love
Written by Michael McDonald and Jim Photoglo
Performed by Michael McDonald
Courtesy of Ramp Records, LLC

User Reviews

Space Oddity.

The new film from director Mike Nichols who did such classics as THE GRADUATE, and WORKING GIRL. Now his newest film is a sort of a different pace for him, it's still a comedy but it has science fiction mixed in with it. Nichols newest film is is WHAT PLANET ARE YOU FROM? This is a intresting sort of film since it mixes AMERICAN PIE with MEN IN BLACK. PLANET is about a alien from a planet far away, where there are only men. The leader, (Ben Kingsley)decides that it's time to start breeding and to begin taking over Earth. A alien is chosen, and it's Harold (Garry Shandling), who goes to Earth to help the future of his planet. Harold arrives in Phoenix to find his lucky future mate. He meets a slimy and cold co-worker (Greg Kinnear)who gives Harold tips on how to meet, "one night stand" women. When they go to a alcholic annonymous meeting, Harold meets a woman who he feels fits his profile (Annette Bening). But Harold then discovers what it's really like to live on Earth, and what Earth women are really like. Meanwhile, a Federal Avation Agent (John Goodman) is tracking down the mysterous "jolts" with the airplanes that Harold caused. I did enjoy this film for so many reasons. 1.) It was filmed in Phoenix, (where I live) and it was fun spotting the locations on where they shot the film. 2.) The acting by everyone is good. Garry Shandling does a great job playing the lead. At times he is really give a convincing performance by acting weird, like a alien would. Anette Bening (playing a real estate agent again) is also great, giving a good performance. And I also enjoyed John Goodman as the agent determine to pursade the unwelcome guest. 3.) The cinematography by Michael Ballius and production design by Bo Welch was great, since they also both worked on MEN IN BLACK. 4.) The jokes are very dry in this film, yet they do work and succeed. At times they can be cruel, but they are funny. and 5.) Believe it or not, the film does have a heart in it, which does make it meanningful. For a "screwball" style comedy with very good sets and special effects, PLANET succeeds. However, at time the story does get disjointed and some actors appear and disappear, when you would like to see more of them. But overall, it is entertaining and funny. I don't think teens would enjoy it, but the older adults will giggle as they see the poor reproductive

organ that Shandling's character has. This is a funny film, and I do suggest to catch it when one gets the chance. It's not a classic, but it is very enjoyable. **** (out of five)