Her (2013)

In a near future, a lonely writer develops an unlikely relationship with an operating system designed to meet his every need.

Director:

Spike Jonze

Writer:

Spike Jonze

Stars:

Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Scarlett Johansson

Won 1 Oscar. Another 82 wins & 181 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Joaquin Phoenix	...	Theodore
Lynn Adrianna	...	Letter Writer #1
Lisa Renee Pitts	...	Letter Writer #2
Gabe Gomez	...	Letter Writer #3
Chris Pratt	...	Paul
Artt Butler	...	Text Voice (voice)
May Lindstrom	...	Sexy Pregnant TV Star
Rooney Mara	...	Catherine
Bill Hader	...	Chat Room Friend #2 (voice)
Kristen Wiig	...	SexyKitten (voice)
Brian Johnson	...	OS1 Commercial Lead
Scarlett Johansson	...	Samantha (voice)
Amy Adams	...	Amy
Matt Letscher	...	Charles
Spike Jonze	...	Alien Child (voice) (as Adam Spiegel)

Storyline

Theodore is a lonely man in the final stages of his divorce. When he's not working as a letter writer, his down time is spent playing video games and occasionally hanging out with friends. He decides to purchase the new OS1, which is advertised as the world's first artificially intelligent operating system, "It's not just an operating system, it's a consciousness," the ad states. Theodore quickly finds himself drawn in with Samantha, the voice behind his OS1. As they start spending time together they grow closer and closer and eventually find themselves in love. Having fallen in love with his OS, Theodore finds himself dealing with feelings of both great joy and doubt. As an OS, Samantha has powerful intelligence that she uses to help Theodore in ways others hadn't, but how does she help him deal with his inner conflict of being in love with an OS?

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Plot Keywords:

loneliness | future | artificial intelligence | signing divorce papers | relationship problems | 

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Taglines:

A Spike Jonze love story.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, sexual content and brief graphic nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 January 2014 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ella

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$23,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$260,382, 20 December 2013, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$25,568,251

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$47,351,251

Company Credits

Production Co:

Annapurna Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

126 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Datasat Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is the only movie Spike Jonze has written as well as directed, completely from his own original script.

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Goofs

When Theodore is moving his forefingers to make the alien boy 3D video game run up the snow hill, it is not synchronized with the character's footsteps.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Theodore: [writing letter] "To my Chris. I've been thinking how I could possibly tell you how much you mean to me. I remember when I first started to fall in love with you like it was last night. Lying naked beside you in that tiny apartment - it suddenly hit me that I was part of this whole larger thing. Just like our parents - or our parents' parents. Before that, I was just living my life like I knew everything - and suddenly this bright light hit me and woke me up. That light was you. I ...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

"Evelyn Edwards...... Mother Who Dated Pricks"

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Connections

Referenced in Jeopardy!: Episode #33.56 (2016)

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Soundtracks

Alien Child
Written and performed by Will Collins

User Reviews

Cyber romance with hearty humanity.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity." Albert Einstein

No better romance is on the screen in 2013 than Spike Jonze's insightful Her. It's about a writer in the future, Theodore, who falls in love with his new operating system (gravelly, sexy voice of Scarlett Johansson), just as he is reluctantly divorcing Catherine (Rooney Mara). The always complicated paths of love make sense as we witness the Platonic relationship develop, sans flesh and sans insanity that usually comes with that flesh.

Her is a simple film that offers a view of love I never thought could come from a machine and its software. Although critics will cite the theme as a screed against the distancing of technology and our growing isolation from each other, and they will be right, I offer the sub theme that only when we strip ourselves of sensual bonds can we see the purity of emotional love, an essence of which Plato would have approved. Yes, although technology is mediating our lives at a rapid pace, we fall back to a personal drive to love and be loved that is physical in its best form but understood best if we can distance ourselves from that physicality.

This delightfully intimate and non-violent film from acclaimed absurdist director Spike Jonze is more emotionally involving than even Enough Said (one of 2013's best romances) because the interaction between the software and the man is all verbal, no glimpse of the gorgeous Johansson allowed. Although this intuitive OS does allow mind sex, even that activity is abstract, allowing us to realize how connecting with a live human is in the mind still and one of life's great gifts, orgasm or not.

Her allows us to witness the evolution of love separate from the encumbrances of physicality. Released from the bonds of appearance, voice is the seducer, not in rude sexual nuance but rather in the care that comes from love of the mind, not the body.

K.K. Barrett's production design, Austin Gorg's art direction, and Gene Serdena's set decoration are memorable: full of comfortable light, much glass overlooking the city, and modern but warm furniture both in LA and Singapore. These artists understand that the fusion of technology and art is not a battle but a collaboration that further helps us understand the intricate workings of human emotion.

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Arthur C. Clarke