Mac and Me: Difference between revisions
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==Plot== |
==Plot== |
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A disabled girl called Brittany Hayes is a blaintent wierdo and she loves john sealey loads and loads, AMEN. |
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A disabled boy named Eric, his single-mother Janet, and brother Michael, move to a new town. While they are getting settled, Eric discovers an alien he names MAC. He distrusts the alien, but his sister thinks that the alien may have some special value. The alien only likes [[Skittles (confectionery)|Skittles]] and [[Coca-Cola|Coke]]. After a few silly adventures, Eric's wheelchair falls off a cliff, and MAC saves him. The sheriff is shocked, but helps anyway. The children start to take MAC seriously and decide to help reunite him with his family. They go to a birthday party at a [[McDonald's]] and have a dance party with MAC dressed up as a [[teddy bear]]. The [[FBI]] shows up and the kids try to pass off MAC as just a bear, but the FBI agents seem to recognize his dance moves. They chase MAC outside and MAC finally catches up with his family when they walk into a [[supermarket]] naked. The alien daughter tries to steal a Coke but she is stopped by the store security. The alien dad takes the gun away from the security guard and a brief shootout with the police follows. The shootout ends with a pipe exploding (after being shot), killing Eric who has befriended MAC. A doctor pronounces the child dead and MAC then brings him back to life. The movie ends with the alien family being granted [[citizenship]] for performing a miracle in bringing Eric back to life. |
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==Cast== |
==Cast== |
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Revision as of 12:03, 17 January 2013
| Mac and Me | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Stewart Raffill |
| Written by | Stewart Raffill Steve Feke |
| Produced by | R.J. Louis Mark Damon William B. Kerr |
| Starring | Jade Calegory Lauren Stanley Christine Ebersole Jonathan Ward Katrina Caspary |
| Cinematography | Nick McLean |
| Edited by | Tom Walls |
| Music by | Alan Silvestri |
Production companies | Vision International New Star Entertainment |
| Distributed by | Orion Pictures Home Video: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date |
|
Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $13,000,000 |
| Box office | $6,424,112 |
Mac and Me is a 1988 sci-fi fantasy film co-written (with Steve Feke) and directed by Stewart Raffill about a "Mysterious Alien Creature" (MAC) that escapes from nefarious NASA agents and is befriended by a young boy who uses a wheelchair. Together, they try to find MAC's family, from whom he has been separated. The film stars Jade Calegory (in his only film appearance), Christine Ebersole, Jonathan Ward, Katrina Caspary and Lauren Stanley. It is also Jennifer Aniston's debut film (playing an uncredited role as an extra).
Plot
A disabled girl called Brittany Hayes is a blaintent wierdo and she loves john sealey loads and loads, AMEN.
Cast
- Jade Calegory as Eric Cruise[1]
- Reegan Atkinson as Baby mac
- Amber Farrell as Mummy Mac
- Brittany Hayes as Daddy mac
- Lauren Stanley as Debbie
- Vinnie Torrente as Mitford
- Ivan J. Rado as Zimmerman
- Megan Walsh Westhead as Sissy Mac
- Amy Jones as Linda
Product placement
The film is known for its numerous and blatant product placements, including Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Skittles, and Sears.[2] The main character's name, Mac, is proclaimed by the main character to mean "Mysterious Alien Creature". The only foods the alien requires are Coke and Skittles. A five-minute-long impromptu dance number, featuring Ronald McDonald, takes place in a McDonald's franchise, which led Leonard Maltin to call the film "more like a TV commercial than a movie".[3] However, according to Seth Stevenson, "there was no quid pro quo between the filmmakers and these companies".[4]
Box office and shelved sequel
Mac and Me, distributed by Orion Pictures, grossed $6,424,112 in the United States.[5]
The film was heavily criticized for being, among other things, similar to other films of the day, most notably E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.[2][6]
The film ends with a freeze frame and the words "We'll be back!" superimposed, but after abysmal reviews and dismal box office returns, the planned sequel was shelved.[7]
Reception
It has been labeled one of the worst films ever made by Rotten Tomatoes, where it holds a 0% rating,[8] mainly due to people calling it a product placement inducement and a rip-off of the movie E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial (whose original working title, incidentally, was E.T. and Me). Mac and Me was also referenced in the 2011 film Paul, which was also about aliens.[9]
Running gag on Conan O'Brien
The film has gained a measure of notoriety thanks to actor Paul Rudd. As part of a running gag on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Rudd would show a clip of the wheelchair-using Eric (replaced by a dummy) falling off a cliff, instead of showing clips from the actual film he was there to promote. Most recently, Rudd continued the gag on O'Brien's latest TV show, Conan, as a supposed clip from This Is 40 during a Dec. 2012 appearance.[10]
Awards and nominations
- 1988 Golden Raspberry Awards
- Worst New Star (Ronald McDonald)
- Worst Director (Stewart Raffill)
- Worst Picture (R.J. Louis) (nominated)
- Worst Screenplay (Stewart Raffill and Steve Feke) (nominated)
- 1988 Young Artist Award
- Best Family Animation or Fantasy Motion Picture (nominated)
- Best Young Actor in a Motion Picture Comedy or Fantasy (Jade Calegory) (nominated)
- Best Young Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy or Fantasy (Tina Caspary) (nominated)
- Best Young Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy or Fantasy (Lauren Stanley) (nominated)
References
- ^ "When he tires of answering questions about why he's in a wheelchair, the 7th-grader simply dead-pans: 'Vietnam.' : Out-of-This-World Career Still in Cards for 'Mac and Me' Star". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-05-15.
- ^ a b "Review/Film; 'MAC and Me,' Family From a Distant Planet". The New York Times. Retrieved 2012-05-17.
- ^ Maltin, Leonard (2003). Leonard Maltin's Movie and Video Guide 2004. Signet. ISBN 0-451-20940-0.
- ^ Stevenson, Seth (2007-06-11). "Vitaminwater, Everywhere: Why is David Ortiz shilling for the frou-frou beverage?". Slate.
- ^ Mac and Me at Box Office Mojo
- ^ "Movie Review Mac and Me Takes a Big McBite Out of E.T." The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-12-05.
- ^ "Sequel Baiting Endings That Didn't Work". Empire. Retrieved 2012-06-11.
- ^ Mac and Me at Rotten Tomatoes
- ^ "Movies; Branded Into the Scenery; Commentary: Advertising is so much a part of life that it's understandable to find familiar products in films. But sometimes it goes too far". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-05-17.
- ^ YouTube: MAC AND ME (1988) - infamous wheelchair scene