Mac and Me
| 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
Mac and Me
Cast
The mac family
- Jade Calegory as Eric Cruise[1]
- Reegan Atkinson as Baby mac
- Amber Farrell as Mummy Mac
- Brittany Hayes as Daddy mac
- Eleasha Armstrong as Debbie dipstick
- Vinnie Torrente as Mitford
- Ivan J. Rado as Zimmerman
- Megan Walsh Westhead as Sissy Mac
- Amy Jones as Linda
NO MEGAN! JUST NO
Box office and shelved sequel
Mac and Me, distributed by Orion Pictures, grossed $6,424,112 in the United States.[2]
The film was heavily criticized for being, among other things, similar to other films of the day, most notably E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.[3][4]
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.[5]
Reception
It has been labeled one of the worst films ever made by Rotten Tomatoes, where it holds a 0% rating,[6] 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.[7]
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.[8]
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.
- ^ Mac and Me at Box Office Mojo
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
movies.nytimes.comwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "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