Mac and Me
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Mac and Me | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster for Mac and Me |
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| Directed by | Stewart Raffill |
| Produced by | Mark Damon executive producer, William B. Kerr executive producer, R.J. Louis producer |
| Written by | Stewart Raffill, Steve Feke |
| Starring | Jade Calegory, Christine Ebersole, Jonathan Ward, Katrina Caspary, Lauren Stanley |
| Music by | Alan Silvestri |
| Distributed by | Orion Pictures |
| Release date(s) | August 12, 1988 |
| Running time | 95 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | unknown |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Mac and Me is a 1988 family movie about a disabled boy and an extraterrestrial juvenile. The decision to create it was based largely on the success of E.T. (1982). The title itself, Mac and Me, comes from the working title for E.T. — E.T. and Me.[1]
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[edit] Plot
A Mysterious Alien Creature (MAC) escaping from nefarious NASA agents, is befriended by a young boy in a wheelchair. Together, they try and find MAC's family from whom he has been separated.
[edit] Product placement
The film is known for its numerous and blatant product placements, including Coca-Cola, Skittles, Sears and McDonald's to name a few. The main character's name, Mac is a reference to McDonald's Big Mac sandwich. The only food the aliens require are Coke and Skittles. A ten-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".[2] However, according to Seth Stevenson, "there was no quid pro quo between the filmmakers and these companies."[3] In spite of the latter statement, during the scene where Mac is drinking a Coca-Cola, director Stewart Raffill comedically holds up four $100 bills in the background.
[edit] Box office and shelved sequel
Mac and Me, produced by Vision International and New Star Entertainment and distributed by Orion Pictures grossed $5,935,269 in the United States. The movie ends with a freeze frame and the words "We'll be back!" superimposed, but after its dismal box office returns the planned sequel was shelved. It has a running time of 1hr, 39min. It was rated PG for violence in the United States by the MPAA.[4]
[edit] Cult following
Despite being labeled one of the worst movies ever by both IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes (where it holds a 0% rating), Mac and Me has gained a cult following, due in large part to its unintentionally humorous awful production values. An example of which is the poor sound dubbing that takes place during the Sears scene while Eric's mother is riding the escalator: her line is dubbed, "Excuse me. I'll be right back," however, her mouth says the dialogue line "Excuse me, I'll be back in a minute." In addition, there are many other sloppy technical and continuity filming errors throughout the the movie.[5]
[edit] 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 during Rudd's appearances on Late Night With Conan O'Brien, he frequently shows a clip of the wheelchair-bound Eric (Jade Calegory) flying off a cliff while Mac watches on, instead of showing clips from the actual movie Rudd is there to promote.[6] In the clip of the cliff scene Calegory's part was taken by a mannequin. Later chase scenes that show him skitching appear to have been done by Calegory himself, possibly at low speed with the action sped up in the final print.
[edit] Awards and nominations
[edit] 1988 Golden Raspberry Awards
Four Nominations:
- Worst New Star (Ronald McDonald) [Winner]
- Worst Director (Stewart Raffill) [Winner]
- Worst Picture (R.J. Louis) [Nominated]
- Worst Screenplay (Stewart Raffill, Steve Feke) [Nominated]
[edit] 1989 Young Artist Award
Four Nominations:
- Best Family Animation or Fantasy Motion Picture
- Best Young Actor in a Motion Picture Comedy or Fantasy (Jade Calegory)
- Best Young Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy or Fantasy (Tina Caspary)
- Best Young Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy or Fantasy (Lauren Stanley)
[edit] References
- ^ Mac and Me Movie Reviews, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes
- ^ Maltin, Leonard (2003). Leonard Maltin's Movie and Video Guide 2004. Signet. ISBN 0451209400.
- ^ Stevenson, Seth. "Vitaminwater, Everywhere: Why is David Ortiz shilling for the frou-frou beverage?", Slate, 2007-06-11.
- ^ Mac and Me (1988) - Movie Info - Yahoo! Movies
- ^ Mac and Me mistakes, goofs and bloopers
- ^ YouTube: MAC AND ME (1988) - infamous wheelchair scene
