The Incredible Shrinking Woman

Infobox_film
name = The Incredible Shrinking Woman


caption = original movie poster
director = Joel Schumacher
writer = Richard Matheson (novel)
Jane Wagner (screenplay)
producer = Hank Moonjean
starring = Lily Tomlin
Charles Grodin
Ned Beatty
John Glover
Elizabeth Wilson
cinematography = Bruce Logan
editing = Jeff Gourson
music = Suzanne Ciani
runtime = 88 min.
distributor = Universal Pictures
released = January 30, 1981
country = USA
language = English
budget = Unknown
amg_id = 1:24722
imdb_id = 0082558

"The Incredible Shrinking Woman" is a 1981 science fiction/comedy film, starring Lily Tomlin, Charles Grodin, Ned Beatty, John Glover and Elizabeth Wilson, and directed by Joel Schumacher. The film was written by Tomlin's longtime life partner and frequent collaborator, Jane Wagner. The original music score was composed by Suzanne Ciani. This film is a take-off on the 1957 science fiction classic "The Incredible Shrinking Man", and credited as based on Richard Matheson's novel, "The Shrinking Man".

Plot summary

Pat Kramer is an ordinary suburban wife and mother until she gets exposed to a strange mixture of household chemicals, including "Galaxy Glue", a new product from her husband's advertising agency. Soon after, she begins to shrink. As she becomes smaller and smaller, she finds it nearly impossible to fulfill her role as wife and mother. Eventually, she becomes a celebrity of sorts, appearing on the Mike Douglas show. Soon she is less than a foot tall, making her a doll to her children.

Pat is kidnapped by a group of mad scientists, who make it seem she perished in the kitchen garbage disposal. The scientists plan to shrink everyone in the world. With the help of the lab custodian and a super-intelligent gorilla, she escapes. Pat shrinks to microscopic size and falls into a puddle of spilled household product chemicals - which makes her return to normal size. The film ends with Pat's homecoming, however when her foot makes her shoe split open - the audience is left to imagine that she will now grow past her normal size.

This film carries an anti-consumer message, since a collection of perfumes, cleansers, and assorted household products is what caused Pat to shrink, and some consider it an early acknowledgment of multiple chemical sensitivity disorder.

The attack on consumerism has also been associated with early criticism of the Reagan Administration and Corporate America that was present during the 1980's.

Cast

* Lily Tomlin .... Pat Kramer/Judith Beasley
* Charles Grodin .... Vance Kramer
* Ned Beatty .... Dan Beame
* Henry Gibson .... Dr. Eugene Nortz
* Elizabeth Wilson .... Dr. Ruth Ruth
* Mark Blankfield .... Rob
* Maria Smith .... Concepcion
* Pamela Bellwood .... Sandra Dyson
* John Glover .... Tom Keller
* Nicholas Hormann .... Logan Carver
* Jim McMullan .... Lyle Parks (as James McMullan)
* Shelby Balik .... Beth Kramer
* Justin Dana .... Jeff Kramer
* Rick Baker .... Sidney (as Richard A. Baker)
* Mike Douglas .... Himself
* Dick Wilson .... Store Manager
* Sally Kirkland .... Store Cashier

Soundtrack

# "Galaxy Glue" By Linda November (Billy Davis)
# "Little Things Mean A Lot" By Mike Douglas
# "Don't Tell me Why" By The Brainiacs

See also

*"The Stuff"

External links

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