Memoirs of an Invisible Man (film)

Not to be confused with The Invisible Man.

Memoirs of an Invisible Man
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	John Carpenter
Produced by	Bruce Bodner Dan Kolsrud Arnon Milchan
Screenplay by	Robert Collector Dana Olsen William Goldman
Based on	novel Memoirs of an Invisible Man by H.F. Saint
Starring	Chevy Chase Daryl Hannah Sam Neill Paul Perri Pat Skipper
Music by	Shirley Walker
Cinematography	William A. Fraker
Editing by	Marion Rothman
Studio	Le Studio Canal+ Regency Enterprises Alcor Films
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date(s)	February 28, 1992 (1992-02-28)
Running time	99 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$40 million
Box office	$19,806,514

Memoirs of an Invisible Man is a 1992 film directed by John Carpenter and released by Warner Bros., with many scenes taking place in and around San Francisco. The film is loosely based on a 1987 novel of the same name by H.F. Saint. According to William Goldman's book Which Lie Did I Tell?, the film was initially developed for director Ivan Reitman; however, this version never came to fruition, due to disagreements between Reitman and Chevy Chase. The director deviated from his usual practice of titling the film as "John Carpenter's" because he knew that Warner Brothers would not allow him full artistic control, saying that the studio "is in the business of making audience-friendly, non-challenging movies."^[1]

A mixture of comedy, drama, suspense and science fiction, it stars Chevy Chase, Daryl Hannah, Sam Neill, Michael McKean and Stephen Tobolowsky.

Plot

The movie opens with the invisible Nick Halloway (Chevy Chase) dictating his memoirs into a video camera. To prove it is not a camera trick, he chews some bubble gum. Nick narrates the story of how he came to be invisible, beginning a few days earlier at his job as a stock analyst. His secretary refers to him as a "bullshit artist", and he spends most of his life avoiding responsibility and connections with other people. At his favorite bar, the Academy Club, his friend George Talbot (Michael McKean) invites him to join his table where Nick meets Alice Monroe (Daryl Hannah). Sharing an instant attraction, Nick and Alice make out in the ladies room. When Alice has to leave, Nick drinks heavily to console himself, although the pair set a lunch date for Friday.

The following morning, Nick is unable to avoid going to a shareholder's meeting at Magnascopic Labaratories. Unable to endure the droning presentation by Dr. Bernard Wachs (Jim Norton), Nick leaves in search of a bathroom. When he asks a lab technician for directions, the technician spills his coffee onto a computer console. Nick eventually finds an empty sauna and lies down for a nap. Meanwhile, the coffee has caused a meltdown, and the entire building is evacuated. The building seems to explode, but there is no debris. Instead, much of the building is rendered invisible, including Nick.

CIA operative David Jenkins (Sam Neill), who has a shady past, arrives on the scene to contain the damage, and he discovers Nick's condition. While they are transferring him to an ambulance, the agents joke about how Nick will spend the rest of his life hooked up to machines and being studied by scientists. In a panic, Nick flees. Jenkins convinces his supervisor Warren Singleton (Stephen Tobolowsky) not to notify CIA headquarters; so, that they can capture and take credit for Nick, who could become the greatest secret agent in the world.

Nick holes up in his apartment, but Jenkins tracks him down using the guest list for the meeting. Nick decides to hide at the Academy Club. He locates Dr. Wachs in the hope that he can restore Nick's visibility. The physicist has no idea how to help, however. Jenkins interrogates Dr. Wachs and eventually has him killed to keep Nick's invisibility a secret. After a confrontation at Jenkins' office, Nick decides to flee San Francisco to George's remote beach house. Unfortunately, George arrives with his wife, Alice and Richard, another friend, to spend the weekend. Nick reveals his condition to Alice, who decides to help him.

The pair board a train for Mexico, where Nick wants to set up a new life, trading stocks through Alice as a proxy. Jenkins tracks them down on the train, and during the ensuing confrontation, Nick is shot with a tranquilizer dart, loses consciousness and falls off the train and into a river. He makes his way to the video store, where he tapes his memoirs. At the end of the tape, he records an ultimatum for Jenkins: exchange Alice for the tape, or Nick will give it to the CIA and the press. Jenkins agrees, putting Alice into a cab as his men surround Nick at the phone booth, across the street. However, Nick has disguised himself as the cab driver, and George is standing in for Nick in the exchange. Jenkins pursues the cab, eventually cornering Nick on top of a building. Using his suit jacket (which is covered in dust) as a decoy, Nick lures Jenkins to the edge, threatening to jump and sends his nemesis to his death. Believing Nick to be dead, along with Jenkins, Singleton tells Alice to forget everything that's happened. Nick comes to Alice, who's looking for his body, and the two walk off in secret. They move to Switzerland, and the film closes with shots of a still invisible Nick skiing down to their chalet, where a pregnant Alice greets him with a kiss.

Cast

• Chevy Chase .... Nick Halloway^[2]
• Daryl Hannah .... Alice Monroe^[3]
• Sam Neill .... David Jenkins
• Michael McKean .... George Talbot
• Stephen Tobolowsky .... Warren Singleton
• Jim Norton .... Dr. Bernard Wachs
• Pat Skipper .... Morrissey
• Paul Perri .... Gomez
• Richard Epcar .... Tyler
• Steven Barr .... Clellan
• Gregory Paul Martin .... Richard
• Patricia Heaton .... Ellen

Production

The project was largely a vanity project shepherded by Chase through the studio (the film is billed as "A Cornelius Production" – Cornelius is Chevy Chase's real first name). He wanted to make a film about the loneliness of invisibility, and he had tapped Ivan Reitman to direct William Goldman's screenplay. He intended the film to be a bridge into less comedic roles, and when Reitman discovered that he would not be directing Chase in a broad comedy, he backed out of the film.

Near the end of the film, Nick wonders aloud what his children with Alice will look like. Carpenter did shoot an alternate ending showing this birth, but the film only shows Alice in the later stages of pregnancy.^[4]

Carpenter shows Chase in most of the scenes where he is invisible. His invisibility is only implied through various cutaway shots where characters mime with empty clothes or objects seem to float in midair.

This is one of the few John Carpenter films not scored by the director, with Shirley Walker composing the music instead (unlike prior collaborators Ennio Morricone on The Thing and Jack Nitzsche on Starman, Walker would return to Carpenter – the two co-scored the subsequent Escape From L.A.).

Reception

The film was met with a mostly derisive response.^[5] It has a 24% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with only 6 positive reviews out of 25.

Roger Ebert wrote of the film, "The plot is lazy and conventional. What is good about the movie involves Chase and Hannah, who have to work out between them the logistical problems of their strange relationship."^[6] Reviewing the movie for The Washington Post, Desson Howe mused, "Memoirs of an Invisible Man isn't a movie. It's an identity crisis. The previews would have you believe it's a zany comedy. But the jokes are too far and few between. And if it's a comedy, why is John Carpenter directing it? This is the man who did Halloween...if Memoirs wants to get serious, why is Chevy Chase in the lead? This is the man who starred in National Lampoon's European Vacation."^[7]

While reviewing the DVD release of the film for Film Freak Central, Bill Chambers insists that Carpenter's use of effects makes the film worth seeing. He feels that the scene where Nick's body is outlined by raindrops is more effectively imagined than an identical scene in Daredevil.^[8]

Box office

The film debuted at No.2.^[9] It went on to recoup less than half of its estimated $40,000,000 budget.

References

1. ^ "John Carpenter: Prince of Darkness, Film Freak Central, Bill Chambers". http://filmfreakcentral.net/dvdreviews/memoirsofaninvisiblemancarpenterbook.htm. 
2. ^ Lindgren, Kristina; Christian, Susan; Spencer, Terry (1992-02-28). "Cover Story : Memories of a Too-Visible Man : Tired of being identified with comedy, Chevy Chase has worked hard to reveal his serious side in 'Memoirs of an Invisible Man'". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1992-02-28/news/mn-3121_1_rain-man. Retrieved 2010-11-18. 
3. ^ Gentry, Ric (1992-02-23). "WHISTLE-STOP: Fans who gawked at Chevy Chase and Daryl...". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1992-02-23/entertainment/ca-4954_1_invisible-man. Retrieved 2010-11-18. 
4. ^ "John Carpenter: Prince of Darkness, Film Freak Central, Bill Chambers". http://filmfreakcentral.net/dvdreviews/memoirsofaninvisiblemancarpenterbook.htm. 
5. ^ Rainer, Peter (1992-02-28). "MOVIE REVIEW : 'Invisible Man' Fails to Master the Possibilities". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1992-02-28/entertainment/ca-2856_1_invisible-man. Retrieved 2010-11-18. 
6. ^ "Memoirs of an Invisible Man, Rober Ebert.". Chicago Sun-Times. http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19920228/REVIEWS/202280301. 
7. ^ "Memoirs of an Invisible Man, Desson Howe". The Washington Post. 1992-02-28. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/memoirsofaninvisiblemanpg13howe_a0aea8.htm. 
8. ^ "John Carpenter: Prince of Darkness, Film Freak Central, Bill Chambers". http://filmfreakcentral.net/dvdreviews/memoirsofaninvisiblemancarpenterbook.htm. 
9. ^ Fox, David J. (1992-03-03). "Weekend Box Office `Wayne's World' Keeps Partyin' On". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1992-03-03/entertainment/ca-3323_1_weekend-box-office. Retrieved 2010-11-18. 

External links

Film portal

• Memoirs of an Invisible Man at the Internet Movie Database
• Memoirs of an Invisible Man at AllRovi