Memoirs of an Invisible Man
Encyclopedia
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."
A mixture of comedy
, drama
, suspense and science fiction
, it stars Chevy Chase
, Daryl Hannah
, Sam Neill
, Michael McKean
and Stephen Tobolowsky
.
) 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.
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.
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.
).
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." 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."
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
.
John Carpenter
John Howard Carpenter is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, editor, composer, and occasional actor. Although Carpenter has worked in numerous film genres in his four-decade career, his name is most commonly associated with horror and science fiction.- Early life :Carpenter was born...
and released by Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
, 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
William Goldman
William Goldman is an American novelist, playwright, and Academy Award-winning screenwriter.-Early life and education:...
's book Which Lie Did I Tell?
Which Lie Did I Tell?
Which Lie Did I Tell?: More Adventures in the Screen Trade is a work of non-fiction first published in 2000 by novelist and screenwriter William Goldman...
, the film was initially developed for director Ivan Reitman
Ivan Reitman
Ivan Reitman, OC is a Canadian film producer and director. He is known for the comedies he has directed and produced, especially in the 1980s and 1990s.He is the owner of The Montecito Picture Company, founded in 2000.-Early life:...
; however, this version never came to fruition, due to disagreements between Reitman and Chevy Chase
Chevy Chase
Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase is an American comedian, writer, and television and film actor, born into a prominent entertainment industry family. Chase worked a plethora of odd jobs before moving into comedy acting with National Lampoon...
. 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."
A mixture of comedy
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
, drama
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
, suspense and science fiction
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...
, it stars Chevy Chase
Chevy Chase
Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase is an American comedian, writer, and television and film actor, born into a prominent entertainment industry family. Chase worked a plethora of odd jobs before moving into comedy acting with National Lampoon...
, Daryl Hannah
Daryl Hannah
Daryl Christine Hannah is an American film actress. After making her screen debut in 1978, Hannah starred in a number of Hollywood films throughout the 1980s, notably Blade Runner, Splash, Wall Street and Roxanne and Kill Bill.-Early life:Hannah was born in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of Susan...
, Sam Neill
Sam Neill
Nigel John Dermot "Sam" Neill, DCNZM, OBE is a New Zealand actor. He is well known for his starring role as paleontologist Dr Alan Grant in Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III....
, Michael McKean
Michael McKean
Michael John McKean is an American actor, comedian, writer, composer and musician, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Squiggy's friend, Leonard 'Lenny' Kosnowski, on the sitcom Laverne and Shirley; and for his work in the Christopher Guest ensemble films, particularly as David St...
and Stephen Tobolowsky
Stephen Tobolowsky
Stephen Harold Tobolowsky is an American actor. He is well known for his role as Ned Ryerson in Groundhog Day, as well as portraying Commissioner Hugo Jarry in Deadwood for nine episodes and Bob Bishop in Heroes for eleven episodes over the second and third seasons...
.
Plot
The movie opens with the invisible Nick Halloway (Chevy ChaseChevy Chase
Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase is an American comedian, writer, and television and film actor, born into a prominent entertainment industry family. Chase worked a plethora of odd jobs before moving into comedy acting with National Lampoon...
) 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
Michael McKean
Michael John McKean is an American actor, comedian, writer, composer and musician, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Squiggy's friend, Leonard 'Lenny' Kosnowski, on the sitcom Laverne and Shirley; and for his work in the Christopher Guest ensemble films, particularly as David St...
) invites him to join his table where Nick meets Alice Monroe (Daryl Hannah
Daryl Hannah
Daryl Christine Hannah is an American film actress. After making her screen debut in 1978, Hannah starred in a number of Hollywood films throughout the 1980s, notably Blade Runner, Splash, Wall Street and Roxanne and Kill Bill.-Early life:Hannah was born in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of Susan...
). 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
Jim Norton (actor)
Jim Norton is an Irish character actor.-Performances:Jim Norton has been acting for over forty years in theatre, television, and movies, and frequently plays clergymen, most notably Bishop Brennan in the sitcom Father Ted, as well as in The Sweeney , Peak Practice , Sunset Heights , A Love Divided...
), 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
Sam Neill
Nigel John Dermot "Sam" Neill, DCNZM, OBE is a New Zealand actor. He is well known for his starring role as paleontologist Dr Alan Grant in Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III....
), 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
Stephen Tobolowsky
Stephen Harold Tobolowsky is an American actor. He is well known for his role as Ned Ryerson in Groundhog Day, as well as portraying Commissioner Hugo Jarry in Deadwood for nine episodes and Bob Bishop in Heroes for eleven episodes over the second and third seasons...
) 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
Tranquilliser gun
A tranquilliser gun , capture gun, or dart gun, is a non-lethal gun used for capture via a special chemical. Tranquilliser guns shoot darts filled with tranquilliser that, when injected, temporarily sedate an animal or human, so that it may be handled safely...
, 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 ChaseChevy ChaseCornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase is an American comedian, writer, and television and film actor, born into a prominent entertainment industry family. Chase worked a plethora of odd jobs before moving into comedy acting with National Lampoon...
.... Nick Halloway - Daryl HannahDaryl HannahDaryl Christine Hannah is an American film actress. After making her screen debut in 1978, Hannah starred in a number of Hollywood films throughout the 1980s, notably Blade Runner, Splash, Wall Street and Roxanne and Kill Bill.-Early life:Hannah was born in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of Susan...
.... Alice Monroe - Sam NeillSam NeillNigel John Dermot "Sam" Neill, DCNZM, OBE is a New Zealand actor. He is well known for his starring role as paleontologist Dr Alan Grant in Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III....
.... David Jenkins - Michael McKeanMichael McKeanMichael John McKean is an American actor, comedian, writer, composer and musician, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Squiggy's friend, Leonard 'Lenny' Kosnowski, on the sitcom Laverne and Shirley; and for his work in the Christopher Guest ensemble films, particularly as David St...
.... George Talbot - Stephen TobolowskyStephen TobolowskyStephen Harold Tobolowsky is an American actor. He is well known for his role as Ned Ryerson in Groundhog Day, as well as portraying Commissioner Hugo Jarry in Deadwood for nine episodes and Bob Bishop in Heroes for eleven episodes over the second and third seasons...
.... Warren Singleton - Jim NortonJim Norton (actor)Jim Norton is an Irish character actor.-Performances:Jim Norton has been acting for over forty years in theatre, television, and movies, and frequently plays clergymen, most notably Bishop Brennan in the sitcom Father Ted, as well as in The Sweeney , Peak Practice , Sunset Heights , A Love Divided...
.... Dr. Bernard Wachs - Pat SkipperPat SkipperWilliam Patterson "Pat" Skipper is an American television actor, film actor and voice actor. Pat is probably best known for his television work on such shows as X-Files and Boston Legal...
.... Morrissey - Paul PerriPaul PerriPaul John Perri is an American-born Canadian-American film and television actor. Perri is best known for portraying Edwards and Skinless Parker in Hellraiser: Bloodline, Harry Hume from Chaos, and as Dr. Sidney Bloom from Manhunter.-Background:Perri and his wife, Michele Miner are the parents of...
.... Gomez - Richard EpcarRichard EpcarRichard Epcar is an American actor voice actor / director, mostly specializing in the field of voice acting in games, animation and anime. He is the husband of voice actress Ellyn Stern, with whom he owns and operates Epcar Entertainment, Inc., a voiceover production service company based in Los...
.... Tyler - Steven Barr .... Clellan
- Gregory Paul MartinGregory Paul MartinGregory Paul Martin, , is a British writer/producer. The eldest son of Beatles producer Sir George Martin, he studied at Britain's oldest school, St...
.... Richard - Patricia HeatonPatricia HeatonPatricia Helen Heaton is an American actress, comedienne, producer and model, best known for portraying Debra Barone on the CBS sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond from 1996 to 2005, for which she won two Emmy Awards....
.... 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.
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
Shirley Walker
Shirley Walker was an American television and film composer and conductor. She was one of the few female film score composers working in Hollywood...
composing the music instead (unlike prior collaborators Ennio Morricone on The Thing and Jack Nitzsche on Starman
Starman (film)
John Carpenter's Starman is a 1984 science-fiction fantasy film directed by John Carpenter that tells the story of an alien who has come to Earth in response to the invitation found on the gold phonograph record installed on the Voyager 2 space probe.The screenplay was written by Bruce A. Evans,...
, Walker would return to Carpenter – the two co-scored the subsequent Escape From L.A.
Escape from L.A.
Escape From L.A. is a 1996 film directed by John Carpenter. The sequel to the action film Escape from New York, the film follows former war hero Snake Plissken, played by Kurt Russell...
).
Reception
The film was met with a mostly derisive response. 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." Reviewing the movie for The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, 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."
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
Daredevil (film)
Daredevil is a 2003 American superhero film written and directed by Mark Steven Johnson. Based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, the film stars Ben Affleck as Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer who fights for justice in the courtroom and out of the courtroom as the masked vigilante Daredevil...
.