The Last Mimzy
Encyclopedia
The Last Mimzy is a 2007 science fiction family film directed by Bob Shaye and loosely adapted from the acclaimed 1943
science fiction short story "Mimsy Were the Borogoves
" by Lewis Padgett (the pseudonym
of husband and wife team Henry Kuttner
and C. L. Moore
). The Last Mimzy centers on two children, Noah (Chris O'Neil
) and Emma (Rhiannon Leigh Wryn
) Wilder, who develop preternatural powers
when they encounter a mysterious box containing strange devices, presumed to be toys.
that includes Timothy Hutton
, Joely Richardson
, Rainn Wilson
, Michael Clarke Duncan
, Patrick Gilmore, and newcomers Rhiannon Leigh Wryn
and Chris O’Neil
as the children, Emma and Noah. Well-known string theorist
Brian Greene
has a cameo appearance as an Intel scientist. Combined, the cast and production team feature six Academy Award winners.
short story
"Mimsy Were the Borogoves
" by Lewis Padgett
, the pen name of collaborators Henry Kuttner
& C. L. Moore
; the story appeared in John W. Campbell
's magazine Astounding in 1943. Both the film's and short story's titles are derived from third line of the nonsense verse
poem Jabberwocky
in Lewis Carroll
's novel Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There
. The adapted screenplay is by Bruce Joel Rubin
(Ghost
, Deep Impact
) and Toby Emmerich
(Frequency
). The film’s production team also included editor Alan Heim (All That Jazz
, The Notebook
) and sound designer Dane Davis (The Matrix
). Visual effects were created by The Orphanage, and location filming was done in Vancouver
and Collingwood School
.
gave it a 53% approval rate saying "The Last Mimzy makes efforts to be a fun children's movie." Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times
called it, "Wholesome, eager entertainment that doesn't talk down", agreeing with Ken Fox of TV Guide
's Movie Guide who said it was "a thoughtful and sincere interpretation that actually get kids and their guardians thinking and talking." Calling the film "lightweight", the Atlanta Journal-Constitution rated it a "small gem". The Chicago Sun-Times went as far as to say The Last Mimzy is an "emotionless empty shell" compared to E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
. Critics diverge about the scientific validity of the film. Reviewer Susan Granger
said, "There’s some validity to the challenging science depicted in the film, according to Dr. Brian Greene, Columbia University physics professor, and Dr. Susan Smalley, UCLA neurobehavioral genetics professor"; by contrast, Rick Norwood (The SF Site) writes, "The Last Mimzy has carefully expunged all of the ideas from the story, and replaced them with the New Age nonsense that passes for ideas these days. They have also taken a very personal story about one family and a box of toys from the future and turned it into an epic story in which childlike innocence saves the human race".
, the award winning composer behind the scores of The Lord of the Rings film trilogy
. Former Pink Floyd
member Roger Waters
also collaborated on a song called "Hello (I Love You)
". "I think together we've come up with a song that captures the themes of the movie — the clash between humanity's best and worst instincts, and how a child's innocence can win the day", Roger Waters commented.
1943 in literature
The year 1943 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*George Orwell resigns from the BBC to become literary editor of Tribune.*Isaac Bashevis Singer becomes a naturalized citizen of the United States....
science fiction short story "Mimsy Were the Borogoves
Mimsy Were the Borogoves
"Mimsy Were the Borogoves" is a science fiction short story by Lewis Padgett that was originally published in the February 1943 issue of Astounding Science Fiction Magazine...
" by Lewis Padgett (the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
of husband and wife team Henry Kuttner
Henry Kuttner
Henry Kuttner was an American author of science fiction, fantasy and horror.-Early life:Henry Kuttner was born in Los Angeles, California in 1915...
and C. L. Moore
C. L. Moore
Catherine Lucille Moore was an American science fiction and fantasy writer, as C. L. Moore. She was one of the first women to write in the genre, and paved the way for many other female writers in speculative fiction....
). The Last Mimzy centers on two children, Noah (Chris O'Neil
Chris O'Neil (actor)
Chris O'Neil is an American actor, primarily known for the 2007 science fiction drama, The Last Mimzy.O'Neil was born in Boulder, Colorado, and attended Dennison Elementary. He attended D'Evelyn Junior/Senior High School as a seventh grader. He attended Denver Academy...
) and Emma (Rhiannon Leigh Wryn
Rhiannon Leigh Wryn
Rhiannon Leigh Wryn is an American child actress. Her biggest role to date is in the 2007 science fiction film The Last Mimzy, where she plays Emma Wilder, one of the main characters.-Life and career:...
) Wilder, who develop preternatural powers
Preternatural
The preternatural or praeternatural is that which appears outside or beyond the natural. In contrast to the supernatural, preternatural phenomena are presumed to have rational explanations that are, as of yet, unknown....
when they encounter a mysterious box containing strange devices, presumed to be toys.
Plot
The film begins in the distant future, with a teacher, named Lena, telling a story to her students. The story begins with a scientist and his colleague making a toy and the toys are sent in the past. In early 21st century Seattle, Noah Wilder goes to school and his friend, Harry Jones, gives him a text message containing the answers to the coming test. Their science teacher, Larry White informs them that science projects are due a week after vacation and then they are given the test but Noah does not use the text message. He informs Harry he is going to Whidbey Island for vacation. At home, Emma, Noah's sister, begs him to fix her violin which Noah hesitates at first and they have an argument but Jo Wilder, their mother, stops them. Emma watches TV,while eating her burger, and sees a chef kill a crab and it disgusts Emma and Noah interrupts her and asks her how else they would eat it. Their father,David, tells Jo that he would come late. That night, David goes to Noah's room and finds out that he is still awake. They have a talk. Early that morning, David is called at work and he tells his wife to go to Whidbey without him. They arrive at their beach house in Whidbey and the kids go to the beach. Emma notices a box at the shore and Noah gets it. They open it and they find a rectangle shaped toy. They agree to make it a secret. That night, Emma opens the box and finds some other toys and a stuffed rabbit named Mimzy. Noah wakes up and they break a rock and it breaks pieces. Instructed by Mimzy, Emma twirls and it levitates and forms a circular shape. Noah tries to twirl it but he cannot. Emma puts her hand in it and it dissolves into a million pieces. Noah stops her. Mr. White wakes up to find his fiancee praying. He tells her about a dream. Next morning, the kids go to the beach and Emma jumps in midair but Noah stops her.. Emma puts the shell near her ear and hears eerie noises and tells Noah to try it. Noah tries and finds his ability to hear noises from afar and talk to arthropods. Next morning, Noah fumbles with it and has the ability to teleport things. They find other abilities and Emma learns about what they should do about Mimzy and send her back to her own time, completing their mission.Main cast
The Last Mimzy features an ensemble castEnsemble cast
An ensemble cast is made up of cast members in which the principal actors and performers are assigned roughly equal amounts of importance and screen time in a dramatic production. This kind of casting became more popular in television series because it allows flexibility for writers to focus on...
that includes Timothy Hutton
Timothy Hutton
Timothy Tarquin Hutton is an American actor. He is the youngest actor to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, which he won at the age of 20 for his performance as Conrad Jarrett in Ordinary People . He currently stars as Nathan "Nate" Ford on the TNT series Leverage.-Early life:Timothy...
, Joely Richardson
Joely Richardson
Joely Kim Richardson is an English actress, most known recently for her role as Queen Catherine Parr in the Showtime television show The Tudors and Julia McNamara in the television drama Nip/Tuck...
, Rainn Wilson
Rainn Wilson
Rainn Dietrich Wilson is an American actor and comedian. He is primarily known for his role as the egomaniacal Dwight Schrute on the American version of the television comedy The Office...
, Michael Clarke Duncan
Michael Clarke Duncan
Michael Clarke Duncan is an American actor, best known for his breakout role as John Coffey in The Green Mile, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe.- Early life :...
, Patrick Gilmore, and newcomers Rhiannon Leigh Wryn
Rhiannon Leigh Wryn
Rhiannon Leigh Wryn is an American child actress. Her biggest role to date is in the 2007 science fiction film The Last Mimzy, where she plays Emma Wilder, one of the main characters.-Life and career:...
and Chris O’Neil
Chris O'Neil (actor)
Chris O'Neil is an American actor, primarily known for the 2007 science fiction drama, The Last Mimzy.O'Neil was born in Boulder, Colorado, and attended Dennison Elementary. He attended D'Evelyn Junior/Senior High School as a seventh grader. He attended Denver Academy...
as the children, Emma and Noah. Well-known string theorist
String theory
String theory is an active research framework in particle physics that attempts to reconcile quantum mechanics and general relativity. It is a contender for a theory of everything , a manner of describing the known fundamental forces and matter in a mathematically complete system...
Brian Greene
Brian Greene
Brian Greene is an American theoretical physicist and string theorist. He has been a professor at Columbia University since 1996. Greene has worked on mirror symmetry, relating two different Calabi-Yau manifolds...
has a cameo appearance as an Intel scientist. Combined, the cast and production team feature six Academy Award winners.
- Rhiannon Leigh WrynRhiannon Leigh WrynRhiannon Leigh Wryn is an American child actress. Her biggest role to date is in the 2007 science fiction film The Last Mimzy, where she plays Emma Wilder, one of the main characters.-Life and career:...
as Emma Wilder, who discovers the "toys" - Chris O'NeilChris O'Neil (actor)Chris O'Neil is an American actor, primarily known for the 2007 science fiction drama, The Last Mimzy.O'Neil was born in Boulder, Colorado, and attended Dennison Elementary. He attended D'Evelyn Junior/Senior High School as a seventh grader. He attended Denver Academy...
as Noah Wilder, Emma's elder brother - Timothy HuttonTimothy HuttonTimothy Tarquin Hutton is an American actor. He is the youngest actor to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, which he won at the age of 20 for his performance as Conrad Jarrett in Ordinary People . He currently stars as Nathan "Nate" Ford on the TNT series Leverage.-Early life:Timothy...
as David Wilder, father of Noah and Emma - Joely RichardsonJoely RichardsonJoely Kim Richardson is an English actress, most known recently for her role as Queen Catherine Parr in the Showtime television show The Tudors and Julia McNamara in the television drama Nip/Tuck...
as Jo Wilder, David's wife and mother of the children - Rainn WilsonRainn WilsonRainn Dietrich Wilson is an American actor and comedian. He is primarily known for his role as the egomaniacal Dwight Schrute on the American version of the television comedy The Office...
as Larry White, Noah's science teacher - Kathryn HahnKathryn HahnKathryn Hahn is an American actress best known for her role as Lily Lebowski on the television series Crossing Jordan.-Personal life:...
as Naomi Schwartz, Larry's fiancee - Michael Clarke DuncanMichael Clarke DuncanMichael Clarke Duncan is an American actor, best known for his breakout role as John Coffey in The Green Mile, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe.- Early life :...
as FBI Special Agent Nathaniel Broadman - Patrick GilmorePatrick Gilmore (actor)Patrick Gilmore is a Canadian actor best known for playing the role of Dale Volker in the science fiction series Stargate Universe. He has also been seen in other science fiction shows such as Battlestar Galactica and Eureka, as well as playing Trennan in Riese...
- Kirsten WilliamsonKirsten WilliamsonKirsten Williamson is a Canadian actor. She voices the character Ororo Munroe in the television series X-Men: Evolution. She also had a role as Tammy in RV. She has also appeared in Jeremiah, Da Vinci's Inquest, and Da Vinci's City Hall. She had small roles in The Last Mimzy, and in Juno as a...
as Sheila Broadman, Broadman's wife - Marc MussoMarc MussoMarc Thomas Musso is an American actor. He is the younger brother of Disney actor and singer Mitchell Musso and the lead singer of Metro Station Mason Musso.-Life and career:...
as Harry Jones, Noah's best friend - Irene Snow as Lena, the story's narrator
- Kimberly as the dog
Development and production
The Last Mimzy is loosely based on the classic science fictionScience fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
"Mimsy Were the Borogoves
Mimsy Were the Borogoves
"Mimsy Were the Borogoves" is a science fiction short story by Lewis Padgett that was originally published in the February 1943 issue of Astounding Science Fiction Magazine...
" by Lewis Padgett
Lewis Padgett
Lewis Padgett was the joint pseudonym of the science fiction authors and spouses Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore, taken from their mothers' maiden names. They also used the pseudonyms Lawrence O'Donnell and C. H...
, the pen name of collaborators Henry Kuttner
Henry Kuttner
Henry Kuttner was an American author of science fiction, fantasy and horror.-Early life:Henry Kuttner was born in Los Angeles, California in 1915...
& C. L. Moore
C. L. Moore
Catherine Lucille Moore was an American science fiction and fantasy writer, as C. L. Moore. She was one of the first women to write in the genre, and paved the way for many other female writers in speculative fiction....
; the story appeared in John W. Campbell
John W. Campbell
John Wood Campbell, Jr. was an influential figure in American science fiction. As editor of Astounding Science Fiction , from late 1937 until his death, he is generally credited with shaping the so-called Golden Age of Science Fiction.Isaac Asimov called Campbell "the most powerful force in...
's magazine Astounding in 1943. Both the film's and short story's titles are derived from third line of the nonsense verse
Nonsense verse
Nonsense verse is a form of light, often rhythmical verse, usually for children, depicting peculiar characters in amusing and fantastical situations. It is whimsical and humorous in tone and tends to employ fanciful phrases and meaningless made-up words. Nonsense verse is closely related to...
poem Jabberwocky
Jabberwocky
"Jabberwocky" is a nonsense verse poem written by Lewis Carroll in his 1872 novel Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There, a sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland...
in Lewis Carroll
Lewis Carroll
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson , better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll , was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer. His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the poems "The Hunting of the...
's novel Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There
Through the Looking-Glass
Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There is a work of literature by Lewis Carroll . It is the sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland...
. The adapted screenplay is by Bruce Joel Rubin
Bruce Joel Rubin
Bruce Joel Rubin is a screenwriter best known for the supernatural romance, Ghost for which he won the 1991 Oscar for Best Original Screenplay...
(Ghost
Ghost (film)
Ghost is a 1990 romantic drama film starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg. It was written by Bruce Joel Rubin and directed by Jerry Zucker.-Plot:...
, Deep Impact
Deep Impact (film)
Deep Impact is a 1998 science-fiction disaster-drama film released by Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks in the United States on May 8, 1998. The film was directed by Mimi Leder and stars Robert Duvall, Elijah Wood, Téa Leoni, and Morgan Freeman...
) and Toby Emmerich
Toby Emmerich
Toby Emmerich is an American producer, film executive, and screenwriter. He was born in New York City, the son of Constance , a concert pianist, and André Emmerich , a Frankfurt-born gallery owner and art dealer...
(Frequency
Frequency (film)
Frequency is a 2000 science-fiction film that contains elements of the time travel, thriller and alternate history film genres. It was directed by Gregory Hoblit and written by Toby Emmerich. The film stars Dennis Quaid and James Caviezel as father and son, Frank and John Sullivan respectively. It...
). The film’s production team also included editor Alan Heim (All That Jazz
All That Jazz
All That Jazz is a 1979 American musical film directed by Bob Fosse. The screenplay by Robert Alan Aurthur and Fosse is a semi-autobiographical fantasy based on aspects of Fosse's life and career as dancer, choreographer and director. The film was inspired by Bob Fosse's manic effort to edit his...
, The Notebook
The Notebook
The Notebook is a 1996 romantic novel by American novelist Nicholas Sparks, based on a true story. The novel was later adapted into a popular romance film by the same name in 2004.-Background:...
) and sound designer Dane Davis (The Matrix
The Matrix
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
). Visual effects were created by The Orphanage, and location filming was done in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
and Collingwood School
Collingwood School
Collingwood School is an independent, co-educational, university-preparatory school founded in 1984. Located in West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, it delivers the British Columbia Ministry of Education curriculum from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12....
.
Reception
Critical response to The Last Mimzy ranged from saying it holds appeal for family audiences — especially children — to describing the storyline as distracting. Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
gave it a 53% approval rate saying "The Last Mimzy makes efforts to be a fun children's movie." Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
called it, "Wholesome, eager entertainment that doesn't talk down", agreeing with Ken Fox of TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
's Movie Guide who said it was "a thoughtful and sincere interpretation that actually get kids and their guardians thinking and talking." Calling the film "lightweight", the Atlanta Journal-Constitution rated it a "small gem". The Chicago Sun-Times went as far as to say The Last Mimzy is an "emotionless empty shell" compared to E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a 1982 American science fiction film co-produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Melissa Mathison and starring Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, and Peter Coyote...
. Critics diverge about the scientific validity of the film. Reviewer Susan Granger
said, "There’s some validity to the challenging science depicted in the film, according to Dr. Brian Greene, Columbia University physics professor, and Dr. Susan Smalley, UCLA neurobehavioral genetics professor"; by contrast, Rick Norwood (The SF Site) writes, "The Last Mimzy has carefully expunged all of the ideas from the story, and replaced them with the New Age nonsense that passes for ideas these days. They have also taken a very personal story about one family and a box of toys from the future and turned it into an epic story in which childlike innocence saves the human race".
Soundtrack
The soundtrack for the film was composed by Howard ShoreHoward Shore
Howard Leslie Shore is a Canadian composer, notable for his film scores. He has composed the scores for over 80 films, most notably the scores for The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, for which he won three Academy Awards. He is also a consistent collaborator with director David Cronenberg,...
, the award winning composer behind the scores of The Lord of the Rings film trilogy
The Lord of the Rings film trilogy
The Lord of the Rings is an epic film trilogy consisting of three fantasy adventure films based on the three-volume book of the same name by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. The films are The Fellowship of the Ring , The Two Towers and The Return of the King .The films were directed by Peter...
. Former Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
member Roger Waters
Roger Waters
George Roger Waters is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He was a founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became the band's lyricist, principal songwriter...
also collaborated on a song called "Hello (I Love You)
Hello (I Love You)
"Hello " is a song performed by former Pink Floyd member Roger Waters. The song was created as a collaborative effort with Howard Shore for the 2007 film The Last Mimzy. As Waters stated, "I think together we've come up with a song that captures the themes of the movie - the clash between...
". "I think together we've come up with a song that captures the themes of the movie — the clash between humanity's best and worst instincts, and how a child's innocence can win the day", Roger Waters commented.
Track listing
- "The Mandala" – 1:37
- "Whidbey Island" – 3:21
- "Under the Bed" – 2:46
- "Cuddle" – 1:28
- "Beach" – 1:59
- "Scribbles" – 2:39
- "Blackout" – 3:17
- "Palm Readings" – 4:12
- "I Love the World" – 0:52
- "Help!" – 1:20
- "I Have to Look" – 4:20
- "Can I Talk?" – 5:26
- "Eyes" – 2:15
- "The Tear" – 4:07
- "Through the Looking-Glass" – 5:03
- "Hello (I Love You)" (with Roger Waters) – 6:16
External links
- Online at Scribd Mimsy were the borogoves Lewis Padgett