Electric Dreams (1984)

Director:

Steve Barron

Writer:

Rusty Lemorande (writer)

Release Date:

20 July 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Meet Edgar. He'll make you sing, make you dance, make you laugh, make you cry, make you jealous, make you nuts.

Plot:

An artificially intelligent PC and his human owner find themselves in a romantic rivalry over a woman.

Plot Keywords:

Cello | Computer Nerd | Drive In | Golden Gate Bridge | Artificial Intelligence

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Lenny von Dohlen	...	Miles Harding
Virginia Madsen	...	Madeline Robistat
Maxwell Caulfield	...	Bill
Bud Cort	...	Edgar (voice)
Don Fellows	...	Mr. Ryley
Alan Polonsky	...	Frank, Co-Worker
Wendy Miller	...	Computer Clerk
Harry Rabinowitz	...	Conductor
Miriam Margolyes	...	Ticket Girl
Holly De Jong	...	Ryley's Receptionist
Stella Maris	...	Woman at Airport
Mary Doran	...	Millie
Diana Choy	...	Check-Out Girl
Jim Steck	...	Removal Man
Gary Pettinger	...	Removal Man

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:G (Quebec) | Iceland:L | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Finland:S | Sweden:7 | USA:PG | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Alcatraz Island, San Francisco Bay, California, USA

Company:

Virgin

Trivia:

As the voice of the computer, Bud Cort had to deliver his entire performance from inside a box on the set; his co-stars were never allowed to see him during filming. The director was afraid that if the other performers associated a person to the voice, they would react to it as if they were talking to a human being instead of a computer and the difference in reaction would show on camera.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Miles tells Edgar that the phrase "A dream is a wish your heart makes" comes from Sleeping Beauty (1959), and starts to say the date as "nineteen sixty..." Edgar corrects him and says it's from Cinderella (1950), but states the date as 1949. (It's understandable that Miles gets both the movie and the year wrong, but it's less likely for a computer, unless Edgar is going by copyright date rather than release date.)

Quotes:

[having just played The Duel improv with Edgar, Madeline attempts to communicate, thinking it was Miles]
Madeline Robistat: [into air vent] Hello? Can you hear me down there? I... just wanted to say that... well, that was wonderful! Hello? Can you hear me? Hello? Now, don't be shy; that was just beautiful!
[camera pans up from Miles' empty apartment into vent and up to Madeline's vent]
Madeline Robistat: [to herself] Hmm. Very smart. But weird.
[clicks vent shut]

Movie Connections:

Features The Love Bug (1968)

Soundtrack:

Happy Trails to You

An enjoyable, yet hard to find movie.

Electric Dreams is a quirky '80's film that has remained one of my favorites from that decade. The story of a boy, a girl, and a computer trying to find the meaning of love could have easily been a ridiculously campy movie, but instead is played out with a lighthearted sincerity. Lenny Von Dolen's portrayal of architect Miles Harding is done well, conveying the feelings of insecurity and wonder of falling in love for the first time, and Virginia Madsen's performance as would-be girlfriend Madeline equally shines. The movie is shot more like a music video (Director Steve Barron also worked on Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" video), and while there have been plenty of films that have used similar "MTV-style" techniques in the '90's, this was an unpioneered format at the time, and it seems to work the best here. The set design is great, the scene pacing doesn't drag on, and the sentiment is in the right place so that viewers can laugh at the humorous parts and relate during the romantic scenes. The music soundtrack is also top-notch, with music from Culture Club, Jeff Lynne, Heaven 17 and Giorgio Moroder. The computer technology and the commercials set this movie firmly in the early '80's, which may make it seem a little dated, but the overall story still holds up well and is fun. Electric Dreams is an enjoyable romantic fantasy that a lot of people may have missed when it was first released (even more so since the film seems to be out of print), but for those wanting to see something a little different, this may be what you've been looking for.