Conceiving Ada (1997)

User Rating:

4.7/10   

Director:

Lynn Hershman-Leeson

Writers:

Lynn Hershman-Leeson (writer)
Eileen Jones (writer)

Release Date:

19 February 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

Plot:

Emmy Coer, a computer genius, devises a method of communicating with the past by tapping into undying information waves...

Plot Keywords:

Computer | Death | Nineteenth Century | Genius | Sex Scene

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Tilda Swinton	...	Ada Augusta Byron King, Countess of Lovelace
Francesca Faridany	...	Emmy Coer
Timothy Leary	...	Sims
Karen Black	...	Lady Byron / Mother Coer
John O'Keefe	...	Charles Babbage
John Perry Barlow	...	John Crosse
J.D. Wolfe	...	Nicholas Clayton
Owen Murphy	...	William Lovelace
David Brooks	...	Children's Tutor (David)
Esther Mulligan	...	Mary Shelley
Ellen Sebastian	...	Dr. Fury
Mark Capri	...	Dr. Locock
Joe Wemple	...	Priest / Talk Show Host
Chris von Sneidern	...	Musician In Elevator
David Eppel	...	Simon

Also Known As:

Leidenschaftliche Berechnung (Germany)

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Singapore:PG (cut) | USA:Not Rated

Company:

Hotwire Productions

Trivia:

A director's statement in the film's production notes says that the film was "structured around the idea of a double helix". "Every scene," the notes say, "was structured and shot using a DNA image as a model for actors' placement and camera movement."

Quotes:

Doctor: The uterus is completely destroyed. All that mathematics was too much for your body.

Movie Connections:

References Demon Seed (1977)

Disappointing

Expecting a combination of scifi and period film about Ada Lovelace, Charles Babbage, the history of computers, etc, I was disappointed by this movies nonsensical pseudoscience and mixture of real and fabulous history. It gives the impression that its writer (Lynn Hershman-Leeson) has no real understanding of the Math, technology, or history constituting the film's subject, but is working instead from a sort of fuzzy artistic impression of them. This hits a sore spot with me, as I've long been irritated by the tendency of the arts to glom onto and awfully misuse science terms and ideas to the point of confusion, eg: Emmy Coer: "information waves have a half-life", Ada: "I'm not at all certain that half a life is better than no life at all".

This movie does worse than fail to entertain - it misinforms. The only redeeming value I can imagine for it is that it might attract a viewer to learn about the subject it so badly distorts. It's more likely, I think, to promote a superstitious perception of science and technology of any degree of advancement as indistinguishable from magic.