Making Mr Right *** (1987, John Malkovich, Ann Magnuson, Glenne Headly) – Classic Movie Review 5570

Ann Magnuson stars as a PR expert who falls madly in love with the product she is promoting; blonde-haired, blue-eyed android John Malkovich. Trouble ensues when the supposedly emotionless robot starts to reciprocate, infuriating both its reclusive scientist inventor and Magnuson’s senator boyfriend (Glenne Headly). The scientist has built the robot that looks like him to go on a long-time space mission.

Producer-director Susan Seidelman’s 1987 follow-up movie to her hit Desperately Seeking Susan mixes Fifties sci-fi with messy, modern-day romance to produce a lightweight, but deliciously offbeat comedy.

There is lovely acting, too, from newcomer Magnuson and from the accomplished and effortless Malkovich, juggling two roles as the lovelorn android Ulysses and its irascible creator Dr Jeff Peters, as well as from Headly as Trish.

The writers are Floyd Byars and Laurie Frank.

It is an adult comedy, with a UK 15 certificate.

Also in the cast are Ben Masters, Laurie Metcalf, Polly Bergen (as Estelle Stone), Harsh Nayyar, Hart Bochner, Polly Draper, Christian Clemenson, Merwin Goldsmith, Sid Raymond, Robert Trebor and John Hambrick.

Malkovich and Headly were married at the time – from 2 August 1982 to 1988 (divorced). They and Laurie Metcalf acted together since the late Seventies as members of Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company.

It took virtually no money at the US box office – only $1,585,000.

Polly Bergen, who is best known for her role in the original Cape Fear (1962) opposite Gregory Peck, died on September 20 2014, aged 84.

Glenne Headly died on June 8 2017, aged 62. She also starred in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988), Dick Tracy (1990), Mortal Thoughts (1991), Mr Holland’s Opus (1995), 2 Days in the Valley (1996), and Don Jon (2013).

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5570

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