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An Amblin Production. Directed by Steven Spielberg. Produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Steven Spielberg, and Bonnie Curtis. Executive Producers: Jan Harlan and Walter F Parkes. Screenplay by Steven Spielberg, based on a screen story by Ian Watson and the short story, "Super-Toys Last All Summer Long," by Brian Aldiss. Cinematography by Janusz Kaminski. Edited by Michael Kahn. Production Design by Rick Carter and Bob Ringwood. Musical Score by John Williams. Visual Effects by Dennis Muren and Scott Farrar of Industrial & Magic. Creature/Makeup Effects by Stan Winston. Cast: Haley Joel Osment, Jude Law, Frances O'Connor, Sam Robards, Brendan Gleeson, and William Hurt. Distributed by Warner Bros./ DreamWorks.
Synopsis
In the world of the near future, the greenhouse effect has melted the ice caps and submerged many coastal cities, including New York. Although natural resources are limited, technology has advanced rapidly to serve the reduced population. In particular, robotic sciences are producing appliances that serve every human need. Machines clean the house, tend the garden, babysit the kids, even provide sexual satisfaction for lonely men and women. Yet, no matter how sophisticated these synthetic creatures are, they do not have feelings. In an attempt to correct this failing, robotics scientist Professor Hobby (William Hurt) of Cybertronics Manufacturing devises "David," an eight-year old robot, a "mecha," the first robot that can do something no artificial life form has ever been capable of doing-of experiencing love, and, hence, of being able to speculate, to dream. David comes to Henry and Monica Swinton (Sam Robards and Frances O'Connor), who are facing the seeming loss of their cryogenically frozen, terminally-ill son, Martin.
But no sooner do David and his "parents" try to adjust to each other, than Martin is resuscitated and reunited with the family. Frictions immediately develop as Martin teases and taunts his robot "step-brother." When David seems unable to blend in with the family, Monica abandons him in the woods and tells him to wander out into the world and not come back. David is convinced that if only he can seek out the Blue Fairy and become "a real boy" (he's by now familiar with the story of Pinocchio's transformation into a real boy with the assistance of the Blue Fairy), he can return and earn his...