I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

I'm really very surprised by the thick reviews I have read. Just because the plot of the film and the source material are different does not make the film a gross interpretation of the original work. I believe the film is a terrific, endearing interpretation of the short story. It expounds upon the ideas presented in Vonnegut's piece and puts it in a way which is more accessible to the general population. Just because some people do not understand humour or sarcasm does not mean they should not be exposed to the ideas of a great man. See this film if you have not read the story and if you have, because I guarantee you will enjoy it.

This is such a great movie on many levels. I won't take the time to re-cap the story line which all of the reviews here have already done so well, but I didn't want to comment on something that no one else has up until this point.First of all, I don't really see this as sci-fi, because it is already happening today- we don't even need the "mind bands" to dumb us down because there is already an insidious growing movement to see diversity squashed and mediocrity rewarded. TV has become a banal wasteland of "reality" shows like Survivor, Lost, American Idol, etc. There is nothing but "empty calories" in these shows (btw, this is not to say that I do not recognize the need for some mindless entertainment at times.) And American Idol has as much to do with uniqueness and diversity as it does with real singing. There was a time when TV did have some thought provoking commentary that was presented in an entertaining way. Examples would be Star Trek or All in the Family. (These are just 2, I could put more here, but I'm on a time constraint to go to work.) Kids AND adults are rewarded everyday for getting 10th place... or last. That's not to say that that person in last place didn't work as hard as the person in first- it's to say that there are "winners" and "losers" in everything - even life, even in the "afterlife" there is heaven and hell. Watch a lame antelope getting tackled by a lion- it happens. In our cerebral (irony) society, we think that we have somehow conquered that idea- that it is benign and kind to want to remove the "sting" of being the last- but life isn't like that. That is an unreality. That "sting," helps to give us as human beings an impetus to strive for things and make things better. This is part of what this movie addresses so well. To be honest, my favorite scene is the one in which Plummer's character shows Astin's character Bergeron the DVD of the "cost" of intelligence and uniqueness. He makes a compelling argument that ALMOST convinces the viewer; that somehow, all this diversity is the cause of wars and hate. That if we were just all the same somehow, it would disappear. No more brilliance? No more great music, movies, or art? Maybe, but isn't it worth it if there are no more senseless deaths? But then, perhaps some things are worth dying for. This scene in the movie actually leaves it "open" so the viewer can make their own decision. (Personally, I *need* music and movies and art- I don't think I could live without them.)Strangely enough, I always think of the movie/play, "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" when I think of this movie, because there's one scene in which George makes an off-handed comment about the biologists and how they are the ones that are going to make everyone the same, that there will be no music, poetry and not much learning, but we will have a sublime civilization of men that are all the same. (I'm paraphrasing from memory, so cut me some slack.) He also says, "You take the trouble to construct a civilization, to build a society based on the principles of... of principle. You make government and art and realize that they are, must be, both the same. You bring things to the saddest of all points, to the point where there is something to lose." Well, I think we are at that point already. There is something to lose, and it's our minds and souls.

I saw this movie more than a year ago by chance. I didn't even want to watch it first, but somehow I just got stuck in front of the TV. It was late at night after the Olympics, so i don't think a lot of people saw it. Though I have always loved Sean Astin this movie is certainly a good reason to love him all the more. The "utopia" idea is no new thing in a movie, and usually it's quite interesting how they figure it out eventually. Let's admit: making a good future movie is like walking on eggshells, but I think the cast and crew of this small movie has nothing to be ashamed of. They did really well. It is very impressive how the story of Harrison and of his pure heart and mind talks about life, the equality of men, the lies, the love and of course the arts. I think this movie had become a shiny little secret of the soul of the relatively few people who is lucky enough to have seen it.

I just saw this last night on the local late night movie. I'm not much of a Sean Astin fan, but in this film, he fits. The basic plot (spoilers ahead) - it's the not too distant future. The United States has had a second revolutionary war due to a major recession and huge unemployment (starting to sound familiar?!). The powers-that-be determine that everyone will be happier if they are all of the same intelligence, own the same things, live the same lives, etc. So, they develop a kind of headset that monitors and controls everyones' brain waves - keeping everyone kind of dumb and happy, although they don't really know why. Astin plays the title character, who turns out to be smarter than everyone else, and no amount of tinkering with his headset will tamp down his intelligence. Through various plot developments, he hooks up with a kind of shadow government, composed of other smart people that determine what the people see, who governs them, etc. At first, Astin seems to enjoy being a part of this group. He develops a relationship with a woman, works in the television programming department, and begins to fit in. Soon, though, he understands the consequences of allowing the so-called "smart people" to govern the "average" (think political correctness, fascism, and other "isms" of today!). A couple of plot twists at the end that give you something to think about; and suddenly what seems like it might be a boring made-for-cable movie turns into a relevant film for the political events of today's America. After seeing this movie, you might actually believe Eugene Levy could play George Bush in a biography! 7.5 out of 10 stars.