Synopsis

In 2005, the Martin family acquires Andrew, an android designed for household chores. His unexpected creativity and emotional development lead him to seek independence, artistic fulfillment, and a deeper understanding of humanity. Over two centuries, Andrew transforms his mechanical body, forms lasting relationships, falls in love, and pursues legal recognition as a human being.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film adapts Isaac Asimov's 1976 short story "The Bicentennial Man" and the 1992 novel "The Positronic Man," written by Asimov with Robert Silverberg.

• Production was temporarily put on hold in late 1998 after the projected budget rose above $100 million. Disney and Columbia Pictures later agreed to jointly finance, market, and distribute the film.

• The futuristic version of San Francisco was filmed in and around the real Bay Area. Locations included Oracle Corporation's campus in Redwood City, Grace Cathedral, Half Moon Bay, Woodside, and Fremont.

• Makeup artist Greg Cannom received an Academy Award nomination for the film's makeup effects, which helped portray Andrew's gradual transformation from a visibly mechanical robot into an elderly human-looking figure.

• The name Galatea refers to the figure from Greek mythology who was brought to life after being created as a statue. The reference echoes the film's central idea of an artificial being seeking a human identity.

• Andrew's first opera recording is Dvorak's Rusalka. The opera's story about a supernatural being longing to become human for love parallels Andrew's own quest.

• Robin Williams improvised many of Andrew's jokes and comic exchanges. The reactions from the other performers were reportedly captured without prior rehearsal.

• The film was released in the United States on December 17, 1999. Its worldwide theatrical gross was approximately $87.4 million against a production budget reported at about $90 million, making it a commercial disappointment despite its large-scale production.