Paycheck (film)
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| Paycheck | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | John Woo |
| Written by | Philip K. Dick (story) Dean Georgaris (screenplay) |
| Starring | Ben Affleck Uma Thurman |
| Distributed by | - USA - Paramount Pictures - non-USA - DreamWorks SKG |
Release dates | December 25, 2003 |
Running time | 119 min |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $60 million |
Paycheck is a 2003 film adaptation of the short story Paycheck by science fiction writer Philip K. Dick. The movie was directed by John Woo and features Ben Affleck, Uma Thurman and Aaron Eckhart as the principal actors. Paul Giamatti and Colm Feore also appear.
Plot
Michael Jennings (Affleck) is a reverse engineer who routinely has his recent memories erased after working on high-tech projects. He is often helped by his friend Shorty (Giamatti). He agrees to take on a project for James Rethrick (Eckhart), his old college roommate and close personal friend; Rethrick is CEO of Allcom. All Jennings is told is that he is to design something for three years in exchange for 92 million dollars at Allcom's high-security facility. He meets and falls in love with Dr. Rachel Porter (Thurman), an Allcom biologist. However, after working for three years on the secret project, he wakes up with his memory erased and learns that he signed away his huge paycheck, and is left only with an envelope of personal effects - most of which aren't even his. Slowly he realizes he traded away his fortune to focus his attention on the envelope full of the following, seemingly unrelated items:
- a pack of cigarettes (used to escape from the FBI by setting off the fire suppressants in an interrogation room, creating a smoke screen-without it he would have died during interrogation)
- a pair of tinted sunglasses (allows Jennings to see through the said smoke, enabling a quick escape)
- a bus pass (the only item common to both versions of the story, allows Jennings to escape quickly through a bus terminal-the FBI must jump the turnstiles)
- a diamond ring (allows a street kid to steal it; had it not happened, Jennings would not have returned to the bank where he received the envelope so he could ask more questions about it)
- a fortune cookie with a message and lucky numbers (winning lottery numbers, and clues to the location of the ticket)
- a janitor's key (allows friend to access circuit breakers, creating a distraction)
- a can of hair spray (used with lighter as a makeshift flamethrower)
- a cigarette lighter (used with hair spray as a makeshift flamethrower)
- a paperclip (used to short-circuit electronics to avoid being hit by subway train)
- a matchbook (specifies a restaurant where he has a reservation, disguised with water-soluble paint)
- a BMW key w/ alarm (allows him to identify and utilize a means of escape: a motorcycle)
- a converging lens (allows him to notice discrepancy on stamp)
- a stamp on envelope (contains microfilm with snapshots from the future-the fact that it's Albert Einstein on the stamp is a clue)
- a small container of ball bearings (used to set off metal detectors, creating a distraction at security)
- a keycard to Allcom's facility (allows him to re-enter his lab)
- a hex key (used to open lab door security panel)
- an Eisenhower Dollar (used to jam lab door security panel)
- a crossword puzzle (locates hardware bug on the machine, allowing him to repair it)
- a .45 Caliber bullet (used to destroy the machine-fired into hydrogen tank by a cycling piston)
- a watch (alert him when to duck a bullet)
Soon he discovers that Allcom security personnel (led by Feore) are after him for some unknown reason, as is the FBI, agents of which tell him he committed treason against the United States. However, using the items now in his possession, Jennings is able to devise ways out of various predicaments and crises.
He soon discovers that he spent the last three years of his life designing and building a laser-enhanced lens which allows the user to see around the curvature of the universe, and thus, into the future; this was theorized by physicist William Dekker (Serge Houde), who had been killed for his work by Allcom agents. After building the machine, Jennings used it to catch a glimpse of the future, foreseeing his own death by gunshot wound. He also learns that the machine is prone to dispensing self-fulfilling prophecies (i.e., a plague is predicted-all those it says are infected are isolated in camps with conditions that create the plague. A war is predicted-the enemy it predicts is attacked first thereby causing the war). Ultimately, human responses to the machine's predictions lead to the downfall of humanity. In desperation, Jennings used the machine in an attempt to escape his death and ultimately destroy his creation. However, since he was completely isolated on the Allcom grounds, he was limited to leaving himself an envelope of innocent, everyday items.
Jennings and Porter make their escape after Rethrick is killed by an undercover FBI sniper (with the bullet that, in an alternate future, would have slain Jennings). The future-viewing device is destroyed.
The "paycheck" comes at the end of the movie, when Jennings finds a winning 90 million dollars lottery ticket hidden under the newspaper lining the bottom of Porter's birdcage. This fulfills the fortune cookie's message from earlier in the film, "If you only look where you can't go, you will miss the riches below."
Cast
- Ben Affleck - Michael Jennings
- Aaron Eckhart - James Rethrick
- Colm Feore - John Wolfe
- Uma Thurman - Dr. Rachel Porter
- Paul Giamatti - Shorty
- Joe Morton - Ag. Dodge
- Michael C. Hall - Ag. Klein
- Peter Friedman - Atty. Gen. Brown
- Christopher Kennedy - Dr. Stevens
- Ivana Milicevic - Maya
- Kathryn Morris - Rita Dunne
- Krista Allen - Holographic Woman
Parodies
The key premise of the movie, namely that knowledge of the future causes the destruction of the present (through a nuclear holocaust), was used in the one episode of the 1970s TV version of Logan's Run to explain the holocaust that destroyed much of human civilization in the 23rd century.
Trademarks
The movie features several of director Woo's trademarks, including two Mexican standoffs and the appearance of a dove.
Reception
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Panned by critics and largely ignored by the viewing public, the movie was seen primarily as an action-adventure vehicle for Affleck. Some critics called this one of Woo's worst films, possibly because he downplayed many of the story's science fiction elements for transition to film. Fans of Philip K. Dick tend to be very critical of the movie.
Ben Affleck won Worst Actor from the Golden Raspberry Awards for his work in the movie, as well as in Gigli and Daredevil. After asking why he did not get his trophy, he was presented the Razzie live on Larry King Live a week later, which he promptly broke. The broken Razzie sold on eBay for enough money to cover the hall rental for the following year's ceremonies.