Brave New World (1980 film)

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Brave New World
GenreDrama
Science fiction
Written byAldous Huxley
Robert E. Thompson
Doran William Cannon
Directed byBurt Brinckerhoff
StarringKeir Dullea
Marcia Strassman
Kristoffer Tabori
Bud Cort
Julie Cobb
Ron O'Neal
Theme music composerPaul Chihara
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producerMilton Sperling
ProducersJacqueline Babbin
Norman Chandler Fox (associate producer)
CinematographyHarry L. Wolf
EditorJames T. Heckert
Running time180 minutes
Production companyUniversal Television
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseMarch 7, 1980 (1980-03-07)

Brave New World is an American television film first shown in 1980.[1] It was also shown on the BBC that same year, and is an adaptation of the 1932 novel of the same name by Aldous Huxley.[2]

Plot[edit]

In the future, pregnancy is outlawed, and citizens are required to engage in loveless sex and narcotics are used to ensure happiness in the population. Babies are created in the lab, and every child's future is predestined into one of five classes.

While most people are happy to retain this established order, including Thomas Grambell (Keir Dullea), a supervisor of human "hatcheries," resistance is growing, as evidenced by quirky malcontent Bernard Marx (Bud Cort) and other rebels.

Bernard and his girlfriend Lenina Disney (Marcia Strassman) go to a primitive reservation which holds to 20th century values, and while there meet a native named John (also called the Savage) (Kristoffer Tabori). They return with him to civilization, and his presence further upends conventional thinking. John is seen as a freak and this grants him some degree of celebrity. John develops romantic feelings for Lenina, which are considered highly inappropriate, bordering on the obscene.

John's parents are from the more technologically advanced part of the world, and he has educated himself using often banned works such as Shakespeare. John realizes that his sexual mores, based on the works he studied, are antiquated in this advanced society. He therefore asks to be assigned a solitary posting, but even as he mans the lighthouse alone, he cannot escape his memories of Lenina.

Cast[edit]

Production[edit]

Originally 4 hours long, it was cut down to three hours before being televised.[5] Brave New World was directed by Burt Brinckerhoff[5] for Universal Television and first shown on NBC on 7 March 1980.[1][6] The screen adaptation was written by Doran William Cannon.[6] It was filmed in Universal City, California.[7]

Awards and nominations[edit]

Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
1980 32nd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Art Direction for a Limited Series or a Special Tom H. John
Mary Ann Biddle
Nominated [8]
Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series or a Special Harry L. Wolf Nominated

Reception[edit]

TCM found the film ambitious but tedious, confusing and ultimately unsuccessful.[5]

Home media[edit]

The film was released on DVD.[9]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Plot, Details & Awards of Brave New World". Moviefone. Archived from the original on 6 May 2014. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
  2. ^ Huxley, Aldous (2006) [1932]. Brave New World (Reprint ed.). New York City: Harper Perennial (Orig-pub: Chatto & Windus). ISBN 978-0060850524. OCLC 20156268.
  3. ^ "Brave New World:Synopsis". MSN. Archived from the original on 14 July 2010. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
  4. ^ Pearce, David (1998). "Brave New World (1980) (TV)". BLTC Research. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
  5. ^ a b c "Brave New World (1980)". TCM.com. Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Plot Summary for Brave New World (1980) (TV)". IMDb.com, Inc. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
  7. ^ "Brave New World (1980)". RetroVision. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  8. ^ "Brave New World - Emmy Awards, Nominations and Wins". Television Academy. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  9. ^ "Brave New World (1980)". Zeus DVDs. Retrieved 2 March 2015.

External links[edit]