MULTIPLICITY

US, 1996, 117 minutes, Colour.
Michael Keaton, Andie Mac Dowell, Harris Yulin, Richard Masur.
Directed by Harold Ramis.

About three years earlier, Harold Ramis (of Ghosbusters fame) made an engaging comedy about the possibilities of a man changing his personality for the better, Groundhog Day. Multiplicity is another attempt to deal with the same theme. It is entertaining but not a classic comedy.

Michael Keaton portrays a man who is flat out at work (and being pressurised to do more), unable to devote time to his family, on the verge of mid-life crisis. A professor at a university where is supervising building has a solution - cloning. And not just one, but three others: multiplicity!

Michael Keaton is an energetic comedian. Now he has the chance to play differing aspects of the male psyche: he is the harassed male; one clone is the gung-ho macho worker; another is the more gentle and domestic male; another (who is too crass for this film) is the infantile male. And he carries off the multiplicity generally quite entertainingly.

The issues are real. And the solution is obvious - we can only be ourselves. But it is worthwhile to see how we deal with the various facets of our personalities.


1.Light American domestic comedy? Contemporary issues?

2.Los Angeles urban settings, widescreen photography, the house, the building sites, offices? Audiences identifying with the central characters?

3.The special effects for Doug and his multiplicity? Musical score? Neil Diamond's final song?

4.The title and its tone? The clones and their effect?

5.The introduction to Doug, at work, his clashes with Del and Ted, their expectations that he do more work, taking up time? The wrong drive being fixed and his anger? At home, kids? The male world in which he lived and worked? The meaning of the world of work? The family world suffering?

6.Doug and his working at the institute, his exasperation, the flooding? The meeting with the professor, the discussions about his problems, thinking he was a psychologist? The process for cloning? The operation? The introduction to the clone - and the possibilities for the shared personality, work, family?

7.The theory of clones giving the individual more time, more personal development, capacity for more work, able to enjoy a greater quality of life? However, the question of the multiple facets of the one identity? Leading to many selves? The possibilities of development or lack of development for the individual and for the clones?

8.Number Two and his macho aspect of Doug's personality? In the world of work? Arriving early, his efficiency, sacking the inefficient builder? Driven by the work ethic? Living in the garage? Taking the woman from work to the restaurant and flirting - and the farcical episode of being mixed up with Doug at the restaurant and his handling of the situation with Laura? His decision then to have further clones to help him in his work?

9.Number Three and the more feminine side of Doug, his feminine (sometimes effeminate) manner? His skill with the housework, meticulously packing sandwiches etc? Over neat? His sharing the garage with Number Two?

10.Number Four and the process going wrong? The defects of a copy of a copy? Slob, foolish, creating mess, eating pizza? The shadow side of Doug?

11.The effect of having a cloned personality on Doug? The time given to his son at football, taking Laura to dinner, the daily routines - his looking at Laura's side of life? His wanting to play golf - but having to cover for the children? The establishing of the sex rule? The restaurant sequence and having to cover with Number Two? Covering the various mistakes?

12.Laura, in herself, the homemaker, wanting to go back to work, Doug's disapproval? The children? Her exasperation? The boy and the football, the girl and the ballet dancing? The bewilderment at the restaurant sequence? Being busy - but going back to work? Enjoying her work and being skilled at it? Puzzling over Doug and the erratic nature of his personality? The sex farce - and the night with the three different Dougs? Her decision to leave? The characters of the children, at home, playing, their love for their father, mucking up at home and being exasperating?

13.The farce of and the sex comedy of the night for Laura, the three different approached to sex? The aftermath?

14.Number Three and his having to go to the inspection while Number Two was sick? His inability to answer the questions, ringing up - and getting the sack?

15.The personalities of the various people at work? The workaholism? The boss, the associate who was wanting to get promoted? The character of the doctor? And cloning Doug? Doug and his friendship with Walt, learning to sail - and going away from home to think things over, getting sick on the boat?

16.Laura's departure, his getting his clones to transform the house? The nice ending with Laura coming back, delighted with the house? Doug and his psychological crisis and accepting himself? The humour of the three clones going off to Florida - and the letter from Number Three? The humorous last line?

17.Domestic comedy? A point about marriage, family? Work and pressures in the 1990s? Psychological and mid-life crises and their resolution?