GODSEND

US, 2004, 104 minutes, Colour.
Greg Kinnear, Rebecca Stamijn Stamos, Robert de Niro, Cameron Bright.
Directed by Nick Hamm.

Dr Frankenstein had the best intentions, to create life. Dr Robert de Niro, whose institute is called Godsend, wants to create life but audiences need to be alert to his motives and his methods.

A very happy family (dad, Greg Kinnear, mum Rebecca Romijn Stamos, Adam, their son, Jonathan Bright) are plunged into tragedy and grief when Adam is accidentally killed. Could Robert de Niro have the answer to their prayers, the possibility of cloning their son? The screenplay makes the distinction between what is legal and what is moral, morally good and morally bad. What the Dr Frankensteins of this world (and of the literary and cinema world) forget is that as they attempt to ‘play God’, they are prone to temptations of hubris.

After setting up the biogenetics and ethical questions and seeming to say that all is well because we feel good about it, it then moves, as do so many films which raise biogenetic questions, into critical mode and dire warnings about errors, procedural mistakes and unknown malevolent motives. This means that Godsend moves into horror movie and slasher thriller – the excitement of which tends to make us forget somewhat about the moral message the film was made for in the first place.

1. Impact of the film as a film about science, a film about family, a film about bioethics, ethics?

2. The horror dimension of the film? A portrait of a scientist playing God, playing the Devil? The tradition of such films as The Omen?

3. The naturalistic style of the film, no special effects, the human drama, the performances, the realism and the eerie atmosphere, dreams? The musical score?

4. The prologue, Paul and the muggers in the street, his being a teacher, valued, the apology of the mugger? Jessie and Adam’s birthday party, waiting for Paul? His arrival, the gift? Taking Adam to the store, the sneakers, going outside and playing, the accident, dying in Jessie’s arms? Paul kneeling at the phone in grief?

5. The funeral, its mood? Richard Wells and his appearance, his ideas, Jessie and Paul’s reactions, his persuading them to listen to him, the restaurant scene, Paul’s antipathy, his touching Jessie and her love for her son? The consequences of this information and proposition to each, at home, their argument, the grief, what Jessie wanted most, Paul watching the video, his agreement?

6. The technology, the issue of cells, dying after seventy-two hours? The plan for cloning as illegal, as immoral? The need for secrecy? The process, the surgery, the effect on Jessie, her pregnancy and happiness, the difficult birth, counting for the child to breathe? His paralleling the birth of Adam?

7. The brief sketch of the happy life together, the new house, the new job, eight years passing?

8. The repeat of Adam’s birthday, the beginning of a difficult time, Adam’s dreams, Zac Clark and his presence in the fantasies and dreams, an evil personage? His appearing at the windows, in the mirror, the bath sequence and the collapse of the curtain, his disappearance? His becoming increasingly evil and threatening? Adam with premonitions about his parents? The children taunting Adam at school, the rivalry on the swing, his spitting at the teacher? Adam and the transition to Zac, his parents and their bewilderment? The possibility of his having the original Adam’s memories, going to the test with Richard, Richard calling him Zac, Paul wanting a second opinion? The boy drowning? Adam’s presence, Paul seeing the bicycle? The build-up to the finale, the truth, the memories, the burning of the house, Zac killing his mother? The possibility of this being repeated for Adam’s parents?

9. Richard Wells, smooth-talking, friendship, past teacher? His proposition, illegal? The issue of ethics? His providing the job and the house for Paul and Jessie? His visits, seeing him at work in the Godsend Centre, the secrecy, his seeming to be a normal doctor? Jessie and her going to lunch with him, Paul’s reaction? Adam and his sleep, the memories, the decision to have the test, his being hypnotised? The revelation of the truth? The attack, Paul and his going to the city, his return, the chapel, Richard’s disappearance – and in secrecy looking at the obituary pages?

10. Paul and Jessie, the happy decision about the cloning? The later build-up of tensions, Jessie mothering her son, protecting him? Paul and his being more disciplined, the bicycle, the discussions, meals, Adam’s behaviour, Paul observing him, the bath, the discussions at school, the reaction of the principal? The destruction of the darkroom? The threat to Jessie, her career, photography? Their going to Richard, the chapel sequence, the angers, Paul and his going to the city, going to the school, checking the records, the drawing on the wall, going to the nanny, her story about Zac’s destructiveness? His death? The revelation that he was Richard’s son?

11. The climax, the church, Adam and his therapy, their moving house, the eerie sequence with the cupboard? Hope, the possibility of Zac returning?

12. The film as psychological thriller, as horror story?

13. The film as science, technology, bioethics, cloning and the possibilities?

14. The film as exploring morality, ethics, bio-genetics, the emotional consequences, the intellectual consequences? A critique of cloning?