History Film / BicentennialMan

* HalfwayPlotSwitch: The film starts as a fairly straight adaptation of the ScienceFiction {{Drama}} "Literature/TheBicentennialMan", but around the start of Andrew's second century, he meets CanonForeigner Portia Charney, and falls in love. This changes to a RomanticComedy as he tries to make her happy, which reframes his drive to [[BecomeARealBoy become human]] as a demonstration of his love for her. Despite the change in plot, there is no ToneShift, as Creator/RobinWilliams does a good job creating levity whether he's acting as a RobotButler, in search for a soul, or when [[{{Robosexual}} romancing a human]].

A 1999 {{Science Fiction Film|s}} directed by Creator/ChrisColumbus (with screenplay by Creator/NicholasKazan), adapting the {{Drama}} of Creator/IsaacAsimov's "Literature/TheBicentennialMan" while adding [[{{Dramedy}} comedy to develop Andrew's personality]]. The film also makes [[MythologyGag a number of references]] to ''Literature/ThePositronicMan'', by Creator/IsaacAsimov and Creator/RobertSilverberg.

* HalfwayPlotSwitch: The film starts as a fairly straight adaptation of the ScienceFiction {{Drama}} "Literature/TheBicentennialMan", but around the start of Andrew's second century, he meets CanonForeigner Portia Charney, and falls in love. This changes to a RomanticComedy as he tries to make her happy, which reframes his drive to [[PinocchioSyndrome become human]] as a demonstration of his love for her. Despite the change in plot, there is no ToneShift, as Creator/RobinWilliams does a good job creating levity whether he's acting as a RobotButler, in search for a soul, or when [[{{Robosexual}} romancing a human]].

* PlayingGertrude: Creator/EmbethDavidtz (born 1965) plays Little Miss (Amanda Martin), while Creator/BradleyWhitford (born 1959) plays her unmarried son, Lloyd Charney. She's not wearing any aging prosthetics until she's [[DoubleVision onscreen with her granddaughter]].

* IdenticalGrandson: The adult Amanda Martin (Little Miss) and her granddaughter, Portia Charney, were both played by Creator/EmbethDavidtz. Andrew is perturbed at this at first, but eventually warms up to it by [[DoppelgangerReplacementLoveInterest falling in love with Portia]].

'''Andrew:''' ''(to self, determined)'' There's only one thing to do.

--> '''Andrew:''' ''(to Rupert)'' Shut her off, or I ''will''.

-->"It's cruel that you can cry and I cannot. There is a terrible pain I cannot express."

-->'''Andrew''': I've always tried to make sense of things. There must be some reason I am as I am. As you can see, Madam Chairman, I am no longer immortal.\\
'''President Bota''': You have arranged to ''die''?\\
'''Andrew''': In a sense, I have. I am growing old, and my body is deteriorating, and like all of you, will eventually cease to function. As a robot, I could have lived forever. But I tell you all today, that I would rather die a man, than live for all eternity as a machine.

* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture, Andrew first shows up in "[[TitleIn the not too distant future...]]" (which the 1999 trailer and the climax identify as "2005"). However, the story still takes place over [[GenerationalSaga two hundred years and four generations of Martins]], so it doesn't stay "Next Sunday" for very long.

* NamedByTheAdaptation: While [[AdaptationExpansion expanding]] from "Literature/TheBicentennialMan", more information about some of the character's names is added. In the original, Andrew was a model-serial number NDR-[[FogOfAges ?]] robot, and is now identified as an NDR-114 model with serial number 583625. Miss's first name is revealed to be Grace, although Ma'am real first name is still [[NoNameGiven unsaid]].

* NamedByTheAdaptation: While [[AdaptationExpansion expanding]] from "Literature/TheBicentennialMan", more information about some of the character's names is added. In the original, Andrew was a model-serial number NDR-[[FogOfAge ?]] robot, and is now identified as an NDR-114 model with serial number 583625. Miss's first name is revealed to be Grace, although Ma'am real first name is still [[NoNameGiven unsaid]].

* NextSundayAD: In a [[AdaptationDeviation change]] from "Literature/TheBicentennialMan" starting TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture, Andrew first shows up in "[[TitleIn the not too distant future...]]" (which the 1999 trailer and the climax identify as "2005"). No mention of the original story's BanOnAI ever takes place. However, the story still takes place over [[GenerationalSaga two hundred years and four generations of Martins]], so it doesn't stay "Next Sunday" for very long.

* AdaptationDeviation: Major points changed from Creator/IsaacAsimov's "Literature/TheBicentennialMan", in chronological order... Andrew carves a horse instead of a necklace, Sir decides to personally tutor Andrew to encourage [[GrewBeyondTheirProgramming his ability to grow]], Little Miss [[{{Robosexual}} falls in love with Andrew]] but still marries Chaney instead, asking Andrew to [[AdaptationalEarlyAppearance wear a tuxedo]] and attend the wedding, Sir [[ShooTheDog banishes Andrew from the house]] after he asks for his freedom instead of taking Andrew to court for his first legal battle, Andrew goes on [[TravelMontage a decades-long journey]] to find another robot like himself instead of going to the library, and at this point the original plot almost entirely derails as the introduction of CanonForeigner Portia Charney causes a HalfwayPlotSwitch to RomanticComedy, causing his love for her to drive Andrew's drama of [[BecomeARealBoy legal arguments declaring him human]]. Creator/RobinWilliams loves his {{Bathos}}.