Harrison Bergeron

Even though the film takes place in the future, it is an interesting and frightening look at our own times. It's a combination of 1984 and MATRIX with a 50s-style movie. The fact that we allow ourselves to be told what to think and do is played out in an interesting fashion. The Thoreau-like character sees the facade and learns how to break through. Sean Austin does a great job as the naive innocent who sees into the darkness behind the facade. Christopher Plummer is very effective as the "big brother" who actually has a soul. The film makes us confront the dilemma of whether we want to be "normal" or to be who we really are.

It's easy to imagine Mike Judge's hilarious film "Idiocracy" as a dumbed down version of Kurt Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron". "Harrison Bergeron" is both darkly humorous, and at the same time frightening. This is intelligent science fiction, that extols the belief that mediocrity for everyone should be the goal of society. The government implements control over citizen's brains with electronic headbands. This diabolical system is overseen by Christopher Plummer, one of a few privileged citizens, not controlled by a headband. Sean Astin is Harrison Bergeron, a rebellious intellectual who tries to overthrow the system. The film has dark comedy, an excellent and appropriate soundtrack, and top notch acting. Recommended sci-fi viewing. - MERK

It's been over two years since Ive seen this movie and I can still remember it. the movie was just so mezmerizing, I couldn't stop watching it if I wanted to! I had to know what happened to harry. The movie was able to be depressing and funny at the same time, great tongue and cheek stuff. Its all in how you take it with this film. it can be precieved in so many ways. In short I loved it! this deserves to be a classic.

I saw this movie more than a year ago by chance. I didn't even want to watch it first, but somehow I just got stuck in front of the TV. It was late at night after the Olympics, so i don't think a lot of people saw it. Though I have always loved Sean Astin this movie is certainly a good reason to love him all the more. The "utopia" idea is no new thing in a movie, and usually it's quite interesting how they figure it out eventually. Let's admit: making a good future movie is like walking on eggshells, but I think the cast and crew of this small movie has nothing to be ashamed of. They did really well. It is very impressive how the story of Harrison and of his pure heart and mind talks about life, the equality of men, the lies, the love and of course the arts. I think this movie had become a shiny little secret of the soul of the relatively few people who is lucky enough to have seen it.

This is not the movie to watch right before you trust the government to do something that they say is in your best interest.

Living some years from now, Harrison Bergeron is a smart young man. So smart, in fact, that he's had to repeat grades, several times. That's because A's are bad, C's are good. Everyone is to be rendered average by a headband that moniters brainwaves and keeps intelligence level to average. Harrison, however, is so smart that the headband does not work for him. Recruited by the government, he learns that people have so much more potential than is allowed. Armed with this new knowledge, he feels compelled to act.

In a wonderfully hilarious supporting role, Eugene Levy plays the randomly selected president, who has no idea how to lead a country but loves wielding power. His conversations are little sub-gems sprinkled throughout a gem of a movie. This one is well worth the while, though quite disturbing.