Artificial Intelligence: AI

Spielberg's Role: Director, Producer, Writer (screenplay)
US Release Date: 2001

just what is real?

No director is watched quite as closely as Steven Spielberg. No one... except the late Stanley Kubrick. For years now Stanely Kubrick has been working on a science fiction project. This project was always just out of reach of the technology available. It wasn't until just a few years ago when Kubrick began to think the project just might be possible in his lifetime. He started working more seriously only to be sidetracked by what would turn out to be his last film "Eyes Wide Shut".
After Kubrick's death, Steven Spielberg decided to take on the project. He had been friends with Kubrick, and believed he had an understanding of what Kubrick was looking for in the film.

Plot
AI was inspired by a short story by Brian Aldiss called Super-Toys Last All Summer Long. The story is about a family growing up in an overpopulated world of the future. A young boy and his semi-intelligent toy bear ponder the meaning of reality as young David discovers his true nature. In a world of government controlled reproduction, David's father creates synthetic life-forms for functionality, entertainment and even companionship. Imagine the confusion of a young boy, as he tries to decide - "am I real?"

"Teddy - I suppose Mummy and Daddy are real, aren't they?"

Teddy said, " You ask such silly questions, David. Nobody knows what 'real' really means."

The full text of the short story can be found at Wired.com. I suggest reading it, if you are at all interested in Science Fiction. (WARNING: since the movie hasn't been released, there is no way to tell if the story contains spoilers)

Author

The story inspiring AI was written by Brian Aldiss, a British author who is known for his great Sci-fi. The movie, however, is not being written by Aldiss. Steven Spielberg has written the screen play himself, based on the short story by Aldiss, and (according to rumor) the personal notes of Stanley Kubrick.

Cast

Haley Joel Osment plays the lead role. Osment played Forest Gump Jr. in the film Forrest Gump. Most people, however would recognize him as the Cole Sear from The Sixth Sense. It takes one amazing 11 year old to steal the show from Bruce Willis.

imdb.com

Jude Law is also expected to have a lead role. No stranger to Sci-fi, Law played the disabled astronaut, Jerome in Gattca. His most recent role was opposite Matt Damon in The Talented Mr. Ripley.

Also staring in the film are:
Keith Campbell
Stuntman in many movies; most recently Mission Impossible 2
Frances O'Connor

Sam Robards
Most recently played in American Beauty, as the "partner" of Scott Bakula's character
Adam Scott
Played Josh Macon on Party of Five
Jake Thomas
Young starting actor, played "the kid" for The Man Show

Jaws

Spielberg's Role: Director
US Release Date: 1975

Jaws was a blockbuster in its time, but more importantly it gave Hollywood a new perspective on what they were doing. Jaws was the first of the mass marketed super movies that we come to expect from studios today. Before Jaws, the studios cranked out a lot of small movies at low cost which only lasted a few weeks in the theaters. Jaws cost only $8.5 million to make and made $130 million in rentals in North America alone. Jaws brought the big movie concept which paved the way for movies like Star Wars, E.T. and eventually Jurassic Park and Independence Day.
Jaws was followed by a couple sequels including the Jaws 3D attraction at Universal Studios. If Spielberg had anything to do with these movies, he has hidden it well. (although another Spielberg film, Back to the Future III pokes fun of the sequels with their Jaws 13 billboard which swallows McFly).
The big break wasn't just Spielberg's. Roy Scheider and Richard Deyfuss both stared in the movie with Robert Shaw, neither of which has had trouble getting a job since.

In June of 1998, Jaws was chosen as one of the 100 best American films in the 100 year history of cinema by the American Film Institute. Steven Spielberg had more movies honored than any other director, with 5. The other 4 movies were Raiders of the Lost Ark, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T., and Schindlers List. Jaws was ranked 48th.



Form: http://www.scruffles.net/spielberg/index.html