by

NADEEM A. KHAN

Doug Kinney: Michael Keaton

Laura Kinney: Andie MacDowell

Dr. Leeds: Harris Yulin

Directed by: Harold Ramis.

Produced by: Trevor Albert and Ramis.

Written by: Chris Miller, Mary Hale, Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel. Based on a short story by Chris Miller.

Running time: 110 minutes.

Classified PG-13 (for sexual situations).

"Multiplicity" opens with contractor Doug Kinney (Michael Keaton) chewing up a laggard sub who's just dug through the wrong driveway. Upon his return to the office, the episode is the focus of a colleague's (John de Lancie) ridicule. Doug then pulls into his dilapidated home where his wife Laura (Andie McDowell) is displeased with her husband's absence at their daughter's school meeting. The conversation turns to the condition of their residence and she reminds Doug of his numerous promises to perform a facelift. Then, as if the day wasn't bad enough, Kinney learns that the missus now wants to return to work--something she had put on hold for their children.

It is evident that the Kinney's need a miracle. "We need a miracle," says Laura.

The next day, the half-witted organization that is his crew gums up things at the Gemini Institute and that just blows the man. One can understand Doug's frustration as he lashes at everything in site, when he fails to secure a leaking pipe.

Dr. Leeds (Harris Yulin) notices the contractor's distress and in a fleeting meeting, as Doug dries out his blue prints, hints that he may have just the miracle for him. Intrigued, Doug files into Leeds' abode and learns, with some disbelief, that the esteemed doctor is claiming proficiency in the tricky art of cloning humans. In walks Dr. Leeds' duplicate and Doug is all for the cloning thing, realizing, shrewdly, the merits of such an arrangement.

Moments later, a fully functional Doug 2 is submitted to Doug 1 and the duo bound over to the latter's where, conveniently, there is just the ultimate stowing place for the clone--the flat over the garage, which wife Laura never habituates.

This is where the real fun begins. Without informing 1, 2, who cuts a serious figure, leaves for the office and stuns his mates with unusual displays of creativity and then staggers Doug by informing him to spend the day golfing.

After a few days of honest labor, which has him balancing matters on the home and office front, Doug 2 realizes there isn't much to life and throws in the towel. Doug 3, a prig--although we keep hoping he turns out to be gay, hooves in to assume the tedious house-hold responsibilities whilst providing Doug 2 with company. Then 2&3 nip out and return with 4. Since 4 is a clone of a clone, he is understandably feeble. Meanwhile, the original now has so much time, he even takes sailing lessons.

Earlier this summer, The Nutty Professor--where no less than six versions of Murphy battled it out with lowbred material--whet the senses with a similar premise. Keaton goes about it in a smoother manner and he takes time to build the nature of each clone. 2 is the gruff one, a womaniser who lines up the boss' secretary. 3 is hopelessly effiminate and fussier than Martha Stewart, while 4 is out of this world. Literally.

Andie McDowell holds up her share of the deal well playing the unsuspecting and confused wife who has a ball of sorts with the clones when the real Doug is out on a cruise.

Sparkling rapport between Keaton and his copies make this one of the year's warmest sources of entertainment.




Reviewed 9/06/1996

Copyright©1996, Mesmer Productions. All rights reserved.