Meet the Applegates

Last updated
Meet the Applegates
MeettheApplegates.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Michael Lehmann
Written by
  • Michael Lehmann
  • Redbeard Simmons
Produced by Denise Di Novi
Starring
CinematographyMitch Dubin
Edited by Norman Hollyn
Music by David Newman
Production
companies
Distributed byTriton Pictures
Release dates
  • June 6, 1990 (1990-06-06)(Philippines) [1]
  • October 28, 1990 (1990-10-28)(France)
  • November 8, 1990 (1990-11-08)(Australia)
  • February 1, 1991 (1991-02-01)(United States)
  • August 1, 1992 (1992-08-01)(Japan)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryUnited States
Languages
  • English
  • Portuguese
Budget US$5 million
Box officeUS$485,772 [2]

Meet the Applegates (released in the Philippines and the United States as The Applegates) is a 1990 American science fiction horror black comedy film directed by Michael Lehmann. It was filmed during 1988-89, but not released in the United States until 1991 due to the financial difficulties surrounding New World Pictures, the film's production company. It takes a dark, satirical look at the end of the world, nuclear holocausts, alienism and terrorism. It was filmed in Oshkosh, Appleton and Neenah, Wisconsin. It has gained a cult following.

Contents

The film focuses of a family of mutant shapeshifters from Brazil who have taken human form and settled in Ohio. Their mission is to cause a nuclear holocaust and human extinction. However, their experience of human life is accompanied by an exploration of human vices and flaws. The family's father is having an extramarital affair, and is eventually blackmailed by his mistress. The family's mother has become a shopping addict, and resorts to robbery to pay off her debts. The family's adolescent son is developing a constant craving for cannabis, and is more interested in actively participating in the heavy metal subculture than his family's mission. The family's adolescent daughter was raped and impregnated by her abusive jock boyfriend. She is no longer interested in men, and comes out of the closet as a lesbian.

Plot

The film opens in a Brazilian rainforest with a logging crew being attacked by a family of huge shapeshifting mutant bug creatures called, "Brazilian Cocorada". It then moves to a typical-looking family called the Applegates moving into a well-off suburban Ohio neighborhood. It is revealed that the Applegates are secretly exploring human society on a mission to eradicate the humans.

They are tasked with assimilating into the human culture. The Applegates have moved to the suburbs after the husband, Dick, got a job at a nuclear power plant. It is revealed that Dick is secretly working on a plan to cause a nuclear explosion that will rid the world of humans and leave the bugs in peace.

The Applegates start off living the American Dream. Dick is the patriarch, a loving father and the main breadwinner, while Jane is his loving wife and mother to "Johnny" and Sally. Johnny is initially a strait-laced A student but begins listening to heavy metal and becomes a pot-head. Sally starts out as the all American stereotype high school girl. She is dating Vince Samson, who is the captain of the football team.

Dick and Jane's "perfect" marriage begins to crumble as they drift from each other. Dick begins having an affair at work and Jane becomes addicted to shopping and credit cards. While Johnny begins smoking marijuana with his metalhead buddies, Johnny accidentally displays his true bug form. In a panic, he cocoons his friends and hides them. Sally, while being raped by Vince, displays her true form. Also in a panic, she cocoons him and hides him in the basement. As they drift away from normality and their mission, their aunt, Bea, is dispatched to get the family back on track with their mission.

Chaos ensues when Dick's affair with his secretary leads to them both getting fired and his lover deciding to blackmail him. Dick in panic cocoons her and hides her in his basement. Jane is then accosted by two representatives from the credit card company for failure to pay her mounting card bills and she cocoons the men and hides them away. Jane panics and in an effort to pay off her debts tries to rob a local convenience store but is caught by the sheriff while fleeing the scene. With no other options, she cocoons the sheriff and returns to the family house. Johnny walks in on her hiding the sheriff.

Sally enters and is revealed to be a lesbian, having become disillusioned with men after her interaction with Vince. The Applegates go into freefall when Jane's spending results in their possessions being repossessed. In a twist, just as they are at their lowest, a journalist and photographer enter to notify them that they have won a prize for being the most normal American family. However, after spotting Sally's pregnancy they attempt to rescind the prize. In the struggle the journalist pushes Sally over, which induces labour. She gives birth to a large insect egg, which rolls towards the journalist. Disgusted, he stomps on it and kills it. They are quickly cocooned and hidden away.

"Aunt" Bea arrives and is shocked at the Applegates status. She then attempts to forge ahead with the mission but after the family realize they have grown to like living amongst the humans they decide they must prevent Bea from completing the mission. Dick intervenes and in the struggle he kills Bea, preventing the nuclear explosion. They save the town and humans.

At the end of the movie they return to their lives in Brazil and are visited by the townspeople that grew to love them. Although the plant did not blow up, enough radiation was released to remove the hair from much of the town's population.

A scene before the credits reveals that Aunt Bea survived and still intends to destroy the world.

Cast

Release

Meet the Applegates was released in the Philippines by First Films as The Applegates on June 6, 1990, with "[f]ree cassette tapes to lucky patrons." [1] Meet the Applegates was released in the United States by Triton Pictures on February 1, 1991.

Critical response

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes the film has a score of 9% based on reviews from 11 critics, with an average rating of 4.2/10. [4]

The film was met with mixed reception. [5] [6] [7]

Related Research Articles

<i>Johnny Belinda</i> (1948 film) 1948 American film

Johnny Belinda is a 1948 American drama film, directed by Jean Negulesco, based on the 1940 Broadway stage hit of the same name by Elmer Blaney Harris. The play was adapted for the screen by writers Allen Vincent and Irma von Cube.

<i>The Dick Van Dyke Show</i> American television sitcom (1961–1966)

The Dick Van Dyke Show is an American television sitcom created by Carl Reiner that initially aired on CBS from October 3, 1961, to June 1, 1966, with a total of 158 half-hour episodes spanning five seasons. It was produced by Calvada Productions in association with the CBS Television Network, and was shot at Desilu Studios. Other producers included Bill Persky and Sam Denoff. The music for the show's theme song was written by Earle Hagen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dyan Cannon</span> American actress and filmmaker

Dyan Cannon is an American actress, filmmaker and editor. Her accolades include a Saturn Award, a Golden Globe Award, three Academy Award nominations and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She was named Female Star of the Year by the National Association of Theatre Owners in 1973 and the Hollywood Women's Press Club in 1979.

<i>The Sweetest Thing</i> 2002 film by Roger Kumble

The Sweetest Thing is a 2002 American comedy film directed by Roger Kumble and written by Nancy Pimental, who based the characters on herself and friend Kate Walsh. It stars Cameron Diaz, Christina Applegate, and Selma Blair. The film was released on April 12, 2002 and received negative reviews from critics. However, according to screenwriter Nancy Pimental, the film later went on to gain a cult following.

<i>Home Fries</i> 1998 American film

Home Fries is a 1998 American comedy-drama film directed by Dean Parisot, and starring Drew Barrymore and Luke Wilson. The script was originally penned by writer Vince Gilligan for a film class at New York University.

<i>Lost in Yonkers</i> Play by Neil Simon

Lost in Yonkers is a play by Neil Simon. The play won the 1991 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

<i>The Tiger in the Well</i>

The Tiger in the Well (1990) is a book by the English author Philip Pullman.

<i>The Dead Zone</i> (novel) 1979 novel by Stephen King

The Dead Zone is a science fiction thriller novel by Stephen King published in 1979. The story follows Johnny Smith, who awakens from a coma of nearly five years and, apparently as a result of brain damage, now experiences clairvoyant and precognitive visions triggered by touch. When some information is blocked from his perception, Johnny refers to that information as being trapped in the part of his brain that is permanently damaged, "the dead zone." The novel also follows a serial killer in Castle Rock, and the life of rising politician Greg Stillson, both of whom are evils Johnny must eventually face.

"The Thing That Wouldn't Die" is the two-part series finale of the American sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun. The episode aired on May 22, 2001 on NBC. The action in the episode directly follows that of the previous two-parter "Mary Loves Scoochie", which ended with Dick transforming Dr. Liam Neesam, a malevolent alien played by John Cleese, into a chimpanzee. Therefore, the full finale involves a four-episode story arc.

<i>Treasure of Matecumbe</i> 1976 film by Vincent McEveety

Treasure of Matecumbe is a 1976 American adventure western film directed by Vincent McEveety and produced by Walt Disney Productions. It was based on the novel A Journey to Matecumbe by Robert Lewis Taylor. The filming locations were in Danville, Kentucky, Sacramento River at Colusa, California and Walt Disney Productions' Golden Oak Ranch in California. The final scene at a beached shipwreck was filmed at Walt Disney World's Discovery Island.

<i>Worzel Gummidge</i> (TV series) British television series (1979–1981)

Worzel Gummidge is a British children's television series, produced by Southern Television for ITV, and based on the Worzel Gummidge books by English author Barbara Euphan Todd. The programme starred Jon Pertwee as the titular scarecrow and Una Stubbs as Aunt Sally. It ran for four series in the UK from 1979 to 1981. On a countdown of the greatest British children's programmes, this series was number 50 in the 50 Greatest Kids TV Shows on Channel 5 on 8 November 2013. Channel 4 reprised the show in 1987 as Worzel Gummidge Down Under, which was set in New Zealand.

<i>Samson & Sally</i> 1984 Danish film

Samson & Sally is a 1984 Danish-Swedish animated fantasy drama film, directed by Jannik Hastrup and based on the novel The Song of the Whales by Danish author Bent Haller.

<i>Charleys Aunt</i> (1941 film) 1941 film by Archie Mayo

Charley's Aunt is a 1941 American historical comedy film directed by Archie Mayo. It stars Jack Benny and Kay Francis. It was the fourth American filmed version of the 1892 stage farce of the same name by Brandon Thomas. It remained one of Benny's personal favourites among his own films.

<i>Paddy ODay</i> 1936 US comedy-drama film by Lewis Seiler

Paddy O'Day is a 1936 American comedy drama film directed by Lewis Seiler and released by 20th Century Fox. It stars Jane Withers, Pinky Tomlin, and Rita Hayworth. The story follows the adventures of a plucky Irish girl who arrives at Ellis Island only to discover that her mother, a cook in a wealthy Long Island home, has died. Hiding from the immigration officers who want to deport her, she charms everyone she meets, including the service staff and reclusive young master of the house. She goes to live with a family of Russian dancers that she met on the ship, and performs with them in their nightclub. Withers uses a heavy Irish brogue for her character and sings one song with an Irish accent and another song with a Russian accent. She also dances in several numbers, while Hayworth performs a traditional Russian dance in a nightclub revue.

The Captain's Kid is a 1936 American comedy film directed by Nick Grinde and written by Tom Reed. The film stars May Robson, Sybil Jason, Guy Kibbee, Jane Bryan, Fred Lawrence and Dick Purcell. The film was released by Warner Bros. on November 14, 1936.

<i>Dead 7</i> 2016 American TV series or program

Dead 7 is a 2016 post-apocalyptic zombie horror western film written by Nick Carter, directed by Danny Roew and produced by The Asylum. It aired on SyFy on April 1, 2016 in the United States.

<i>Surrender</i> (1950 film) 1950 film

Surrender is a 1950 American Western film directed by Allan Dwan, written by James Edward Grant and Sloan Nibley, and starring Vera Ralston, John Carroll, Walter Brennan, Francis Lederer, William Ching, Maria Palmer and Jane Darwell. It was released on September 15, 1950, by Republic Pictures.

Ring of Fire is a 1991 martial arts film directed by Richard W. Munchkin, starring Don "The Dragon" Wilson as the protagonist. The film also stars Maria Ford, Gary Daniels, Eric Lee, Steven Vincent Leigh and Ron Yuan. The main theme of the film is love between two people whose families are at war with each other. This theme is symbolized throughout the film by a fortune cookie message with the words "Like a mountain lily, love grows on rocky terrain".

References

  1. 1 2 "Opens Today!". Manila Standard . Kagitingan Publications, Inc. June 6, 1990. p. 17. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  2. ↑ Meet the Applegates at Box Office Mojo
  3. ↑ Slate, Libby (May 26, 1990). "Begley Crusade: Don't Pollute". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Meet the Applegates (1990)". Rotten Tomatoes . Flixster . Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  5. ↑ Rainer, Peter (February 1, 1991). "Movie Review: 'Applegates': All-American Alien Invasion". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  6. ↑ Canby, Vincent (February 1, 1991). "Review/Film; Insects With an Ecological Mission". The New York Times . p. 6. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  7. ↑ Ebert, Roger (February 1, 1991). "Meet the Applegates". Chicago Sun-Times . Retrieved August 14, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.