Innerspace

Infobox_Film
name = Innerspace

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writer = Chip Proser (story)
Jeffrey Boam &
Chip Proser (screenplay)
starring = Dennis Quaid
Martin Short
Meg Ryan
Kevin McCarthy
Fiona Lewis
Robert Picardo
Vernon Wells
Henry Gibson
Wendy Schaal
Harold Sylvester
William Schallert
John Hora
director = Joe Dante
producer = Michael Finnell
distributor = Warner Bros.
released = July 1, 1987 (USA)
runtime = 120 minutes
budget =
editing = Kent Beyda
cinematography = Andrew Laszlo
language = English
music = Jerry Goldsmith
awards = Oscar, 3 nominations
amg_id = 1:24892
imdb_id = 0093260

"Innerspace" is an Academy Award-winning 1987 science fiction comedy film directed by Joe Dante and produced by Steven Spielberg. The film was based on the classic 1966 sci-fi film "Fantastic Voyage". It stars Dennis Quaid, Martin Short, Meg Ryan, and Kevin McCarthy with music composed by Jerry Goldsmith. This was the only film directed by Joe Dante to ever win an Oscar.

Plot synopsis

Down-on-his-luck Navy pilot Tuck Pendleton (Dennis Quaid) is selected as a guinea pig to participate in an experimental project which will place him in a submersible pod, to be shrunk to microscopic size and injected into the body of a rabbit. Immediately after being miniaturized, the experiment takes a bad turn when the lab is attacked. The experiment supervisor Ozzie Wexler escapes with the miniaturized Tuck in a syringe. After sustaining a fatal gunshot wound, he injects Tuck and the pod into hypochondriac Safeway clerk Jack Putter (Martin Short).

After establishing contact with his new host, Tuck must figure out how to get out of Jack's "Innerspace" before he runs out of oxygen.

After making contact with the lab, Tuck and Jack are informed that there is another group of scientists and capitalists attempting to accomplish the same goal of miniaturization for use in their scheme to sell the technology for use in espionage. They are led by the mysterious Mr. Scrimshav, a suave white dressed supervillain played by Kevin McCarthy of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" fame.

The raid on the lab was to steal a chip vital to the process. While at a restaurant with Tuck's girlfriend, Jack is kidnapped by Mr. Igoe and carried over the shoulder to a meat truck.

Now that they have the chip, they miniaturize Mr. Igoe, and send him into the body of Jack, to extract a second chip required for re-enlargement.

Igoe's craft eventually finds Tuck's pod, but is disabled after Tuck jams one of the pod's arms into a thrust port. Mr. Igoe abandons his craft using an ejection system, and attempts to crack the pod windows using a drill on his exosuit. Igoe is killed, however, when Jack's stomach ulcer acts up, digesting him.

With little time left to spare, Tuck's pod is removed from Jack and is enlarged. He later marries his girlfriend, with Jack as his best man. The film ends with an open finale when Jack notices the "Cowboy" sliding into Tuck's limo disguised as a driver, having just hidden the miniaturized Mr. Scrimshaw and his assistant in the car's trunk. Jack jumps on a sports car to rescue the newlyweds.

Awards

1988:
* Academy Awards: Best Visual Effects, Won
* Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films: Best Director, Best Science Fiction Film, Best Special Effects, nominated

See also

*"Fantastic Voyage" – an earlier film with a similar premise