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Innerspace
Directed by	Joe Dante
Produced by	Michael Finnell, Steven Spielberg
Written by	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
Music by	Jerry Goldsmith
Cinematography	Andrew Laszlo
Editing by	Kent Beyda
Studio	Amblin Entertainment
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date(s)	July 1, 1987 (USA)
Running time	120 mins
Language	English

Innerspace is a 1987 science fiction comedy film directed by Joe Dante and produced by Michael Finnell. Steven Spielberg served as executive producer. The film was inspired by the classic 1966 sci-fi film Fantastic Voyage. It stars Dennis Quaid, Martin Short, Meg Ryan, Robert Picardo, and Kevin McCarthy with music composed by Jerry Goldsmith. Although it was not a box office success, the film achieved critical acclaim,^{[citation needed]} and was the only film directed by Joe Dante to win an Oscar. It was novelized by Nathan Elliott.

[edit] Plot synopsis

Down-on-his-luck Naval aviator 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 (John Hora) 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. With Tuck's guidance, Jack enrolls the assistance of Tuck's recently estranged girlfriend, Lydia (Meg Ryan).

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. Scrimshaw, a suave white-dressed villain (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 (Vernon Wells) and carried over the shoulder to a meat truck and taken to the lab.

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. Now confident and in control of his life, Jack jumps into Tuck's Mustang to rescue the newlyweds.

[edit] Cast

• Martin Short - Jack Putter
• Dennis Quaid - Lt. Tuck Pendleton
• Meg Ryan - Lydia Maxwell
• Kevin McCarthy - Victor Scrimshaw
• Fiona Lewis - Dr. Margaret Canker
• Robert Picardo - The Cowboy
• Vernon Wells - Mr. Igoe
• Henry Gibson - Mr. Wormwood
• William Schallert - Dr. Greenbrush
• Wendy Schaal - Wendy
• Harold Sylvester - Pete Blanchard
• Mark L. Taylor - Dr. David Niles
• John Hora - Ozzie Wexler
• Orson Bean - Lydia's Editor
• Kevin Hooks - Duane Florney
• John Laskay - Scrimshaw's Henchman 1
• Frank A. Miller - Scrimshaw's Henchman 2
• Dick Miller - Cab Driver

[edit] 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

[edit] See also

• Fantastic Voyage – an earlier film with a similar premise

[edit] External links

• Innerspace at the Internet Movie Database
• Innerspace at Allmovie