The Man from Earth

Plot synopsis:
The movie begins with Professor John Oldman (David Lee Smith) packing his belongings onto his truck preparing to move to a new home. His colleagues show up to give him an unexpected farewell party: Harry (John Billingsley, a biologist); Edith (Ellen Crawford, a fellow professor and devout Christian); Dan (Tony Todd, an anthropologist); and Sandy (Annika Peterson), a historian who is in love with John. As they are walking into the house, Edith spots an unknown Van Gogh painting of John's with the note "To my friend, Jacques Borne" on the back written in French. Once inside, his friends persistently ask John why he is leaving.Another friend, Art Jenkins (William Katt), an archeologist, and his student Linda Murphy (Alexis Thorpe), arrive and John's friends continue to pressure him for the reason for his departure. John poses the question, "What if a man, from the Upper Paleolithic survived until the present day?" They assume that John is working on a science fiction story and play along with the discussion. As the film progresses, John slowly reveals that he is the "caveman" under discussion when he mentions that he was given a chance to sail with Christopher Columbus in the 15th century. The revelation starts off with John's recollection of the terrain of prehistoric Earth and John's origins, which happens to be roughly 14,000 years ago. John reveals that he was once Jacques Borne, a friend of Van Gogh's, and he is now "moving on" since some people have noticed his lack of aging.As they take a break from the discussion, Art who is concerned about John's sanity telephones another friend, Dr. Will Gruber (Richard Riehle), an elderly psychologist, explaining the odd situation and asks him to come over right away. In the meantime, Sandy confesses to John that she loves him, but John tells her they can never be together because of his immortality. John resumes his story by stating that he was once a Sumerian for 2000 years, then a Babylonian under Hammurabi, and finally a disciple of Gautama Buddha. Dr. Gruber arrives, at which point Dan mentions that John's tale is as impossible to be disproved as it is to be verified, a response to the many attempts to poke holes in John's story by his colleagues. The discussion takes a turn into the biological and physical condition of John and the topic of death. Gruber propels the discussion deeper into the topic of death and tension rises as Gruber interrogates John on that subject. The tension culminates with Gruber pointing a gun at John. After the drama ends with the departure of Gruber, Harry reveals that Gruber's wife has passed away the day before and the profession of John's immortality had hit Gruber very hard. Art and Edith are upset with John's story, while Harry, Dan, Sandy, and Linda appear to be more sympathetic.John also mentions that he is not a follower of a particular religion, and he doesn't believe in an omnipotent God. John's audience is shocked when he reveals how he survived the crucifixion when he was Jesus by "blocking the pain", a technique he learned in India. He explains the origin of the Resurrection, Moses, and other events and people in the Bible. Tempers and emotions rise as Edith pressures John to recant his story, which offends her deep-rooted faith in the Bible. Dr. Gruber returns to the scene and apologizes to John for his "infantile behavior". As John continues to pack his belongings onto the truck, his colleagues begin to talk about the possibility of John being mentally ill or high on drugs.The discussions of John being Jesus, Christianity, and the Bible continue and Edith, unable to take John's tale anymore, breaks down crying. Emotions in the room run high. Gruber takes charge of the situation and sternly demands that John end his "high tale" and give closure to the story; he threatens John with the possibility of locking him up for observation. John apologizes to everyone and, as he doesn't want to further upset any of his friends, he tells them that all he just told them is just a story.As each of John's friends leave, John apologizes to Harry and Edith, while Art and Linda leave without many parting words. When it is Dan's turn to say goodbye, it is hinted that Dan believes John's story. After everyone but Dr. Gruber and Sandy has left, Dr. Gruber overhears John relating to Sandy some of the other pseudonyms he has used over the years. One used over 60 years ago was the name of Gruber's father, a chemistry professor from Harvard, who had left the family. Gruber, shocked and over-excited, suffers a heart attack and dies. After Gruber's body is taken away, the movie ends with Sandy walking towards John (sitting in his truck); at the last minute he changes his mind to spend some part of his life with her.

Tags: psychological, boring, fantasy, thought-provoking, cult, philosophical, historical, storytelling

Review:
A sci-fi film with absolutely no special effects, relying solely on the story and a room-full of actors.A highly recommended film that needs some concentration and thought to fully appreciate, and that might even cause a tear if you become fully immersed.
Jerome Bixby's "The Man from Earth" stands proudly among the best science fiction films ever made.
However, unlike "2001", "CE3K" and "Blade Runner," this little movie relies not on outstanding set design and mind-blowing visual effects, but rather on ideas; the very foundation of science fiction.I've been a fan of Mr. Bixby's ever since "Star Trek", and I must say this equals if not surpasses "Mirror, "Mirror".
Challenged me with historical facts (several of which I've since checked online, and thus far, all of which appear 100% accurate.) This is a chess game of a film, forcing the viewer not only to listen and to think, but to understand.I highly recommend "Man from Earth" to any and all who love intelligent science fiction.
If not the "best" science-fiction film ever made, Jerome Bixby's Man From Earth is certainly one of the most thoughtful.
This movie represents the true art of science fiction and I believe It will surprise allot of people on how many different ways entertainment can form itself.
The man who made sure my grandfather's story never died, Mr Emerson Bixby who I'm positive will bring us fun and interesting films for years to come..
At first i was not sure of what a was to expect from the movie but like the characters i was drawn into the story.
It may not be action packed but it makes up for this in intrigue,it kept me watching and is a must see for genuine movie buffs.The acting at the first couple of minutes had me a little worried but after that i thought the film flowed and it soon eased my worries i am notorious to friends for giving up on movies before they begin.I would not recommend this film for kids it would be more suited to anyone over the age of 25 but hey what do i know you can make up your own mind by watching it in the cinemasOverall i rated this film 9/10.
If you are looking for that, then consider a different movie.I watched this movie because of the reviews and ratings here on IMDb. This site doesn't usually let me down, but I have to say that there is no greater discrepancy here between rating and actual quality than there is with The Man from Earth.Have you ever had a professor who obviously considered himself a genius, and also considered himself funny, even though he was plainly the opposite in both cases?
It feels like it was made by an atheist who considered himself enlightened, yet the message gets lost in the abysmal story.I won't spoil anything, as if there was some way that could make the movie even worse, but the ending will either make you laugh derisively or shake your head in disbelief over how poorly done it was.The review I read said the movie was for people who are not afraid to think, yet the ideas expressed in between the cheesy one-liners were no more profound than an AOL chatroom discussion about who is greater, pirates or ninjas.
The story could easily just be two people talking, as in K-PAX, which is far better.The dialogue is awful (I thought it was the acting originally but that was wrong).
I am a fan of sci-fi and indie films, and after reading the reviews of this film i figured it was definitely worth a watch, especially with an impressive average rating of around 8.
However, on watching it, i felt obliged to sign up to IMDb, just to right the wrong that is this overrated film.It's incredibly slow-paced; the actors could maybe one day aspire to star in a low budget soap with enough lessons, and it's impressive that they considered equal rights for blind people by giving no visuals other than people sat in a cabin acting badly.The plot is pretty terrible.
I just wish of all the things for the fundamentalist Christians to attack and try and bring down they would put this film out of it's misery.Please save your time and watch the inside of your eyelids for 2 hours.
It's that engaging.Like some other people have said, once you start, you watch it till the end and goes by in a minute, it soaks you up and spits you out with a very thin boundary on your beliefs.I recommend it for anyone who wants a movie to make you think, engaging, something substantial.
suffice to say, all those intellectuals with scientific education went hysterical, blown away and shaken by what that one guy tells them without bringing any solid proof (even refusing to bring one when asked).Supposedly, those bits of the story of the life of that 1 guy should entertain me as i sit through 87 minutes of dullness, like i never read belletristic or sci-fi books.There aren't many good sci-fi movies out there but..This is not a movie.Imagine going to a museum and instead of getting to look at the mask of Tutankhamun, you get a screening of 8 guys describing to you Tutankhamon's mask in a dull manner, one of them threatening to kill another with a gun at a random point of the lecture.
Dramatic, thoughtful, insightful, an intellectual mind trip with a non-Hollywoodized killer of a surprise ending.Some people are describing Man from Earth as a "book," not a movie, because there is nothing but conversation.
Calling a brilliant film like is "the WORST movie ever made" does nothing but parade your ignorance.Judging from the majority of the comments, there is obviously a large audience out there starved for good science fiction.
Clearly they were not lost on cast, crew, their friends, their families and possibly from the looks of the discussion threads some religious cult, because whilst watchable the notion that this film deserves an 8/10 score and mention in the best Science Fiction films on IMDb is enough to get me to type my compulsory ten lines.The film is not bad in the same way that eerie Indiana on Nickelodeon when I was twelve was not bad, the acting is passable the story even verges on intriguing but at the end of it all it's predictable, rhetorical and cheap.It's not like we don't have plenty of excellent low budget productions that attempt to be clever and even pull it of well.
You can of course try this, just don't be fooled into thinking it's a better use of your time than watching any of the films truly deserving of such credit..
I agree with several other commenters that the cast of characters brought out the discussion very well.To watch a movie that presents an alternate view point to so many closed minded "Christians" put a smile on my face.
I doubt that this movie will "open your eyes" to a new way of thinking or spark a revolution in your own mind but I can guarantee that even if you hate this film, you will still be talking about it when it is done, especially if you watch it with someone else..
Because "The Man From Earth" is all premise and no film.It's a fantastic, thought-provoking idea.
I really can't...I do not believe in wasting my time writing bad reviews, but good Lord, I feel a need to warn people about this movie.
I really feel like to enjoy this movie, you really don't have to have much taste in film in general.
The first thing you should know before watching this movie is that the IMDb reviews here are flooded with 9 and 10 ratings from one-time reviewers.
The acting was pretty bad, the story was ridiculous really and there was nothing really to redeem the film save that you were wondering what was going to happen, and in the end nothing of interest did happen.
I found myself bored most of the time as the ideas which were being discussed (which apparently others feel were quite deep) were really, in my opinion, just plain silly and in no way believable even if you accept the basic premise that this man has lived such a long life.
I am completely staggered that people have rated this movie so highly - and irritated; having wasted the time which I gave this film.
It is bad because EVERYTHING about it is bad - there are simply no redeeming features - seriously, even if I live a million years I will still begrudge the fact that a hour of my life (I couldn't watch more) was spent on this film..
I've seen much more creative and intelligent and work from high school students' group projects that were written in a week and shot with a cell phone.This was like listening to someone that has had one AP class in world religions, and now thinks that he has all the answers to humanity's complex questions tied up and resolved.
Yes, the premise is interesting, but if (like me) you like sci-fi you would be better off READING A BOOK and not watching this film.
As is frequently stated throughout the movie, "All of this could have come out of books!" (And how surprising, since they are all academics.) The film is not as anti-Christian as some reviewers would have you believe, unless you are a terribly sensitive Christian.
People hoping for an intellectually challenging movie, good science fiction, or even a mildly enjoyable movie should not watch 'The Man from Earth'.The central concept surrounding the main character does not succeed in becoming more than a gimmick.
Some reviewers have pointed out the strength of the concept is its ambiguity, but when one sees the amount of effort made by the writer to uneasily force this uncertainty unto the story, this argument can be quickly discarded.The characters portrayed are caricatures, which is an insurmountable obstacle in a movie in which eight persons are constantly in one room.
Frankly I think this is the kind of movie that some people embrace or overrate because of its attempted "intellectual nature," ie as a way to go "see, it's intellectual and I like it, so I'm intellectual." The fact that the author was a popular sci fi writer and this was his last work (completed on his deathbed) might not have hurt either.
Having read a review of this movie on IMDb I was rather keen to take the time to watch it.
The acting is not of a high quality, the characters are your usual US / TV movie stereotypes (Professors / Teachers etc, the young blond girlfriend).One aspect of the film did stay with me, only due to the fact it's a pet hate of mine.
This is the first comment i have ever made on any movie on the Internet but i think its important to support well made, intelligent low budget films as opposed to thoughtless blockbusters churned out by the Hollywood machine.
I liked The Examined Life and My Dinner with Andre, I like independent, low budget films.This movie did not live up to expectations.
Anything that looks like a well built historical-sci-fi script will rate well, even if the movie is just a piece of crap.
this is the worst movie i ve ever seen (Regie, Acting, Story, Script!).
this is the worst movie i ve ever seen (Regie, Acting, Story, Script!).
His father wrote this story in the late 1960's He completed the screenplay just before his death in April of 1998I love Sci-Fi and Indi films and this movie was no exception.
Written by Jerome Bixby, who wrote Fantastic Voyage, four classic Star Trek episodes and one unforgettable Twilight Zone episode ("It's a Good Life", )The Man from Earth's plot concerns a goodbye party for a college professor who reveals that he is an immortal who is more than 14,000 years old.It is a brainy film, without all the million dollay effects you see today to drive the film leaving it up to the story and actors, like the good old days.It's one of the best Indi films i have seen in a while.
You'll feel 14000 years old by the time you've watched this film..
Ultimately this is a simple storyline made worse by poor acting, in a dismal setting, (a cabin) with an obviously fake 'real' fire, presumably put there for continuity reasons...You will feel nothing for the characters, they create no atmosphere at all and if you manage to fight your way through the tedium to the 'massive' ending without strangling yourself you'll be disappointed.If it wasn't for the religious element it would not have got peoples attention.
For this film to work it really needs to be a lot more thought-provoking and ground breaking intellectually.As a historian I loved the idea and was thrilled to see it being played out.
David Lee Smith's character, John Oldman, lived 40,000 years and yet the only details of that incredible story he re-tells are of being Jesus and his convenient friendship with Van Gogh which he never describes.This film could've been a beautiful and amazing insight into human history and into the human condition and all it turns out to be is an agnostic vehicle.I rated the film 7/10 as the idea is wonderful, the dialog is decent and the simple presentation is daring and well-done.Where the film fails is in the poor cinematography and lighting.
In contemporary films, we've been seeing more and more use of special effects or production techniques to overcome the shortcomings of the basis of every movie: the story.
It was surprisingly refreshing to come to this movie without any expectations and be completely astonished by the captivating and well-thought-out storyline.The Man From Earth uses no gimmickry, no special effects, no surprise production techniques and a cast of sparse actors to create an experience that is quite moving.
One of them thinks he is a caveman.The actors are horrible, the subject is not particularly interesting, the discussion is not particularly intelligent.I could not watch the entire movie, it was too boring and idiotic.Filming the discussion of a bunch of stoners would have been more interesting than this.
I watched this film on the strength of the other reviews here, thinking they can't all be wrong but OH MY GOD!
Never seen a movie that's shot in one room,yet gets you so interesting that you want to watch over and over again .
A film that is literally a group of people talking in a room, it never fails to hold your attention as we traverse the life of an immortal man, born in the stone age, in the presence of professors in Biology, History, Archaeology, Psychology, and a Christian Literallist.The only film I'd ever give a 10/10 for.Now, stop reading about it and go watch it!!!.
However, I am sure they succeeded at converting some of the general masses to atheism - purely through rhetoric and false intellectualism, but void of substance.Do not get me wrong, I love this genre of movies and science fiction in general, but without any action or good acting the movie was relying 100% on the plot and writing, which turned into historical and theological comedy..
Anything would appear ingenious in comparison with this film's screenplay or casts' performance.I find it very hard to believe almost 30 000 people have voted for this movie with it ending at 8.1.
We need more films like this - it just shows that you don't need big budget special effects to create fantastic science fiction.
The characters often act and react in contrived and incoherent ways, taking away from the credibility of the story and the immersion of the viewer.For those who remember the "The Twilight Zone", to me this movie felt a bit like an episode of that (if better and a bit more intelligent) - exciting for children, but not very captivating for mature viewers.
The movie is simply this man, John, answering question after question and telling stories about his long, event filled life due to the his friends not believing him.
plot holes everywhere for a movie that tried to sound smart and believable,not to mention the bad acting.i watched it until the end,because maybe there is some kind of twist or anything that made this movie so well received and praised by other IMDb users but i should've stopped.
I am really astonished to see the ratings here on IMDb, as this movie is nothing more than a high-school project that was not stopped in time for good.
It works more or less like this: A guy tells his friends that he's 14.000 years old and then they spend the rest of the movie asking him questions and he tells them stories about his life.
If you are a sci-fi fan or if you're looking for a movie that actually makes you think, then do not miss this.
I was longing to watch a movie like this for such a long time!
I fell in love with the way the story was told.The IMDb rating is actually pretty good, I would give this movie a 10/10 every time, cause no matter how many times I watch it, the story just grows on me.
We delayed things tomorrow and nothing bad would happen, in all ,we can wait, just let time do it.This film might have religious points of view which I am not familiar with, and someone may disagree with those things, but using the imagination as we are watching the movie over the assumption of immortality can bring us lots of fun.
Nice story, didn't feel like a movie.
It's a tale told verbally between friends and slowly as the tale unfolds you find yourself in the room with the characters on the edge of your seat wanting to know more.I encourage anyone who likes movies that make you think to give this one a go..