| Mac and Me | |
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Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Stewart Raffill |
| Produced by | R.J. Louis Mark Damon William B. Kerr |
| Written by | Stewart Raffill Steve Feke |
| Starring | Jade Calegory Lauren Stanley Christine Ebersole Jonathan Ward Katrina Caspary |
| Music by | Alan Silvestri |
| Cinematography | Nick McLean |
| Editing by | Tom Walls |
| Studio | Vision International New Star Entertainment |
| Distributed by | Orion Pictures Home Video: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Release date(s) | August 12, 1988 |
| Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $13,000,000 |
| Box office | $6,424,112 |
Mac and Me is a 1988 sci-fi fantasy film co-written (with Steve Feke) and directed by Stewart Raffill about a "Mysterious Alien Creature" (MAC) escapes from nefarious NASA agents and is befriended by a young boy who uses a wheelchair. Together, they try to find MAC's family, from whom he has been separated. The film stars Jade Calegory (in his only film appearance), Christine Ebersole, Jonathan Ward, Katrina Caspary and Lauren Stanley. It is also Jennifer Aniston's debut film (playing an uncredited role as an extra).
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The film is known for its numerous and blatant product placements, including Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Skittles and Sears. The main character's name, Mac, is proclaimed by the main character to mean "Mysterious Alien Creature." The only foods the alien requires are Coke and Skittles. A five minute-long impromptu dance number, featuring Ronald McDonald, takes place in a McDonald's franchise, which led Leonard Maltin to call the film "more like a TV commercial than a movie".[1] However, according to Seth Stevenson, "there was no quid pro quo between the filmmakers and these companies."[2] It has long been maintained, possibly mistakenly, that the film's intent was to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House children's charity.
Mac and Me, produced by Vision International and New Star Entertainment and distributed by Orion Pictures, grossed $6,424,112 in the United States.[3]
The film was heavily criticized for being, among other things, similar to other films of the day, most notably E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. It has also been noted that the aliens in the film resemble extraterrestrial characters in the comedy film Ice Pirates.[4]
The film ends with a freeze frame and the words "We'll be back!" superimposed, but after abysmal reviews and dismal box office returns, the planned sequel was shelved.
It has been labeled one of the worst films ever made by Rotten Tomatoes, where it holds a 0% rating[5], mainly due to people calling it a product placement inducement, and a rip off of the movie E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial. Mac and Me was also referenced in the 2011 film Paul, which was also about aliens.
The film has gained a measure of notoriety thanks to actor Paul Rudd. As part of a running gag during Rudd's appearances on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, he would show a clip of the wheelchair-using Eric (replaced by a dummy) falling off a cliff, instead of showing clips from the actual film Rudd was there to promote. Most recently, Rudd continued the gag on O'Brien's latest TV show, Conan.[6]
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