Product Details

• Actors: Cliff Robertson
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Fox Home Entertainment
• VHS Release Date: August 6, 1992
• Run Time: 104 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (77 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6301514025
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #5,273 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Adapted from Daniel Keyes's novel Flowers for Algernon, Charly must be viewed as a soap opera of and for its zeitgeist--the halcyon '60s, when "natural" was nirvana, the air hummed with the mantra "Everybody's beautiful," and all ills stemmed from institutional monoliths such as Science, Government, Education, Religion. Accordingly, Charly (Cliff Robertson) is a 30-year-old retardate whose doofus sweetness makes him superior to most able-minded folk, whether they're the bigoted dolts he sweeps floors for or the ambitious scientists who see him as the human equivalent of Algernon, a mouse they've surgically (but impermanently) smartened up. Naturally, post-op Charly, sporting a genius IQ, "sees things as they are." Trotted out as the neurosurgeons' poster boy, he stands up to the "learned" audience--shot as faceless, inhuman interrogators. He's every '60s flower child, berating his "elders" for blighting their brave new world.

The one gift Charly gets out of becoming Brainiac is sex. In a lengthy montage resembling a retro TV commercial, he and his special-ed teacher (Claire Bloom, madonna with eternal Mona Lisa smile) romp through an Edenic outdoors, their embraces hallowed by sunlight glinting through leaves, moonlight glinting on water, and sappy Ravi Shankar music. (Stylistic clichés also include embarrassing outbreaks of split screens and multiple small screens within the frame, notably when rebellious Charly turns biker.) Robertson's performance is well-meaning but hokey. Still, in the penultimate moments when Charly begins to slide back into retardation, the actor achieves a genuine tragic gravity, and he became a surprise Oscar winner for his pains. --Kathleen Murphy

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars THE BOOK IS BETTER..., September 8, 2001

By	Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

This review is from: Charly [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is a somewhat disappointing adaptation of the wonderful book, "Flowers for Algernon", by Daniel Keyes. This is not to say that Cliff Robertson's performance in the title role of Charly Gordon, a gentle, mentally challenged person, is not Oscar worthy. It is, and he deservedly won the Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of Charly Gordon. Claire Bloom is also noteworthy for her performance as Charly's teacher and love interest, Alice Kinian. The problem with this film lies in the screenplay and direction of the film.

The storyline is simple enough. Charly Gordon, a gentle, mentally challenged soul with a thirst for knowledge, attends night school in an effort to get smart. His teacher is Alice Kinian, a sensitive and caring person, who recognizes Charly's determination, as well as his limitations. She takes an interest in him and refers him to an institute that has been doing research in increasing the intelligence of laboratory mice through neurosurgery and is now on the cusp of attempting that experimental neorosurgery on humans. The institute is in the process of selecting candidates for its clinical trials.

Charly goes to the institute where he undergoes a battery of tests and has his capability for problem solving compared to that of a laboratory mouse named Algernon, whose intelligence has been surgically enhanced. After much deliberation, the institute decides to take Charly on as a human guinea pig, after Ms. Kinian eloquently persuades them that Charly's determination and sweet disposition should overcome the fact that he is below the threshold level of intelligence that they were looking for in a human subject.

Charly undergoes the neurosurgery which initially appears to be a success. He gets smart, very smart. The inevitable romance with Ms. Kinian follows, as Charly exceeds all expectations. It is here that the film begins to fall apart and takes a swan dive. In an effort to show the changes in Charly's life, the film shows a collage of stills and scenes of Charly and Ms. Kinian that are ludicrous and almost embarrassing. They are presented in a fashion that is best described as psychedelic. It is done so poorly, as to make the film lose credibility, and it is downhill from there on, as the story becomes one dimensional. The screenplay writer and director should have stuck to the book, both in story and in theme, remembering that you can't fix what ain't broke.

Still, Cliff Robertson's performance, as well as that of Claire Bloom, is worth watching. If you have already read the book, however, prepare to be disappointed. If you have not read the book, as yet, watch the movie first, and then read the book.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Decent film adaptation of the classic short story, December 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Charly [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Cliff Robertson won the Academy Award for best actor with his excellent portrayal of Charly Gordon. It takes an actor with great versatility to first play a mentally-challenged man and then turn around and portray a surgically-transformed genius; Robertson fills the bill with great satisfaction. To fully appreciate the quality of this film, a great suggestion would be to first read the short story titled "Flowers for Algernon" on which this movie is based.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is one of the finest film projects in history., October 18, 1999

By	Paul Gordon ([e-mail]) (Beaumont, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Charly [VHS] (VHS Tape)

True, this movie may be outdated in relation to the 90's era of science and technology, but it still remains one of those few films which produce an inner desire for learning and love. Robertson and his co-stars provide a great acting performance. The director did a fine job in taking the book, "Flowers for Algernon", and making it actually better when seen on film. This movie really hits the heart as few do. It also sets off a catalyst of desire for educational achievement. Spielburg and Tom Hanks could put together a brilliant remake of this today. Buy this movie. It is one of the best.