The Minority Report ~Philip K. Dick
–published 1956 in Fantastic Universe
–31 pages, read online here , recommended on Best SF Stories.
–4.25/5 stars
The Minority Report ~Steven Spielberg (based on the short story by Philip K. Dick)
–theatrical release, 2002
–146 minutes, Dreamworks/20th Century Fox
–4.25/5 stars
After this past weekend’s experience with Cordwainer Smith, I have been practically binging on short stories. This trend is thanks in no small part to the rediscovery of Best SF Stories (dot) com. Rusty’s reviews include not only links to where stories can be read online but also a handy page count feature which makes it easy to determine if I can grab a quick literary bite while grabbing a literal bite during lunch hour. I had read a different Philip K. Dick short story on Monday (which you will read about on this weekend’s Short Story Sunday) and enjoyed it so much I thought I would try another one today. When I clicked on 1950’s in Rusty’s sidebar, up near the top I found The Minority Report. At 31 pages it was not just lunch, but also a late afternoon/early evening snack. A very, very good one too.
A brief synopsis of Philip K. Dick’s short story functions well as an overview of the beginning of the film as well:
In the future, crime–particularly murder–is virtually eliminated in New York City (Washington, D.C. in the film) thanks to the police department’s Precrime Division, founded and lead by John Anderton. The Precrime Division makes use of 3 ‘pre-cogs’–essentially vegetative humans with heightened mental capacities–to predict crimes before they happen. This knowledge allows the police to arrest and imprison people before the crime is actually carried out. On the day this story begins, Ed Witwer arrives ostensibly to begin the training for the eventual take over of Anderton’s job. John Anderton is suspicious and assumes Witwer is there to push him out of his position at the earliest possible moment. His suspicions seem to be confirmed when shortly after Witwer’s arrival, John Anderton’s name comes up from the pre-cogs for the future murder of a man he has never heard of. What follows is a suspenseful tale with twists and turns, assumptions and accusations, and an ending that even the precogs may not have seen coming.
This basic structure holds true for both PKD’s short story and for the film, as do other plot points like the existence of occasional differing reports from one of the precogs, the ‘minority report’, and the idea that the Precrime Division may be in danger of failure pending the outcome of the murder Anderton is pre-seen to commit.
The Minority Report, the short story, has plenty of action and suspense and, despite only being 31 pages in length, manages to pack in a lot of detail about our future world and this complex legal system. I really enjoyed it. So much so that I decided I wanted to watch the film, particularly as it had been a few years and I had been impressed with it when I saw it the last time.
Thus we sat down as a family over our dinner tonight and watched Tom Cruise in the film version of The Minority Report. I have heard criticisms and read them as well from people who did not particularly like this film for their own various and sundry reasons. I have also heard and read reviews where people thoroughly enjoyed this interpretation of PKD’s classic story. Like Rusty over at Best SF Stories, I fall squarely into that second category.
Six years gone, Minority Report still looks top notch from a visual effects standpoint. In my opinion the special effects, many digitally generated, look every bit as good and ‘futuristic’ as if they had been made yesterday. In addition, despite what I feel about Tom Cruise personally, there are several movies that he is in that I find highly entertaining. This is one of them. Cruise and Farrell work very well together in their roles and the supporting cast was well chosen. The film makes Anderton a much younger man and changes Witwer (Danny in the film instead of Ed) into a government investigator who suspects that, because Precrime is a human system, it cannot be perfect and therefore must have flaws. The backup storyline of a missing son, and the founder of Precrime being an older man instead of Anderton, are major additions/changes to PKD’s story.
I think Spielberg and company did a remarkable job using the structure of a 31 page short story to craft a much longer film. The integrity of the storyline, though it ends differently than the short story, is still there and yet each is different enough from each other to be enjoyed separately. There is the original and there is someone else’s interpretation of the original. At least that is the way that I see it.
Some folks do not like a happy ending. I personally like to see the good guy win. I like to see relationships restored. And I don’t mind seeing the bad folks get what is coming to them. All in all this is a very good future-earth action film with an engaging story that holds up well over multiple viewings.
I don’t know when I have ever read a story and immediately watched the film version of that same story. It is a first, I believe. I had so much fun with it that I may just have to do it again sometime. In addition to introducing my daughter to this film, I was able to recap Philip K. Dick’s version to them afterwards. That was a good time.
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This is my second post for the 42 Challenge. Be sure to check out the 42 Challenge website for other people’s posts and feel free to join in. It is, and will continue to be, great fun.
If you want to read Rusty’s review of The Minority Report (it is very good), visit here. And be sure to follow his link to the story itself if you wish to check it out for free online.
Ah, PKD. Minority Report is one of my favorite short stories. Nice to see it in online form, it has been a couple of years since I read it, and don’t own a copy. Thanks!
sometimes I think people are too hard on movies that are made from books. After all, if you’ve read the book before the movie, then the movie is icing on the cake.. it’s “just” extra enjoyment of a story already well told, and a bonus of some fine actors to boot. Even when the movie is less than the book, sometimes you just can’t capture it.
I agree with Deslily about folks fussing that the movie was bad because it differed from the original book plotline/story. I read Star Wars about 5 months before the movie was released. The book just whetted my appetite for the film, which was AWESOME! ^_^ I’ve always enjoyed stories in both media, and sometimes, just sometimes, the movie is the better of the two.
I’ve never read Minority Report, thanks for the link to Rusty’s review. I’ll have to go check it out. And on an off-note, since i’ve been re-reading Orson Scott Card’s Ender series, i guess i’m participating in your Sci-Fi challenge vicariously. ^_^ cheers, later – susan
I forgot to mention: I too saw the commercial for Inkheart!! I have sooooooooooooooo waited for this movie! Andy Serkis never disappoints so I know I will like the movie version!
Great review and thanks for the link. I’m going to check it out. You’re definitely broadening my reading horizons! I love it!
Happy Reading!
I really enjoyed “The Minority Report” in both short story and movie forms. I think one of the things that makes it so good is that the story is quite unique – using pre-cogs to solve crimes before they are committed is just way cool!
As for movies vs. written stories, I try to judge both separately. If it was a good movie then I don’t care if the storyline differs from the book – and sometimes the movie can suck even if it follows the book exactly.
Rusty: It is a really cool idea. In some ways I wish I had read the short story before ever seeing the film, but as it was enough time had passed since seeing the movie that I was able to just lose myself to the short story.
TheChicGeek: Glad to hear it! The blogosphere does that for me and it is nice to give back.
SG, Deslily, Rusty: I actually feel both ways of looking at book to film adaptations are valid. If the movie is good in and of itself then generally I am okay with that, and over the years I’ve become much more educated about the film making process and have a better understand of why things have to be changed, etc. to make a good film. However, there are times that films are bad representations of the book not only because they are bad movies but because the changes just aren’t necessary. Making the captain of the flying ship a more expanded role in Stardust made sense. He has a small but vital part in the film. Making him a stereotype of a flamboyant gay man was not necessary at all. It takes away from the magic of the film and the book. It made no sense. Things like that drive me crazy and I think tend to happen when the screenwriter/film-maker doesn’t really love the story, they simply think the story will make a good backbone for a film. That bothers me.
I know you know how rare it is that a director loves the movie he is making as much as Peter Jackson did for LOTR! And I know you know that many times they aren’t given the budget to do right by a script for a movie.. so we know there are many reasons a movie may not stand up as well as the books they come from..this will always be. we can only hope for movies we enjoy, thankfully there are many of them.. and many more we know nothing about because no money is spent on it’s release or limited release.. I rarely really dislike a movie. but it’s not unheard of lol.. and many times I say I enjoyed a movie, but it could have been better etc.
all that plus………..
it’s in the eye of the beholder so everyone is right , like it or not.
MOVIE SPOILERY COMMENT!!:
About that happy ending for the movie… here’s what I like about it. When you really think on it, the ending is ambiguous. There is a line somewhere where they talk about what it is like when the criminals are imprisoned and they mention how they dream and they might live out entire lives there. All of the events of the movie after Anderton’s imprisonment might simply be his hopeful imagination while he is imprisoned.
I personally like either a happy or a sad ending… as long as it fits the movie. Considering the material, I think the “open to interpretation” ending is a good one.
Still, I really need to read the original short story.
I liked both the short story and the movie. Probably the only film I can think of that I liked Colin Ferrell in.
Carl you just had to bring up the tragic Stardust movie didn’t you. š
Deslily: Beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder as there are movies I can watch over and over again and really enjoy that other people, people who I trust and respect, cannot stand. That being said, there are still really bad films out there.
Kim: I hadn’t thought of that aspect, which is entirely possible. That is the ending that I would choose to believe but I like how the presence of that line allows for a different interpretation of the end of the story. Something similar in some ways to the short story. Thanks for pointing that out, very fun to think about it that way.
Jeff: I had to, I’m still heartbroken. š
i have yet to read minority report, but really love the film. its just so watchable and really exciting.
and i agree with you, the effects are amazing! i saw it recently and, like you said, they look like they were done yesterday!