When overworked building contractor Doug Kinney (Keaton) remarks during an argument with his wife Laura (MacDowell), “Call an exorcist,” as a means of blaming his nasty behavior on demon possession, he could be uttering a cry for help for this new feature by Harold Ramis (Caddyshack, National Lampoon’s Vacation) about genetics and human behavior. Swamped by a demanding job and longing to spend time with his wife and two children, Doug is intrigued when he meets Dr. Leeds (Yulin) of the Gemini Institute, a genetic research laboratory. The doctor specializes in cloning and recently has succeeded in copying himself. Believing a clone to be the answer to his scheduling problems, Doug agrees to undergo the two-hour procedure. I’m no brain surgeon, but two hours to produce a genetically engineered clone? This kind of detail should be a minor point, however, in a film that’s steeped in comedy. Or so I thought. Even the occasional funny line and slapstick routine aren’t humorous enough to redeem Ramis’ film. The stupid antics and sophomoric jokes that make Ramis’ other films so likable fail in Multiplicity because Keaton’s crazy character works alone without the support of other nutty characters (not counting his clones). Granted, the visual effects using split-screen photography by Oscar-winning Boss Film Studios are impressive, as is Keaton’s energetic performance as Doug and the three genetically engineered clones named Two, Three, and Four. However, these elements fail to rescue Multiplicity from its moronic plot devices, orchestrated by husband-and-wife writing team Chris Miller (National Lampoon’s Animal House) and Mary Hale. Despite my better judgment, each movie with Andie MacDowell makes me think that she’ll have improved her acting skills. Unfortunately, Multiplicity proves me wrong once again. Other dependable acting talents such as Richard Masur offer no solace, either, as the film spends most of its time on Keaton’s performance as Doug Numbers One through Four, with each clone representing an aspect of the original Doug’s personality. Tried-and-true Keaton fans may find Multiplicity enjoyable, but other potential viewers may want to send in their clones.
This article appears in July 19 • 1996 (Cover).