Multiplicity

"Sometimes to get more out of life, you have to make more of yourself."

1996 1h 57m EN

😐

5.8

MID

🥫

46%

ROTTEN

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

6.1

IMDB

★5.8TMDB · 626🥫46%Rotten Tomatoes●53Metacritic★6.1IMDB · 36,638

ComedyFantasyScience FictionRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Construction worker Doug Kinney finds that the pressures of his working life, combined with his duties to his wife Laura and daughter Jennifer leaves him with little time for himself. However, he is approached by geneticist Dr. Owen Leeds, who offers Doug a rather unusual solution to his problems: cloning.

“Sometimes to get more out of life, you have to make more of yourself.”

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Cast

Michael Keaton
Doug Kinney
Andie MacDowell
Laura Kinney
Harris Yulin
Leeds
Eugene Levy
Vic
Zack Duhame
Zack Kinney
Katie Schlossberg
Jennifer Kinney
Richard Masur
Del King
Ann Cusack
Noreen

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Harold Ramis
Writers: Lowell Ganz, Mary Hale, Chris Miller
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 47% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

30 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Directed by Harold Ramis, shot by László Kovács. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by George Fenton. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Craig Herring shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Michael Keaton and Andie MacDowell and Harris Yulin carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Sometimes to get more out of life, you have to make more of yourself.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0117108 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Harold Ramis directs. László Kovács behind the camera. George Fenton scores. Craig Herring cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 47% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
230 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Directed by Harold Ramis, shot by László Kovács. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by George Fenton. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Craig Herring shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Michael Keaton and Andie MacDowell and Harris Yulin carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Sometimes to get more out of life, you have to make more of yourself.".
8IMDB entry: tt0117108 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Released under 11 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: László Kovács
Original score: George Fenton
Editing: Craig Herring
Production design: Jackson De Govia
Costume design: Shay Cunliffe
Makeup / hair: Cheri Minns
Runtime: 117 min · 1h 57m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $45,000,000
Box office: $21,075,014
Return: 47% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: Multiplicity (1996)
Rotten Tomatoes: 46% 🥫 Rotten
Metacritic: 53/100
IMDB rating: 6.1/10 · 36,638 votes
MPAA: PG-13

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Harold Ramis

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2020-07-08
★ 7/10
Keaton on top form in a very charming and enjoyable sci-fi comedy picture. Doug Kinney never has enough time to do what he wants to do, his life is frantic and his family life is strained, then one day he gets the chance to have himself duplicated. It would seem that a lot of complaints about this film are about it being a waste of a good premise, well for sure Multiplicity is far from being a comic masterpiece, but to say it doesn't deliver laughs set amongst its charming romantic heart, is a touch unfair I feel. What we get here is four Doug Kinney's, each one having their own driving personality to make it real easy for the audience to distinguish which is which. So, with Michael Keaton delivering four excellent performances as the Dougs, the comic relief flows pretty much all through the picture. However, director Harold Ramis is guilty of staying safe with the material to hand because from the off the conclusion is never in doubt, the feel good factor is evident even as the Dougs are chaotically imploding. But is that really a reason to do the film down? Well no as far as I'm concerned, Multiplicity is a tidy fusion of sci-fi comedy and romance that isn't taking the science literally. For Doug number 4 alone, with his skiing skills and pizza fetish, this film deserves 7/10, whilst Keaton deserves a far higher score indeed.
misubisu2025-11-17
Multiplicity (1996) Review: An Overlooked Gem of 90s Comedy - 8/10 In the landscape of 90s comedies, Multiplicity often gets lost in the shuffle, dismissed by some as a high-concept gag that can't sustain a feature film. However, to write it off is to miss one of Michael Keaton's most deceptively brilliant performances and a surprisingly thoughtful, albeit silly, exploration of work-life balance and self-identity. The Premise: A Solution That Becomes the Problem Doug Kinney (Keaton) is an overworked construction manager whose life is stretched thin between his demanding job and his responsibilities as a husband and father. His salvation appears in the form of a scientist offering a radical solution: cloning. Doug eagerly creates a duplicate of himself to share the load, but soon finds that two Dougs aren't enough, leading to three, then four... and the chaos that inevitably follows. The Triumph: Michael Keaton vs. Michael Keaton The common criticism is that the film's clone-based humour is repetitive, but this misses the point entirely. The movie's success lives and dies on Michael Keaton's ability to create four distinct, believable, and hilarious characters... and he absolutely nails it. * Doug 1: The original, overwhelmed and increasingly sidelined in his own life. * Doug 2: The alpha, task-oriented clone who takes over work with ruthless, corporate efficiency. * Doug 3: A sweet-natured, domestic clone who embraces housework and cooking but isn't the sharpest tool in the shed. * Doug 4: A hilariously malfunctioning copy-of-a-copy, who speaks in grunts and possesses the intellect of a friendly golden retriever. Keaton doesn't just change his voice or posture for each; he gives them completely different souls. The scenes where they all interact are a masterclass in comedic timing and physical acting, with seamless (for the time) special effects that still hold up remarkably well. More Than Just a Gag Beneath the slapstick and the clone-related mishaps, Multiplicity has a genuine heart. It's a film about a man trying to have it all, only to realise that outsourcing his life means losing touch with what makes it meaningful. The central message—"You spread yourself too thin, you're not really living"—lands with a poignant truth that resonates even more strongly in our modern, over-scheduled world. The Verdict 8/10 - A Deeply Funny and Surprisingly Smart Comedy Multiplicity is not a perfect film—the pacing lags in the middle—but its strengths far outweigh its weaknesses. It's a clever, well-executed, and wonderfully acted comedy that uses its sci-fi premise to explore universally relatable themes. Michael Keaton's performance(s) are worth the price of admission alone, proving his incredible range and comedic genius. This is a film that deserves a critical reassessment. It's not just a good movie "for what it is"; it's a great movie that accomplished exactly what it set out to do: make us laugh while giving us a little something to think about. A true underrated delight.

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