Bicentennial Man is a 1999 American
science fiction comedy-drama film starring
Robin Williams,
Sam Neill,
Embeth Davidtz (in a dual role),
Wendy Crewson, and
Oliver Platt. Based on the
novel The Positronic Man, co-written by
Isaac Asimov and
Robert Silverberg, which is itself based on Asimov's original
novella titled
The Bicentennial Man, the plot explores issues of
humanity,
slavery,
prejudice,
maturity,
intellectual freedom,
conformity,
sex,
love, and
mortality. The film, a co-production between
Touchstone Pictures and
Columbia Pictures, was directed by
Chris Columbus. The title comes from the main character existing to the age of two hundred years, and Asimov's novella was published in
the year that the
U.S. had its
bicentennial.