Flowers for Algernon (2000)
Flowers for Algernon (2000), directed by Jeff Bleckner, starring Matthew Modine and Kelli Williams.
score
Last month, Charlie Gordon couldn't read. Now he's quoting Shakespeare. Can the medical miracle that changed his life help him understand the meaning of love?
Synopsis
Charlie Gordon is mentally handicapped and all he wants in life is to be a genius. When he gets picked for experimental surgery it looks like his dream may finally come true. But the surgery has side effects that could could kill Charlie. Can Charlie survive being just plain old "Charlie Gordon" and will his newfound romance survive this test of character?
- Mike FashCinematography
- Jeff BlecknerDirector
- Geoffrey RowlandEditing
- Mark WinemakerProducer
About the film
Flowers for Algernon is a 2000 American-Canadian television film written by John Pielmeier, directed by Jeff Bleckner and starring Matthew Modine. It is the second screen adaptation of Daniel Keyes' 1966 novel of the same name following the 1968 film Charly.
Read the full article (2k characters)
Flowers for Algernon is a 2000 American-Canadian television film written by John Pielmeier, directed by Jeff Bleckner and starring Matthew Modine. It is the second screen adaptation of Daniel Keyes' 1966 novel of the same name following the 1968 film Charly.
Plot
Charlie Gordon is a mentally disabled young man who is a part-time baker. Alice, the teacher at the special school that he attends, suggests he undergo an operation to increase his intelligence. In pre-treatment tests, Charlie sees how a mouse named Algernon manages to get out of an elaborate maze—something that he has not been able to do.
After surgery, Charlie's intellectual abilities improve dramatically. He realizes that until then many people have made fun of him because of his "differentness". Doctor Strauss, who treats Charlie, asks him to accompany him to a surgery conference. Strauss's speech shocks Charlie, who gives a very harsh speech towards the scientist and prophesies, based on the results obtained with a similar experiment by a Russian researcher, that he could soon return to the previous level; Charlie then causes panic by releasing some mice into the classroom.
Back home, Dr. Strauss confesses that he knows the results of the Russian experiments; as if that was not enough, Algernon starts feeling ill. Charlie decides to use the little time that is left for him to try to find a solution to the problem. He realizes that he was wrong to focus everything on the rational part of him and goes to visit his mother, with whom he had severed all relationships many years ago.
Algernon dies in the hands of Charlie, who secretly buries him to prevent him from being dissected. He goes back to the bakery. Saying goodbye to Alice, who is in love with him, heartbroken at how the situation has evolved, he asks her to bring flowers to Algernon's grave.
Cast
Production
The film was shot in Toronto.
References
External links
Flowers for Algernon at IMDb
Flowers for Algernon at Rotten Tomatoes
Text from Flowers for Algernon (film) on Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flowers_for_Algernon_(film)
Trivia
- It premiered on February 20, 2000, a Sunday.
- It runs 1h31 — a typical feature length.
- This film's quiz has 12 questions — enough to play more than once without repeats.
Production
- StudiosCitadel Entertainment, Alliance Atlantis, Storyline Entertainment
- CountriesUnited States, Canada
- LanguagesEnglish
- StatusReleased
More about this film
Based on
- Flowers for Algernon
Cast
-
Matthew Modine
Charlie Gordon -
Kelli Williams
Alice Kinian -
Ron Rifkin
Dr. Jonah Strauss -
Bonnie Bedelia
Rose -
Gloria Slade
Faye -
Cliff Saunders
Mike -
Kathryn Kirkpatrick
Bernice - David McFarlane Lester
- Ronit Cohen Francine
-
Carson Durven
Oliver - Hayley Lochner Harriet
-
Cameron Bowen
Young Charlie - Andrew Dinner First Teen
- Liam Titcomb Second Teen
-
Ron Kennell
Bakery Worker - Vince Guerriero Bartender
-
Mo Kelso
Female Neighbor - Billy Khoury Male Neighbor
Quiz about this movie
Questions from the whole catalogue.
Play nowIf you liked this one
-
Corações Famintos
6.5
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A Luta Por Um Ideal
6.1
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Jonathan
5.9
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Onde Nasce a Esperança
7.8
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Garotas Velozes
6.0
-
A Cor da Amizade Drama from the 2000s
6.7
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A Incrível Eleanor
6.9
-
Lady Driver
6.4
-
Aqui
6.5
-
Castelos de Gelo
6.3
-
Jogando as Fichas Fora
6.1
-
Cores do Destino
6.3
Crew
- Mike Fash Cinematography
- Jeff Bleckner Director
- Geoffrey Rowland Editing
- Mark Winemaker Producer
- Mark Adler Original music
Questions about this film
What is Flowers for Algernon about?
Flowers for Algernon: Charlie Gordon is mentally handicapped and all he wants in life is to be a genius. When he gets picked for experimental surgery it looks like his dream may finally come true. But the surgery has side effects that could could kill Charlie. Can Charlie survive being just plain old "Charlie Gordon" and will his newfound …
Who directed Flowers for Algernon?
Flowers for Algernon was directed by Jeff Bleckner in 2000.
Who stars in Flowers for Algernon?
The cast of Flowers for Algernon includes Matthew Modine, Kelli Williams, Ron Rifkin, Bonnie Bedelia and Gloria Slade.
How long is Flowers for Algernon?
Flowers for Algernon runs for 91 minutes, or 1h31.
What is Flowers for Algernon based on?
Flowers for Algernon is based on Flowers for Algernon.
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Page updated on 09/13/2026.
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