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Silent Running

Play trailer Poster for Silent Running G Released Mar 10, 1972 1h 29m Sci-Fi Play Trailer Watchlist
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71% Tomatometer 35 Reviews 66% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
After the end of all botanical life on Earth, ecologist Freeman Lowell (Bruce Dern) maintains a greenhouse on a space station in order to preserve various plants for future generations. Assisted by three robots and a small human crew, Lowell rebels when he is ordered to destroy the greenhouse in favor of carrying cargo, a decision that puts him at odds with everyone but his mechanical companions. Lowell and his robots are forced to do anything necessary to keep their invaluable greenery alive.
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Silent Running

Silent Running

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Critics Consensus

It doesn't fulfill the potential of its ambitious themes, butSilent Running stands as a decidedly unique type of sci-fi journey marked by intimate character work and a melancholic mood.

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Critics Reviews

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Wael Khairy RogerEbert.com ...more relevant today than it was back in 1972 Mar 2, 2023 Full Review Sara Michelle Fetters MovieFreak.com Douglas Trumball's Silent Running is a flawed classic, but that still makes it a classic. Rated: 3.5/4 Jan 8, 2021 Full Review Variety Staff Variety The production lacks much dramatic credibility and often teeters on the edge of the ludicrous. Jun 4, 2007 Full Review John Fleming Starburst It is brilliantly illustrated but the storyline and dramatic structure are fatally weak. Jul 22, 2022 Full Review Luke Buckmaster Flicks (AU, NZ, UK) rumbull makes the colour and detail of the simple, exquisite things in that garden—its lush green foliage for instance, and the oranges, yellows and pinks of flowers—pop and glow by contrasting them against the vast black emptiness of space Jun 27, 2022 Full Review Dennis Harvey 48 Hills It’s a sardonic, eventually grisly fable of a rich, powerful clan whose despoiling of the pristine countryside draws a visitor in disguise delivering vengeance on behalf of Mother Nature herself. Apr 18, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Frank G It perfectly captures the mood and feeling of being isolated in space for years on end. Humanity loosing itself in time by using the symbol of the last of earths living plants stored in space orbit. Its a great statement of corporate greed, and the disconnect with ecology. Bruce Dern is magnificent! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/29/24 Full Review Patrick P This movie brings back such fond memories from my childhood, when I first saw it. The theme behind the story threw me for a loop as a kid. And the drones...I wanted one for my own! This movie preceded Star Wars, so it's clear to me that George Lucas must have been influenced by the drones in this movie when he created R2D2. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/31/24 Full Review Audience Member Space is silent but one can still be running things in the vast reaches of it Bruce Dern is Freeman Lowell, a botanist in the distant future that operates an artificial garden after all botanical life on earth has ended He maintains all the plants on this space station for future generations Lowell also has 3 robots that help him but are also good company However, things start to turn sour after he gets word from officials that he has to destroy everything he's worked for to store cargo Lowell rebels and maybe even starts to lose his sanity favoring the green garden instead of human life He and his mechanical assistants will do anything to keep things the way they are Do people have better things to do than worry about the forests, who's gonna take care of the vegetation for future generations, is it not too late to change things on Earth? It's true nobody cares if there's nothing left including war, disease, poverty much less everybody be the same The film has its pre-Star Wars feel to it from the model space stations to the intricate-detailed sets to the robot mechanics but also the closeted vibe of 'Alien' Human ingenuity and space paranoia blend together, isolation can sneak up on someone who's passionate about continuing the hard work Dern is a terrific solo lead and I love those little adorable drone robots Yes some viewers will be bored with the second half with Dern just moseying around by himself and this doesn't take full advantage of its ambitious themes But he's good at being a man dedicated to his purpose when it almost seems fully hopeless on this particular sci-fi journey The songs in this are beautiful and fully of tragic grace featuring intimate character work with a melancholic enough mood Very thoughtful and somber Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/11/24 Full Review WP S I've seen this movie many many times …it was way ahead of its time and Bruce Dern was probably the best he's ever been acting wise for this roll. Not only are effects amazingly well done for 1971 -1972 when it was shot, it's the story line that gets you in the end. This comes from a kinder gentler time in which a movie was allowed to progress and develop to fruition with you and your intellect. This movie was a big part of me in 1972 I was 9 and I've watched it through most of my life at different intervals. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/04/24 Full Review Audience Member Space is silent but one can still be running things in the vast reaches of it Bruce Dern is Freeman Lowell, a botanist in the distant future that operates an artificial garden after all botanical life on earth has ended He maintains all the plants on this space station for future generations Lowell also has 3 robots that help him but are also good company However, things start to turn sour after he gets word from officials that he has to destroy everything he's worked for to store cargo Lowell rebels and maybe even starts to lose his sanity favoring the green garden instead of human life He and his mechanical assistants will do anything to keep things the way they are Do people have better things to do than worry about the forests, who's gonna take care of the vegetation for future generations, is it not too late to change things on Earth? It's true nobody cares if there's nothing left including war, disease, poverty much less everybody be the same The film has its pre-Star Wars feel to it from the model space stations to the intricate-detailed sets to the robot mechanics but also the closeted vibe of 'Alien' Human ingenuity and space paranoia blend together, isolation can sneak up on someone who's passionate about continuing the hard work Dern is a terrific solo lead and I love those little adorable drone robots Yes some viewers will be bored with the second half with Dern just moseying around by himself and this doesn't take full advantage of its ambitious themes But he's good at being a man dedicated to his purpose when it almost seems fully hopeless on this particular sci-fi journey The songs in this are beautiful and fully of tragic grace featuring intimate character work with a melancholic enough mood Very thoughtful and somber Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/11/23 Full Review Jared D At a time (2023) in which we find ourselves at odds with our own over-production and destruction of our natural environments, a movie such as this strikes at the (slightly goofy yet not un-serious) emotion of protecting what is left of mother nature, and if it were in our hands to do so, would we not kill to preserve life itself ? Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/11/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Silent Running

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Cast & Crew

Silent Running

Silent Running: Official Clip - Running Over Huey Silent Running: Official Clip - Running Over Huey 3:11 Silent Running: Official Clip - Saying Goodbye Silent Running: Official Clip - Saying Goodbye 1:25 Silent Running: Official Clip - Through Saturn's Rings Silent Running: Official Clip - Through Saturn's Rings 2:54 Silent Running: Official Clip - Burying the Body Silent Running: Official Clip - Burying the Body 2:26 Silent Running: Official Clip - Rejoice In The Sun Silent Running: Official Clip - Rejoice In The Sun 2:10 Silent Running: Official Clip - Robots Play Poker Silent Running: Official Clip - Robots Play Poker 2:42 Silent Running: Official Clips - Silent Running Silent Running: Official Clips - Silent Running 2:01 Silent Running: Official Clip - Killing the Crew Silent Running: Official Clip - Killing the Crew 2:21 Silent Running: Official Clip - Saving the Forest Silent Running: Official Clip - Saving the Forest 1:31 Silent Running: Official Clip - Robotic Surgery Silent Running: Official Clip - Robotic Surgery 2:28 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis After the end of all botanical life on Earth, ecologist Freeman Lowell (Bruce Dern) maintains a greenhouse on a space station in order to preserve various plants for future generations. Assisted by three robots and a small human crew, Lowell rebels when he is ordered to destroy the greenhouse in favor of carrying cargo, a decision that puts him at odds with everyone but his mechanical companions. Lowell and his robots are forced to do anything necessary to keep their invaluable greenery alive.
Director
Douglas Trumbull
Producer
Michael Gruskoff
Screenwriter
Deric Washburn, Michael Cimino, Steven Bochco
Distributor
Universal Pictures
Production Co
Universal/Universal Int
Rating
G
Genre
Sci-Fi
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 10, 1972, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 18, 2014
Runtime
1h 29m
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