Minority Report

Minority Report is a 2002 Steven Spielberg film about a world where the police prevent murders before they actually happen (called Pre-crime.)

Plot[edit]

The story opens with a fuzzily seen murder of a woman and her lover by a mysterious being called a precog. A group of police officers, led by a man named John Anderton, examine the evidence surrounding the murder to find out where it will happen. The police manage to enter the room where a husband witnesses his wife have an affair, just before the tape said he would murder the lovers. He is arrested before he can actually do anything.

John Anderton, is the insecure leader of the precrime forces, having lost his son one day to a kidnapper. He is divorced and apparently on drugs. However, he successfully prevents most of the murders through precrime, under precrime director, Lamar Burgess. One day, an agent from the department of justice, Danny Witwer, inspects the system. Witwer, a former seminary student who lost his father, believes the system has a flaw of some sort. One of the precogs, Agatha, mysteriously shows images of the murder of a woman named Ann Lively.

John Anderton is investigating the facts of another murder, but the tape ends when he shoots a man named Leo Crowe. Anderton runs from precrime, pursued by Witwer. Anderton finds Iris Hineman, the other person who founded precrime with Burgess. Hineman tells Anderton his only hope is a minority report, a report seen by Agatha the precog, which is another possible choice the person could make. Since everyone is subject to eye scans, Anderton finds a doctor who replaces his eyes and then Anderton (facially disguised) goes to precrime and takes Agatha away, thereby impairing precrime.

Anderton tries to get his own minority report, but Agatha only shows the same murder again. Anderton finds Crow's address and finds evidence that Crow was the one who took his son and he now wants to shoot Crow. However, Agatha tells Anderton that he too "can choose." Anderton is about to kill Crow, but instead simply arrests him. Crow then begs Anderton to shoot him, because he has a fatal disease and his family will be taken care of if he dies. Crow ends up committing suicide.

Witwer examines the scene at Crow's hotel room, but realizes it was a set up. He investigates and discovers the murder of Ann Lively. He realizes that her murder had been altered so the real offender could get away with the murder. He makes the mistake of showing his findings to Lamar Burgess, who shoots Witwer to keep him silent.

Anderton and Agatha hide at Anderton's ex-wife Lara's house, but they are soon captured by precrime. Agatha is returned to precrime and Anderton is imprisoned. Burgess reveals to Lara that he knew about Ann Lively's murder. During a ceremony to honor Burgess just before precrime goes national, Lara sets Anderton free and they play back the murder in front of the press.

A new murder is seen at precrime, with Burgess killing Anderton. Burgess leaves with a gun and meets Anderton. Anderton tells him he too can choose and Burgess decides to commit suicide. Precrime disbands, with Lara remarried to Anderton and the precogs living a normal life.

Cast[edit]

Tom Cruise - Chief John Anderton

Max von Sydow - Director Lamar Burgess

Colin Farrell - Danny Witwer

Samantha Morton - Agatha

Lois Smith - Dr. Iris Hineman

Kathryn Morris - Lara Clarke

Mike Binder - Leo Crow

See also[edit]

• Survivalist fiction: Dystopia

References[edit]