| Brave New World | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Drama Science fiction |
| Written by | Aldous Huxley Robert E. Thompson Doran William Cannon |
| Directed by | Burt Brinckerhoff |
| Starring | Keir Dullea Marcia Strassman Kristoffer Tabori Bud Cort Julie Cobb Ron O'Neal |
| Theme music composer | Paul Chihara |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Milton Sperling |
| Producers | Jacqueline Babbin Norman Chandler Fox (associate producer) |
| Cinematography | Harry L. Wolf |
| Editor | James T. Heckert |
| Running time | 180 minutes |
| Production company | Universal Television |
| Original release | |
| Network | NBC |
| Release | March 7, 1980 |
Brave New World is an American television film first shown in 1980.[1] It was also shown on the BBC that same year, and is an adaptation of the 1932 novel of the same name by Aldous Huxley.[2]
In the future, pregnancy is outlawed, and citizens are required to engage in loveless sex and narcotics are used to ensure happiness in the population. Babies are created in the lab, and every child's future is predestined into one of five classes.
While most people are happy to retain this established order, including Thomas Grambell (Keir Dullea), a supervisor of human "hatcheries," resistance is growing, as evidenced by quirky malcontent Bernard Marx (Bud Cort) and other rebels.
Bernard and his girlfriend Lenina Disney (Marcia Strassman) go to a primitive reservation which holds to 20th century values, and while there meet a native named John (also called the Savage) (Kristoffer Tabori). They return with him to civilization, and his presence further upends conventional thinking. John is seen as a freak and this grants him some degree of celebrity. John develops romantic feelings for Lenina, which are considered highly inappropriate, bordering on the obscene.
John's parents are from the more technologically advanced part of the world, and he has educated himself using often banned works such as Shakespeare. John realizes that his sexual mores, based on the works he studied, are antiquated in this advanced society. He therefore asks to be assigned a solitary posting, but even as he mans the lighthouse alone, he cannot escape his memories of Lenina.
Originally 4 hours long, it was cut down to three hours before being televised.[5] Brave New World was directed by Burt Brinckerhoff[5] for Universal Television and first shown on NBC on 7 March 1980.[1][6] The screen adaptation was written by Doran William Cannon.[6] It was filmed in Universal City, California.[7]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 32nd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Art Direction for a Limited Series or a Special | Tom H. John Mary Ann Biddle |
Nominated | [8] |
| Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series or a Special | Harry L. Wolf | Nominated |
TCM found the film ambitious but tedious, confusing and ultimately unsuccessful.[5]
The film was released on DVD.[9]
