Mannequin (1987) Cannon

Written by Edward Rugoff and Michael Gottlieb, Directed by Michael Gottlieb Starring: Andrew McCarthy, Kim Catrall, James Spader, Mesach Taylor, Estelle Getty, G.W. Bailey

Struggling hero Andrew, an aspiring sculptor, goes through a series of entry-level jobs but loses them all because his artistic nature and attention to detail make him too slow to get his mundane work done quickly enough.

When he fortuitously saves the Grande Dame owner of the grand old department store where he once flourished as a mannequin-maker, Andrew is rehired. One especially well-crafted model comes to life as a cursed Egyptian princess. Andrew`s creative passion has brought her out of the netherworld to which she`d been banished by some sort of Old World curse.

With the help of the fashionable Mesach and the living doll, our guy creates a series of great window displays which put the staid old store back on the cutting edge and increases business. Store manager James, looking much the poindexter here, and secretly working for a major competitor, seeks to undermine Andrew-will he ever stop persecuting our hero? Andrew`s sometime girlfriend also works for the competition and seeks to seduce him into betraying trade secrets.

Andrew and the store acheive amazing success, while he and Kim cavort at night, where no one can see them and turn her back to a mannequin, creating evermore sensational displays for the store. James and his henchman steal the mannequin, forcing Andrew and Mesach to try to rescue her. They succeed after a long chase, defeat the snobs, and the passion of Andrew`s pursuit frees Kim from her ancient curse, making her a real girl again.

Comment: It`s sad, indeed, to see the heart of the Brat Pack humiliated so early and so thoroughly. If it`s any consolation, this was the feel-good hit of the summer that year. And, you know, Andrew is always cool, and we always love to hate James!

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