film loosely adapted from Kurt Vonnegut
's 1961 short story
of the same name
. It was produced for Showtime, and first screened on August 13, 1995.
The film takes place in a dystopian future in which the US government mandates total egalitarianism
in all things, by having everyone attach wearable mind "handicapping" devices to their heads and showing only mind numbing shows on TV.
You haven't made everybody equal. You've made them the same. And there's a big difference.
I hope you understand what I've been trying to show you. You see...the most important thing about a person is what makes him different from anybody else. And that difference is what's gonna make someone else to fall in love with you.
Since I've been here, I've been lucky enough to really love someone, and to know all the things about her that are special, and that are different - and love all of them. That kind of love - real love - is the greatest thing in the world.
When they took away envy, they took away love too.
If I have such a great life ahead of me, how come I feel so lousy every time I think about living it?
As you know, since the second revolution, America has been striving to create a truly egalitarian society, a society with average people. Well the problem is, to run such a society requires certain high administrative functions that the average person is simply incapable of performing.
Can you imagine how I must feel, knowing that I'm striving to create a world in which no Beethoven will ever be born? But it has to be, not just because of some words in a constitution. It has to be.
[The randomly selected president is disturbed due to a national emergency while watching a game show that involves a big pumpkin] It'd better be important, it's almost time for the big pumpkin.
[notices Harrison Bergeron] Pleasure to meet you, young fellow. You've come in a good time. Say, how would you like to pick the next governor of Connecticut|Connecticut?
[considers whether to approve a new sitcom] Well, ah, there's certainly nothing fresh or original in the concept. The, ah, writing was mundane, the acting is, ah, pedestrian...I like it!