D.A.R.Y.L. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids D.A.R.Y.L. |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Simon Wincer |
| Produced by | John Heyman Burtt Harris Gabrielle Kelly |
| Written by | David Ambrose Allan Scott Jeffrey Ellis |
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| Music by | Marvin Hamlisch |
| Cinematography | Frank Watts |
| Editing by | Adrian Carr |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures (USA & Canada) Columbia Pictures (International) |
| Release date(s) |
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| Running time | 100 minutes |
| Country | United States United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $12 million |
| Money made | $7,840,873 |
D.A.R.Y.L. is an exciting 1985 science fiction film. It tells the story of a boy who is more than he seems. The movie was directed by Simon Wincer. It stars Barret Oliver as Daryl, along with Mary Beth Hurt, Michael McKean, Danny Corkill, and Josef Sommer. The film's music was created by Marvin Hamlisch.
Contents
What is D.A.R.Y.L.?
Daryl (Barret Oliver) looks like a normal ten-year-old boy. But his name is actually an acronym. It stands for "Data-Analyzing Robot Youth Lifeform." Daryl is a special experiment in artificial intelligence. He was created by a government company called TASCOM.
Daryl's brain is a very advanced computer. This gives him amazing abilities. He has super-fast reflexes. He can do many things at once. He can even "hack" into other computer systems. The military funded the D.A.R.Y.L. project. They wanted to create a "super-soldier."
Daryl's Escape and New Family
One of the scientists, Dr. Mulligan, felt bad about the experiment. He decided to help Daryl escape. A helicopter chased them. Dr. Mulligan dropped Daryl off in a forest in South Carolina. He then tried to get away from the helicopter. Sadly, Dr. Mulligan had an accident and died.
An elderly couple found Daryl. They took him to an orphanage. Daryl didn't remember who he was. He seemed like a normal boy. Soon, he went to live with foster parents, Joyce (Mary Beth Hurt) and Andy Richardson (Michael McKean).
Daryl also met their neighbors. These were Howie (Steve Ryan) and Elaine Fox (Colleen Camp). They had two children, Sherie (Amy Linker) and Tyler, nicknamed "Turtle" (Danny Corkill). Daryl had lived alone for a long time. So, his social skills were not very good. But Turtle, who was a bit of a jokester, helped him learn how to be a normal kid.
Discovering Special Abilities
Turtle wondered why Daryl remembered his name but nothing else. Daryl told him he had amnesia. He hoped his real parents would find him. At Turtle's house, Daryl saw him playing Pole Position. Daryl tried the game. He played it incredibly fast, almost like a machine.
Andy decided to teach Daryl how to play baseball. This would help him with social skills. Daryl showed amazing talent. He hit many home runs. One hit even broke a window! Andy also showed Daryl how to use an ATM. The ATM wouldn't take Andy's credit card. Daryl fixed the problem easily. He then made a transaction. He took out $100 from Andy's account. But then he made the ATM show over $1.4 million in the account!
During a baseball game, Daryl showed off his skills. Andy's team, the Mohawks, started winning. Turtle noticed that Joyce felt a bit left out. Daryl could do everything himself. Turtle told Daryl it was okay to not always be perfect. It was fine to make mistakes sometimes. So, Daryl purposely struck out on his next turn. Turtle then took over and hit a home run. The Mohawks won the game! Everyone was very happy.
The Government Finds Daryl
Just as the Richardsons were becoming a real family to Daryl, agents found him. They took him back to the TASCOM facility in Washington, D.C.. This was where he was created. There, his memory was restored. He learned about his time with the Richardsons. He remembered choosing to strike out in baseball. This was because being imperfect helped him build friendships. He also remembered preferring chocolate ice cream!
Because Daryl showed human emotions, like fear, the project was seen as a failure. The military decided to "terminate" the project. This meant they would shut Daryl down.
Another Escape and a New Life
Dr. Jeffrey Stewart (Josef Sommer), one of Daryl's creators, wanted to save him. He decided to help Daryl escape. Dr. Ellen Lamb (Kathryn Walker) also helped. She had doubted Daryl's humanity before. But now she wasn't sure if he was human or not. She told the military, "General, a machine becomes human... when you can't tell the difference anymore."
Daryl and Dr. Stewart escaped the first group of pursuers. Daryl's advanced driving skills, learned from Pole Position, helped them. They drove into the Northern Virginia countryside. They stole a pickup truck to avoid being recognized. But at a police roadblock, Dr. Stewart was badly injured. With his last words, he told Daryl he was a real person. Daryl continued his escape alone.
That night, Daryl snuck into a USAF airbase. He hacked into a computer. This set off alarms far away as a distraction. He then stole a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird plane. Daryl set a course for Barkenton. He called Turtle and Sherie. He told them to meet him at Blue Lake. This was a lake where he and Turtle had been before.
The Air Force couldn't stop the plane with missiles. They told Daryl the plane would self-destruct. Daryl ejected at the last moment. This made it look like he died. The plane blew apart over Barkenton. Turtle and Sherie biked to the lake. But Daryl was unconscious from ejecting. He fell into Blue Lake with his seat and parachute. The extra weight made him sink. Daryl drowned. When his body came up, he was rushed to the hospital. But he showed no signs of life. He was officially declared dead.
Everyone was sad about Daryl's death. Turtle said that since Daryl was a computer, he couldn't die. At the hospital, Dr. Lamb found him. She reactivated his electronic brain. This brought him back to life! Now that he was declared dead, Daryl was no longer being hunted by TASCOM. He was free to go back to his foster family. Turtle saw Daryl running back to the house. They all had a joyful reunion.
Cast
- Barret Oliver as D.A.R.Y.L.
- Mary Beth Hurt as Joyce Richardson
- Michael McKean as Andy Richardson
- Danny Corkill as Tyler "Turtle" Fox
- Josef Sommer as Dr. Jeffrey Stewart
- David Wohl as Mr. Nesbitt
- Colleen Camp as Elaine Fox
- Steve Ryan as Howie Fox
- Amy Linker as Sherie Lee Fox
- Kathryn Walker as Dr. Ellen Lamb
- Hardy Rawls as Bull McKenzie
- Jim Fitzpatrick as TASCOM Security Cop
See also
In Spanish: D.A.R.Y.L. para niños
