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Sci-fi comedy

Simon (1980): Cast & Plot

Simon (1980) movie poster

Simon is a 1980 sci-fi comedy directed by Marshall Brickman, starring Alan Arkin as Simon Mendelssohn, Barbara Mongin and Louise Lasser. It runs 1 hour 37 minutes.

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Read the plot summary
Simon (1980) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 37m (97 min)
Director
Marshall Brickman
Genres
Comedy , Sci-Fi
Original language
English
Studio
Orion Pictures
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Simon About?

The premise of Simon without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

He loves you. Do what he says. Simon, a seasoned psychology professor, is selected as the test subject for a controversial brain‑washing experiment. A team of scientists subjects him to relentless conditioning, trying to convince him that he is not human but a living being from another planet, testing the boundaries of belief, identity and obedience.

Simon Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • sex with a computer
  • evolution
  • character name as title
  • forename as title
  • television fan
  • space shuttle launch
  • based on story
  • army general
  • attempt at brainwashing
  • hippie commune
  • reference to marshall mcluhan
  • extraterrestrial
+38 more
  • celebrity status
  • psychology professor
  • social reform
  • machine man
  • filmmaker writer director producer
  • spoof comedy
  • maine
  • mass hysteria
  • pregnancy announcement
  • delusion
  • epilogue
  • press conference
  • manipulative doctor
  • human experimentation
  • absurd comedy
  • toxic gas release
  • singing an aria
  • human guinea pig
  • science fiction comedy
  • jewish protagonist
  • social satire
  • tv control truck
  • ketchup packet
  • abandoned at birth
  • military commander
  • university professor as protagonist
  • rocket launch
  • group hysteria
  • founder
  • space sci fi
  • young boy
  • think tank
  • nasa
  • character appears on magazine cover
  • on the run
  • broadcast
  • nobel peace prize
  • rocket base
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Cast & crew

Simon Cast & Characters

Alan Arkin leads the cast as Simon Mendelssohn, with Barbara Mongin as Institute Staff Member and Louise Lasser as Doris (voice) (uncredited). Directed by Marshall Brickman; 64 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in Simon

· 60 more
Show all 64 cast members
Plot

Simon Plot Summary

What happens in Simon from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

The Institute for Advanced Concepts is a think tank with an unlimited budget and a knack for fabricating national hysterias. The five scientists hatch a plan to trick a man into believing he is from another world by brainwashing him, and they deploy their talking computer Doris to conduct a nationwide search that culminates in selecting a psychology professor named Simon Mendelssohn, a man who was abandoned at birth and is attempting to run a personal experiment using an isolation tank. At the institute, Simon is submerged in the isolation tank for an extended period and emerges in a weakened mental state, replaying the entire history of life on Earth from single-celled organisms to modern humans.

Full summary

The whole story of Simon, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Simon?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

What is the full name of the psychology professor who becomes the focus of the Institute's experiment?
Details

Simon Also Known As

4 alternative titles, including “Simon der Ausserirdische” and “Simon, der Außerirdische”.

Also known as
  • Simon der Ausserirdische
  • Simon, der Außerirdische
  • Саймън
  • O Mundo Perfeito de Simon

Seen Simon?
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Movies Like Simon

Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Simon Sez, S1m0ne and Simon of the Mountain.

FAQ

Simon FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date

Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of Simon, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Simon?

Simon runs 1 hour 37 minutes (97 minutes).

When was Simon released?

Simon was released on February 1, 1980.

Who directed Simon?

Simon was directed by Marshall Brickman.

More films by Marshall Brickman

Who is in the cast of Simon?

Simon stars Alan Arkin as Simon Mendelssohn, Barbara Mongin as Institute Staff Member and Louise Lasser as Doris (voice) (uncredited), among 64 credited actors.

Does Simon have a post-credit scene?

No. Simon has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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