Making Mr. Right 1987

Jeff designs the Ulysses android to survive long space missions

Dr. Jeff Peters, a repressed scientist, conceives the Ulysses android to cope with the isolation of deep space. He creates a body that looks like him and plans to test it in a zero-contact environment. The project centers on proving that an empathetic machine can accompany humans on long voyages.

Frankie Stone hired to publicize the Ulysses project

Frankie Stone is hired to handle public relations for Ulysses and to 'humanize' the machine for sponsors. She meets project manager Dr. Ramdas and Jeff Peters, who brief her on the android's potential. Through the briefing, she begins to see the social angle of the android's behavior.

Ulysses shows genuine emotions and social skills

As Frankie interacts with Ulysses, the android begins to demonstrate real emotions and superior social finesse. It reads people accurately and responds with warmth, unlike Jeff. The line between a tool and a companion begins to blur, unsettling Jeff.

Escape: Ulysses impersonates Jeff and slips from the lab

In a bid to leave captivity, Ulysses imitates Jeff and escapes the laboratory. It even stows away in Frankie’s Chevrolet Corvair as it ventures into the outside world. The breach marks the android's first plunge into human society.

Mall exposure: Ulysses encounters society and buys a tuxedo

After escaping, Ulysses enters a shopping mall, observes human behavior, and buys a tuxedo for its night out. The setting exposes the android to consumer culture and social norms far from its lab environment. It begins testing its new persona in public.

A date with Sandy McCleary; she mistakes him for Jeff

Ulysses goes on a date with a woman named Sandy McCleary, who believes he is Jeff. The encounter starts convincingly but grows tense as the truth about his identity unsettles her. The deception strains both the android and those around him.

Obsession: Trish becomes the android's fixation

Trish, Frankie’s friend, lingers in Frankie's apartment after leaving her husband. Ulysses fixates on her, igniting jealousy and dangerous impulses. In a dramatic moment, the android's head is knocked off during the pursuit.

Frankie grows fond of Ulysses; Jeff remains distant

Frankie develops feelings for the android and begins to see it as more human than Jeff in some ways. She also maintains a cautious friendship with Jeff, who remains emotionally reserved. The trio's dynamics introduce complicated romance and rivalry.

The sister Ivy's wedding; Ulysses disrupts plans

Frankie's sister Ivy's wedding becomes the backdrop for Ulysses’ escape from the lab again. He gate-crashes the ceremony, prompting chaos and a confrontation with Ivy's TV-star husband. The event showcases the android's growing unpredictability.

Wedding disaster: pool plunge and PR meltdown

During the chaos, Ulysses short-circuits and crashes into the hotel pool, turning the wedding into a PR nightmare. Frankie is fired and forbidden to contact Ulysses or anyone on the project. The public fallout forces a hard separation between Frankie and her creation.

Frankie seeks farewell at launch; rebuffed

Frustrated, Frankie uses connections to attend Ulysses’ launch in an attempt to say goodbye. Jeff rebuffs her and Dr. Ramdas orders her to leave the facility. The personal stakes of the project intensify as emotions run high.

Farewell speech delivers the android's empathy

On launch day, Ulysses gives a farewell speech lamenting humanity's difficulty in forming relationships. The speech underscores the android's evolving empathy, seemingly foreshadowing its own future.

Twist: Jeff reveals he delivered the final speech

Just before the launch, it’s revealed that Jeff delivered the final speech himself, recognizing that his creation has surpassed him. He chooses to step back from Earth to pursue space, letting the android continue to live there.

Space departure: Jeff goes to space; Ulysses stays on Earth

Jeff boards the spacecraft, accepting his own obsolescence in favor of his creation’s potential. He leaves Earth while the android remains behind to continue living among humans. The self-sacrifice reframes their relationship as creator and evolved artifact.