View source for Mac and Me

{{Short description|1988 film directed by Stewart Raffill}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2013}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Mac and Me
| image          = mac and me movie poster.jpg
| alt            = 
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Stewart Raffill]]
| producer       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Mark Damon]]
* William B. Kerr
* R.J. Louis
}}
| writer         = {{Plainlist|
* Steve Feke
* Stewart Raffill
}}
| starring       = {{Plainlist| 
* [[Christine Ebersole]]
* [[Jonathan Ward (actor)|Jonathan Ward]]
* Katrina Caspary
* Lauren Stanley
* Jade Calegory
}}
| music          = [[Alan Silvestri]]
| cinematography = [[Nick McLean]]
| editing        = Tom Walls
| production_companies = Mac and Me Joint Venture
| distributor    = [[Orion Pictures]] (North America)<br>Vision International (International)
| released       = {{Film date|1988|08|05|Hong Kong|1988|08|12|United States}}
| runtime        = 99 minutes<!--Theatrical runtime: 98:52--><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/mac-and-me-1970-2 | title=''Mac and Me'' (U) | work=[[British Board of Film Classification]] | date=July 22, 1988 | access-date=August 21, 2013 | archive-date=June 7, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140607001629/http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/mac-and-me-1970-2 | url-status=dead }}</ref>
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $13 million<ref name="afi"/>
| gross          = $6.4 million<ref name="mojo" />
}}
'''''Mac and Me''''' is a 1988 American [[science fiction film]] directed by [[Stewart Raffill]], and co-written with Steve Feke. Starring [[Christine Ebersole]], [[Jonathan Ward (actor)|Jonathan Ward]], and Tina Caspary alongside Lauren Stanley and Jade Calegory, it centers on a "Mysterious Alien Creature" (MAC) who escapes from nefarious [[NASA]] agents and befriends the boy Eric. Together, the two search for Mac's family, from whom he has been separated.

The film [[Box-office bomb|performed poorly at the box office]] and was universally panned by critics, partly due to plot lines similar to ''[[E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial]]'' (1982), as well as its elaborate [[product placement]] of [[McDonald's]] food and [[Coca-Cola]]. It was nominated for four [[Golden Raspberry Awards]] and won [[Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director|Worst Director]] and [[Golden Raspberry Award for Worst New Star|Worst New Star]] (for [[Ronald McDonald]]). However, it received four [[Youth in Film Award]]s nominations. Due to its poor reception, [[Orion Pictures]] cancelled the planned sequel. While regarded as one of the [[List of films considered the worst#Mac and Me (1988)|worst films ever made]], it has for that reason become an ironic [[cult film|cult classic]], and was featured during the twelfth season of ''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]''.

== Plot ==
A family of aliens on a dying desert planet searches for [[groundwater|subterranean water]] to drink through a straw. A [[NASA]] research probe lands and begins taking atmospheric samples via a suction device. The aliens are accidentally sucked into the apparatus, and the probe returns to Earth. The aliens escape from a government base with their ability to manipulate electricity and destroy anything they touch. While three of them run into the desert, the smallest one hides in a passing minivan occupied by single mother Janet Cruise and her two sons (younger son Eric, who uses a wheelchair, and elder son Michael), who are moving to a new home near [[Los Angeles]] following the loss of her husband. Eric finds that the alien has trashed most of the new house and sees the being, but Janet blames him and Michael for what has happened. After noticing the alien outside, Eric tries to catch up to him but rolls down a hill in his wheelchair and falls into a lake, where he is rescued by the alien.

Later that night, he sets a trap with the help of his new friend, Debbie, the girl next door who has also seen the alien. They trap him inside a [[vacuum cleaner]], which malfunctions and causes the neighborhood to suffer a power surge. Eric's behavior toward the alien, who he names Mac—an [[acronym]] for "Mysterious Alien Creature" (MAC)—changes after the extraterrestrial fixes the damage to the house and leaves behind several newspaper clippings that Eric believes are an attempt to communicate. Meanwhile, [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] agents Wickett and Zimmerman track Mac down and spy on the Cruise residence. Eric disguises Mac in a [[teddy bear]] suit and takes him to a birthday party at a local [[McDonald's]], where Debbie's older sister, Courtney, works. Wickett and Zimmerman follow, but Mac starts a dance number as a distraction and escapes with Eric. After Wickett and Zimmerman chase them, Eric and Mac are rescued by Michael and Courtney. Janet, having witnessed the chase, catches up to Wickett and Zimmerman and learns that MAC is real.

Eric, Michael, Debbie, and Courtney decide to reunite Mac with his family, who are lost in the desert. Following MAC's directions, they travel to the mountains on the outskirts of [[Palmdale, California|Palmdale]], where they find his dying family and rejuvenate them with [[Coca-Cola]]. The group goes to a supermarket to buy more Coca-Cola for the aliens. The restless aliens enter the supermarket, causing a panic. After Mac's father steals a firearm from a security guard, the police arrive, and a shootout takes place in the parking lot, which results in Eric being killed by a [[stray bullet]]. Once Wickett, Zimmerman, and Janet arrive by helicopter, Mac and his family use their powers to revive Eric. For saving his life, the United States government grants them American citizenship, with the Cruise family and their neighbors, as well as Wickett and Zimmerman, at the ceremony. Mac's family, dressed like Earthlings, drives off in a pink [[Cadillac]], and Mac blows a [[Bubble gum|gum bubble]] that reads "We'll be back!"

== Cast ==
{{Cast listing|
* [[Christine Ebersole]] as Janet Cruise
* [[Jonathan Ward (actor)|Jonathan Ward]] as Michael Cruise
* Tina Caspary as Courtney (credited as Katrina Caspary)
* Lauren Stanley as Debbie
* Jade Calegory as Eric Cruise
* Vinnie Torrente as Mitford
* [[Martin West (actor)|Martin West]] as Wickett
* Ivan J. Rado as Zimmerman
* [[Danny Cooksey]] as Jack Jr.
* Laura Waterbury as Linda
* Jack Eiseman as Splatter Car Driver
* [[Barbara Allyne Bennet]] as Scientist
* [[Raymond Forchion]] as Policeman #1
* [[Andrew Divoff]] as Policeman #2
* [[George Buck Flower]] as Security Guard
* [[Squire Fridell]] as [[Ronald McDonald]] (credited as Himself)
}}

In addition, [[Jennifer Aniston]] and [[Nikki Cox]] appear as uncredited background extras.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.closerweekly.com/posts/jennifer-aniston-movies/ |title=It's Jennifer Aniston's 50th Birthday! Take a Look Back at Her Incredible Career on TV and in Movies |last=Gross |first=Ed |date=February 11, 2019 |website=CloserWeekly.com |publisher=American Media Entertainment Group |access-date=July 26, 2019 |archive-date=March 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200325042750/https://www.closerweekly.com/posts/jennifer-aniston-movies/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://ollyrichards.net/2015/03/31/jennifer-aniston-empire-march-15/ |title=Jennifer Aniston, Empire |last=Richards |first=Olly |date=March 31, 2015 |website=OllyRichards.net |publisher=Empire Magazine |access-date=July 26, 2019 |archive-date=July 26, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190726194620/https://ollyrichards.net/2015/03/31/jennifer-aniston-empire-march-15/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.edgemedianetwork.com/entertainment/movies//263527 |title=Mac and Me |last=Taft |first=Kevin |date=August 22, 2018 |website=EdgeMediaNetwork.net |publisher=EDGE Publications |access-date=July 26, 2019 |archive-date=July 26, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190726194618/https://www.edgemedianetwork.com/entertainment/movies//263527 |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Production ==
=== Development ===
Producer R. J. Louis had previously worked on advertising campaigns with [[McDonald's]] and had an association with their charitable arm [[Ronald McDonald House Charities]] (RMHC). He explained that at the time [[Ronald McDonald]] was "even more [well-known] than [[Santa Claus]]", but that [[E.T. (character)|E.T.]] was close behind and thus felt that the next "generation" needed an ''E.T.'' of their own. Louis was required to negotiate the rights to use the McDonald's brand and its elements within the film. He pitched the project as a [[cross-promotion]]al endeavor which could be promoted at its restaurants, and with its profits helping to support RMHC.<ref name="thrillist-macandme"/>

Some have reported that the film was—at least partially—financed by McDonald's,<ref name="hicks">{{cite web|url=https://www.deseretnews.com/article/700001111/Mac-and-Me.html|title=Film review: Mac and Me|last=Hicks|first=Chris|date=August 15, 1988|website=[[Deseret News]]|access-date=June 24, 2019|archive-date=June 22, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180622184144/https://www.deseretnews.com/article/700001111/Mac-and-Me.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="vorel">{{cite web|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2014/05/the-100-best-b-movies-of-all-time.html?a=1|title=The 100 Best "B Movies" of All Time|last=Vorel|first=Jim|date=May 9, 2014|website=[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]|access-date=April 19, 2018|archive-date=June 24, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180624040038/https://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2014/05/the-100-best-b-movies-of-all-time.html?a=1|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="crow">{{cite news|url=https://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/morgan-spurlock-dubs-mac-worst-movie-ever-sold-060910653.html|date=April 22, 2011|last=Crow|first=Jonathan|publisher=[[Yahoo! Movies]]|access-date=August 29, 2013|title= Morgan Spurlock Dubs 'Mac and Me' the Worst Film Ever Sold|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405070102/https://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/morgan-spurlock-dubs-mac-worst-movie-ever-sold-060910653.html|archive-date=April 5, 2012}}</ref> which Louis denies.<ref name="thrillist-macandme"/> However, he did receive funding from [[Golden State Foods]], a food service distributor whose only client was McDonald's.<ref name="thrillist-macandme"/> Despite McDonald's specifying that they did not want Ronald McDonald to appear in the film, he nonetheless appeared in a scene set at a McDonald's which featured an extended dance sequence.<ref name="thrillist-macandme"/> The character also appeared in the [[Trailer (promotion)|theatrical trailer]].<ref>{{cite book | last = Maltin | first = Leonard | author-link = Leonard Maltin | title = Leonard Maltin's Movie and Video Guide 2004 | publisher = Signet | date = 2003 | isbn = 0-451-20940-0 | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/leonardmaltinsmo00leon }}</ref>

Louis noted that he was one of the first to leverage the chain as a platform for promoting films ([[Disney]] would later enter into a long-term deal with McDonald's to cross-promote properties including their classic films through in-store campaigns such as [[Happy Meal]]s, although that relationship ended in May 2006, amid pressure to reduce the promotion of [[junk food]] to children).<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-may-08-et-mcdonalds8-story.html|title=Disney Loses Its Appetite for Happy Meal Tie-Ins|last=Abramowitz|first=Rachel|date=May 8, 2006|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=December 11, 2017|language=en-US|issn=0458-3035|archive-date=January 31, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180131223537/http://articles.latimes.com/2006/may/08/entertainment/et-mcdonalds8|url-status=live}}</ref>

Despite this, Louis remarked that he was "still the only person in the universe that ever had the exclusive motion picture rights to the McDonald's trademark, their actors, their characters and the whole company."<ref name="thrillist-macandme">{{Cite news|url=https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/mcdonalds-mac-and-me-paul-rudd-movie-et-spinoff|title=How McDonald's Bizarre 'E.T.' Knockoff Got Made|last=Patches|first=Matt|date=April 3, 2017|publisher=[[Thrillist]]|access-date=December 11, 2017|archive-date=December 11, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171211213637/https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/mcdonalds-mac-and-me-paul-rudd-movie-et-spinoff|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Stewart Raffill ===
[[Stewart Raffill]], who had made a number of family films, was brought on as director even before the film had a completed script. He says he was recommended to the producer by [[James Brolin]], with whom Raffill had made 1981's ''[[High Risk (1981 film)|High Risk]]''.<ref name="bristol">{{cite web|url=https://bristolbadfilmclub.co.uk/exclusive-interview-stewart-raffill-director-of-tammy-and-the-t-rex-mac-me-and-the-ice-pirates/|website=Bristol Bad Film Club|title=EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Stewart Raffill, Director of TAMMY AND THE T-REX, MAC & ME and THE ICE PIRATES|date=May 12, 2018|access-date=October 17, 2018|archive-date=February 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226064824/https://bristolbadfilmclub.co.uk/exclusive-interview-stewart-raffill-director-of-tammy-and-the-t-rex-mac-me-and-the-ice-pirates/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Raffill later recalled:
<blockquote>I was hired out of the blue. And the producer asked me to come down to the office. So I did and he had a whole crew there, a whole crew on the payroll. It was amazing. He had the transportation captain. The camera department head. The AD. The Production Manager. He had everybody already hired and I said, "Well, what's the script?" And he said, "We don't have a script. I don't like the script. You have to write the script. You're gonna have to write it quickly so prep the movie and write the script on the weekends."<ref name="int3">{{cite web|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/stewart-raffill-mannequin-2-interview/3/|website=Slashfilm|date=July 15, 2016|title=Interview with Stewart Raffill Part 3|access-date=October 17, 2018|archive-date=October 17, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181017001747/https://www.slashfilm.com/stewart-raffill-mannequin-2-interview/3/|url-status=live}}</ref></blockquote>

The crew aimed to distinguish the film from ''E.T.'' by having Mac be a member of a family and having powers and skills.<ref name="thrillist-macandme"/>

Raffill says the producer wanted to use an actor who was handicapped. "So he found a kid who had [[spina bifida]]. The kid had never acted before, but he was a wonderful kid. But when they finished it was as if the fact that they used a real encumbered person to play the person didn't mean anything to even the people who lived in the world."<ref name="int3"/> Raffill says "the moment Disney heard we had this deal with McDonald's, they went in and hammered out a three-year deal to get all their toys put in their Happy Meals and have that relationship with Coca-Cola. As such, the McDonald's people were then not particularly enthused with us as they now had Disney, but they had to fulfill their arrangement with us."<ref name="bristol"/>

=== Filming ===
In one scene, Eric Cruise (played by Calegory, who has [[spina bifida]] and uses a wheelchair in real life)<ref name="Jade">{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-08-23-ca-1118-story.html|title=When he tires of answering questions about why he's in a wheelchair, he simply dead-pans: 'Vietnam.': Out-of-This-World Career Still in Cards for 'Mac and Me' Star|author=STACY JENEL SMITH|date=August 23, 1988|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=June 24, 2019|archive-date=June 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190624064717/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-08-23-ca-1118-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> is seen rolling down a hill in his wheelchair. Raffill noted that he performed a portion of the stunt himself, explaining that "it's very hard to do physical things when you're in that condition. It's very hard to make a wheelchair work because it's not a very balanced thing. When you start going fast in a wheelchair, you place tremendous risk on the child, so you have to try and figure out how to do that in a controlled fashion."<ref name="thrillist-macandme"/>

The shooting of Eric, although cut from most prints, was explicitly shown in the [[Japan]]ese [[VHS]] release of the film.<ref name="Millican">{{cite news|url=https://movieweb.com/mac-and-me-movie-alternate-ending-video/|title=Alternate Mac and Me Ending Unearthed and It's Insane|last=Millican|first=Josh|date=August 8, 2018|work=[[MovieWeb]]|access-date=September 11, 2018|archive-date=September 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180911081746/https://movieweb.com/mac-and-me-movie-alternate-ending-video/|url-status=live}}</ref> For the film's mainstream release in theaters and on home video, this scene had been cut from the test screening phase of the film following negative reactions from test audiences; the altered version made it so that Eric would die offscreen.

During promotion for the film, the 12-year-old Calegory tired of explaining why he used a wheelchair and started making [[deadpan]] jokes about how he'd been injured in the [[Vietnam war]].<ref name="Jade"/>

== Music ==
;Soundtrack
The film's soundtrack album was released by [[Curb Records]], featuring one track from its [[Film score|musical score]], composed, and conducted by [[Alan Silvestri]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.soundtrack.net/albums/database/?id=819 |website=Soundtrack.net |title=Mac and Me |date=1988 |access-date=January 28, 2013 |archive-date=November 10, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110015426/http://www.soundtrack.net/albums/database/?id=819 |url-status=live }}</ref> and the [[theme song]] "Take Me (I'll Follow You)" by [[Bobby Caldwell]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bobbycaldwell.com/filmusage.asp |title=Bobby Caldwell - Film Usage |access-date=January 28, 2013 |archive-date=December 19, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121219213633/http://www.bobbycaldwell.com/filmusage.asp |url-status=live }}</ref>

<!-- See [[Template:Track listing]] to further improve this section -->
Track listing:
# "You're Not a Stranger Anymore (Theme from ''Mac and Me'')" – Jara Lane (3:42) 
# "Take Me, I'll Follow You" – [[Bobby Caldwell]] (5:32) 
# "You Knew What You Were Doing (Every Inch of the Way)" – [[Marcella Detroit|Marcy Levy]] (3:30) 
# "Down to Earth" – [[Ashford & Simpson]] (5:27) 
# "Waves" – Debbie Lytton (3:44) 
# "Send Out a Signal" – Larry Hart (4:31) 
# "Wait and Break My Heart Tomorrow" – The Flint River Band (4:40) 
# "Overture (Theme from ''Mac and Me'')" – Alan Silvestri (4:24)

;Score
In 2014, Quartet Records released a limited edition disc (1000 copies) of Silvestri's complete score.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.quartetrecords.com/mac-and-me.html |publisher=Quartet Records |title=MAC AND ME – Alan Silvestri |access-date=May 2, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502173110/http://www.quartetrecords.com/mac-and-me.html |archive-date=May 2, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The disc also includes "You're Not a Stranger Anymore (Theme from ''Mac and Me'')" and "Take Me (I'll Follow You)," which Silvestri co-wrote for the film.

== Reception and legacy ==
=== Box office ===
The film premiered in [[Hong Kong]] on August 5, 1988, with a [[United States]] release following on August 12.<ref name="afi">{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/58827|title=Mac and Me|website=[[AFI Catalog of Feature Films]]|access-date=April 27, 2018|archive-date=April 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180428093913/https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/58827|url-status=live}}</ref> A [[box office bomb]],<ref>{{cite news|title=Advertising is so much a part of life that it's understandable to find familiar products in films. But sometimes it goes too far.|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=August 29, 1999|url=http://articles.latimes.com/1999/aug/29/entertainment/ca-4591/3|access-date=May 17, 2012|archive-date=December 4, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131204041237/http://articles.latimes.com/1999/aug/29/entertainment/ca-4591/3|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/blogs/movie-talk/moment-bruce-willis-became-megastar-213454518.html|title=The Moment When Bruce Willis Became a Megastar|last=Chiaramonte|first=Tiara|date=July 12, 2013|publisher=[[Yahoo! Movies]]|access-date=April 27, 2018|archive-date=April 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180428012117/https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/blogs/movie-talk/moment-bruce-willis-became-megastar-213454518.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="aswell">{{cite web|url=https://www.sheknows.com/entertainment/slideshow/8614/movies-so-bad-theyre-good/14|title=16 Movies That Are So Bad They're Good|last=Aswell|first=Sarah|date=August 3, 2017|publisher=[[SheKnows Media]]|access-date=May 11, 2018|archive-date=May 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180512043629/https://www.sheknows.com/entertainment/slideshow/8614/movies-so-bad-theyre-good/14|url-status=live}}</ref> it grossed $6,424,112 in the U.S.<ref name="mojo">{{mojo title|macandme|Mac and Me}}</ref> against a $13 million budget.<ref name="afi"/> It had a profit-sharing arrangement with [[Ronald McDonald House Charities]].<ref name="The Los Angeles Times">{{cite news|title= Movie Review Mac and Me Takes a Big McBite Out of E.T.|newspaper= [[The Los Angeles Times]]|url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-08-15-ca-300-story.html|access-date= 2010-12-05|archive-date= March 7, 2011|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110307085307/http://articles.latimes.com/1988-08-15/entertainment/ca-300_1_big-mac|url-status= live}}</ref>

=== Critical response ===
Upon release the film was widely panned, due in part to its imitations of numerous concepts from [[Steven Spielberg]]'s ''[[E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial]]'' (1982).<ref name="Jade"/> ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' critic Michael Wilmington wrote that it is "an amazingly bald-faced copy of ''E.T.'', even though this is ''E.T.'' in a sticky wrapper, left under the heater two hours too long. Almost everything in the earlier movie has a double here."<ref name="The Los Angeles Times"/> Richard Harrington of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' amended the famed "E.T., phone home" phrase to "E.T., call lawyer" and said, "Why is it so hard to like this film? Having seen it done so much better by Spielberg doesn't help, of course."<ref name="Harrington">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/macandmepgharrington_a0aa92.htm|title=Mac and Me|last=Harrington|first=Richard|date=August 13, 1988|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=April 26, 2018|archive-date=December 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201023807/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/macandmepgharrington_a0aa92.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Henry Mietkiewicz of ''[[The Toronto Star]]'' said that "it's a common complaint that movies are mass-produced like sausages. Case in point: ''MAC And Me''. The only difference is that this excruciating children's movie is a hamburger right off the conveyor belt—McDonald's, to be exact. If only we could order 'One movie to go. And hold the schmaltz!' But no such luck. In fact, this shameless rip-off of ''E.T.'' [...] often looks and feels like a feature-length commercial."<ref>{{cite news
| last         = Mietkiewicz
| first        = Henry
| date         = August 16, 1988
| title        = This MAC attack doesn't go down well
| url          = https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-toronto-star/134994603/
| work         = [[The Toronto Star]]
| location     = 
| access-date  = November 11, 2023
}}</ref>

The contrivance of the "Mysterious Alien Creature" (MAC) being referred to by the acronym-inspired "Mac" (a seemingly innocuous reference to the [[McDonald's]] [[hamburger]] called the "[[Big Mac]]", as well as a dance number featuring mascot [[Ronald McDonald]]), and the characters' wearing of McDonald's clothing, prompted ''[[Deseret News]]'' journalist Chris Hicks to declare: "I'm not sure I've ever seen a movie that is as crass a 90-minute commercial as ''Mac and Me''."<ref name="hicks"/> Hicks, along with [[Caryn James]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'', observed additional promotion of [[Coca-Cola]] and [[Sears]]<ref name="hicks"/><ref name="movies.nytimes.com">{{cite news|title= Review/Film; 'MAC and Me,' Family From a Distant Planet|work= [[The New York Times]]|date= August 13, 1988|last= James|first= Caryn|url= https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=940DE1DF113FF930A2575BC0A96E948260|access-date= May 17, 2012|archive-date= January 5, 2022|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220105050914/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/13/movies/review-film-mac-and-me-family-from-a-distant-planet.html|url-status= live}}</ref>—the latter brand carried [[McKids]], the McDonald's line of children's clothing.<ref name="hicks"/> James also took exception to the "awfully irresponsible" treatment of wheelchair-using main character Eric Cruise, who is placed in potentially dangerous situations before Mac intervenes.<ref name="movies.nytimes.com"/> 

[[Gene Siskel]] of the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' gave it a 1½ star rating, and wrote, in a capsule review: {{cquote|This is what happens when someone doesn't make a sequel to a hit movie fast enough. Someone else, with a lot of brass, makes a ripoff that is even less satisfying. "Mac and Me" is a pale carbon copy of "E.T.," with an alien creature who looks like a cross between E.T. and Yoda, hiding out at a suburban California house where only the kids and the government believe the creature really exists. Can the kids save the creature and get him reunited with his family? This may sound benign, but there are two problems: dozens of brazen commercial plugs and a couple of truly frightening scenes with a child in a wheelchair going over a cliff and nearly drowning and, later, being pronounced dead after a fire.<ref>{{cite news
| last         = Siskel
| first        = Gene
| date         = August 19, 1988
| title        = Siskel's Flicks Picks
| url          = https://chicagotribune.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune/134994719/
| work         = [[Chicago Tribune]]
| location     = 
| access-date  = November 11, 2023
}}</ref>}}

On review aggregator [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film has a 7% approval rating based on 28 reviews, and an average rating of 3.4/10. The site's consensus reads, "''Mac and Me'' is duly infamous: not only is it a pale imitation of ''E.T.'', it's also a thinly-veiled feature length commercial for McDonald's and Coca-Cola."<ref>{{cite web |title=MAC and Me (1988) |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mac_and_me/ |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=2022-04-03 |archive-date=April 26, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190426033020/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mac_and_me/ |url-status=live }}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a score of 26 out of 100 based on 12 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mac and Me Reviews |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/mac-and-me |access-date=March 9, 2023 |publisher=[[Metacritic]]}}</ref>

Despite the overwhelmingly negative reviews, Calegory's performance was named a highlight of the film by several critics,<ref name="Jade"/> with Richard Harrigan of ''The Washington Post'' praising the young actor's "healthy authenticity" in his role.<ref name="Harrington"/> The filmmakers also garnered praise for their use of a disabled protagonist who has spina bifida.<ref name="Jade"/><ref name="Millican"/><ref name="Harrington"/>

The film is widely regarded as one of the [[List of films considered the worst|worst films ever made]],<ref name="Millican"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/movies-with-bizarre-weird-source-material/|title=15 Movies With Bizarre Source Material|last=McGranaghan|first=Mike|date=March 21, 2017|website=[[Screen Rant]]|access-date=June 23, 2018|archive-date=June 24, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180624035654/https://screenrant.com/movies-with-bizarre-weird-source-material/|url-status=live}}</ref> with ''[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]'' noting that it is "frequently pulled out in 'worst film of all time' arguments".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2016/07/18/top-aliens-in-the-movies/mac-and-me/|title=Top 20 aliens in the movies|date=December 19, 2017|website=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]|access-date=April 27, 2018|archive-date=April 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180428093606/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2016/07/18/top-aliens-in-the-movies/mac-and-me/|url-status=live}}</ref> Filmmaker [[Morgan Spurlock]] cited it as the most egregious example of [[product placement]] in cinema history, as well as the "worst thing you'll ever see in your entire life".<ref name="crow"/> It was also named the worst film ever in the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'',<ref>{{cite journal|date=January 22, 2017|title=Mac and Me|journal=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|publisher=[[Hearst Communications]]|quote=McDonald's created an 'E.T.' rip-off called 'Mac and Me' in 1988... It's the worst movie ever made.}}</ref> as well as by broadcaster [[Simon Mayo]],<ref name="mayo">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03slrls|title=Paul Rudd and Chris Evans interviewed by Simon Mayo|date=April 29, 2016|publisher=[[BBC Radio 5 Live]]|access-date=April 27, 2018|time=10-14 minutes|quote=...cult film flop, ''Mac and Me'' (page text).|archive-date=May 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180510202715/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03slrls|url-status=live}}</ref> and writer/producer [[Damon Lindelof]].<ref name="lindelof">{{cite web|url=https://www.gq.com/story/damon-lindelof-paul-alien-comedy|title=Damon Lindelof's Open Letter to Paul the Alien|last=Lindelof|first=Damon|author-link=Damon Lindelof|date=March 14, 2011|website=[[GQ]]|access-date=April 27, 2018|archive-date=April 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180428093747/https://www.gq.com/story/damon-lindelof-paul-alien-comedy|url-status=live}}</ref> Michael Hayden of ''[[GQ (Indian edition)|GQ India]]'' referred to it as "hands down the worst family movie in Hollywood history."<ref name="gqindia">{{cite web|url=https://www.gqindia.com/content/6-best-bad-films/#s-cust0|title=The 6 best bad films|last=Hayden|first=Michael|date=November 10, 2011|website=[[GQ (Indian edition)|GQ India]]|access-date=May 11, 2018|archive-date=May 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180512044317/https://www.gqindia.com/content/6-best-bad-films/#s-cust0|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Nathan Rabin]] reviewed the film as part of his "My Year of Flops" series for [[The A.V. Club]], writing:

{{blockquote|''Mac and Me'' was designed as an especially brazen knock-off of ''E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial.'' Instead, it plays like an indecent [[Bizarro World|bizarro-world]] incarnation of [[Steven Spielberg]]'s beloved family classic. ''E.T.'' is a marvel of daring, inspired character design that somehow manages to look simultaneously ugly and adorable, but Mac is a repulsive little monster that looks like an overgrown, horrifically scarred [[fetus]] covered with blisters. [The] creepy little alien’s mouth is permanently fixed in the O shape of a blow-up [[sex doll]], though the average blow-up sex doll is more animated and has more dignity than Mac. [The] alien doesn’t move, so much as he twitches and burbles randomly; over the course of the film, its hideousness and comic inexpressiveness engenders morbid fascination. [[Suspension of disbelief]] becomes impossible: Mac is never anything more than a poorly manipulated puppet.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/ronald-mcdonald-approved-case-file-151-mac-and-me-1798218494|title=Ronald McDonald Approved Case File #151: ''Mac and Me''|last=Rabin|first=Nathan|date=December 9, 2009|website=[[The A.V. Club]]|access-date=February 13, 2020|archive-date=April 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200401050244/https://www.avclub.com/ronald-mcdonald-approved-case-file-151-mac-and-me-1798218494|url-status=live}}</ref>}}

=== In popular culture ===
It has nevertheless become a [[cult film]].<ref name="thrillist-macandme"/><ref name="mayo"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://nerdist.com/mac-and-me-bottleneck-gallery-figure-pins/|title=Mac and Me Finally (?) Gets Figure and Pin Collection|last=McNally|first=Victoria|date=April 24, 2017|publisher=[[Nerdist Industries|Nerdist]]|access-date=May 11, 2018|archive-date=May 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180512044315/https://nerdist.com/mac-and-me-bottleneck-gallery-figure-pins/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cracked.com/article_24629_4-reasons-razzies-suck-even-more-than-oscars.html|title=4 Reasons The Razzies Suck (And Should Be Abolished Forever)|last=Burke|first=Carolyn|date=February 22, 2017|publisher=[[Cracked.com|Cracked]]|access-date=May 10, 2018|archive-date=April 29, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180429034702/http://www.cracked.com/article_24629_4-reasons-razzies-suck-even-more-than-oscars.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Lindelof allowed that it is "the fifth-best alien comedy ever made,"<ref name="lindelof"/> and it has appeared in various "so-bad-it's-good" listings.<ref name="aswell"/><ref name="gqindia"/><ref name="complex18">{{cite web|url=http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/the-best-bad-movies/|title=The Best Bad Movies of All Time|date=February 22, 2018|website=[[Complex (magazine)|Complex]]|access-date=April 27, 2018|archive-date=April 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180428012007/http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/the-best-bad-movies/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewziegler/unintentionally-hilarious-movies-that-are-great|title=27 Unintentionally Hilarious Movies That Are So Bad They're Great|last=Ziegler|first=Andrew|date=April 30, 2015|website=[[BuzzFeed]]|access-date=May 11, 2018|archive-date=May 5, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180505173307/https://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewziegler/unintentionally-hilarious-movies-that-are-great|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.popmatters.com/193947-10-films-so-bad-theyre-good-2495524943.html|title=10 Classic 'So-Bad-They're-Good' Films|last=Orbesen|first=James|date=June 17, 2015|website=[[PopMatters]]|access-date=May 11, 2018|archive-date=August 1, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180801040008/https://www.popmatters.com/193947-10-films-so-bad-theyre-good-2495524943.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/films-that-are-so-bad-they-re-good-1.426596|title=Films that are so bad they're good|last=Good|first=Oliver|date=February 23, 2011|website=[[The National (Abu Dhabi)|The National]]|access-date=May 11, 2018|archive-date=May 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180512044316/https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/films-that-are-so-bad-they-re-good-1.426596|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/best-good-bad-movies-ever|title=50 Bad Movies That Are Absurdly Fun to Watch|date=November 16, 2018|access-date=March 19, 2019|publisher=[[Thrillist]]|archive-date=March 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190320091454/https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/best-good-bad-movies-ever|url-status=live}}</ref> Jim Vorel of ''[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]'' ranked it no. 52 in "The 100 Best 'B Movies' of All Time" (noting that it cannot be "enjoyed un-ironically"),<ref name="vorel"/> while [[Cracked.com|Cracked]] journalist Jeff Steinbrunner placed it at no. 1 in "The 10 Most Shameless Product Placements in Movie History", calling it "unintentionally awesome" and "almost genius."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cracked.com/article_16574_the-10-most-shameless-product-placements-in-movie-history.html|title=The 10 Most Shameless Product Placements in Movie History|last=Steinbrunner|first=Jeff|date=August 26, 2008|publisher=[[Cracked.com|Cracked]]|access-date=May 11, 2018|archive-date=May 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180512044217/http://www.cracked.com/article_16574_the-10-most-shameless-product-placements-in-movie-history.html|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Complex (magazine)|Complex]]'' wrote: "As an accidentally riotous failure, ''Mac and Me'' comes highly recommended, but its real purpose requires a line of shot glasses...everyone must take a shot whenever Raffill's film displays one of its countless product placements."<ref name="complex18"/>

The film is part of a [[running gag]] between late-night host and comedian [[Conan O'Brien]] and actor [[Paul Rudd]]. When appearing as a guest on ''[[Late Night with Conan O'Brien]]'', O'Brien's later shows ''[[Conan (talk show)|Conan]]'' and ''[[Conan O'Brien Must Go]]'', and O'Brien's podcast ''[[Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend]]'', Rudd would perform a "bait-and-switch" by routinely showing the same clip from it (in which Eric Cruise, watched by MAC, loses control of his wheelchair and falls down a hill into a lake) instead of showing clips from the actual films he was ostensibly promoting.<ref>{{cite book|first=Michael| last=Adams|title=Showgirls, Teen Wolves, and Astro Zombies: A Film Critic's Year-Long Quest to Find the Worst Movie Ever Made|date=2010|publisher=[[HarperCollins]]|isbn=978-0061966316|page=247}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last = Rowles | first = Dustin | url = http://www.pajiba.com/videos/did-you-know-that-the-amazing-paul-rudd-has-quietly-been-pulling-off-one-of-the-longest-running-jokes-in-latenight-history.php | title = Did You Know That the Amazing Paul Rudd Has Quietly Been Pulling Off One of the Longest Running Jokes in Late-Night History? | work = Pajiba.com | date = December 13, 2013 | access-date = December 16, 2013 | archive-date = December 16, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131216032531/http://www.pajiba.com/videos/did-you-know-that-the-amazing-paul-rudd-has-quietly-been-pulling-off-one-of-the-longest-running-jokes-in-latenight-history.php | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Coggan |first=Devan |date=March 29, 2022 |title=Paul Rudd stopped by Conan O'Brien's podcast and did exactly what you'd expect |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |url=https://ew.com/podcasts/paul-rudd-conan-obrien-podcast-mac-and-me-prank/ |access-date=February 10, 2023}}</ref> While giving an interview alongside ''[[Captain America: Civil War]]'' costar [[Chris Evans (actor)|Chris Evans]] in 2016, Rudd expressed his appreciation of its "blatant" advertising of [[McDonald's]], "unearned" positioning of [[Bobby Caldwell]] ballad "Take Me (I'll Follow You)", and inclusion of a fly landing on MAC's nose, declaring: "I love it...it's so good."<ref name="mayo"/> Evans also professed to "love" the film, noting that he "grew up on it."<ref name="mayo"/>

The film is one of six movies featured in Season 12 of ''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/mystery-science-theater-3000-season-12-trailer/|title='Mystery Science Theater 3000' Season 12 Trailer Unleashes 'Mac and Me' and More Awful Movies|last=Evangelista|first=Chris|date=November 12, 2018|publisher=[[/Film|SlashFilm]]|access-date=November 12, 2018|archive-date=November 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129051129/https://www.slashfilm.com/mystery-science-theater-3000-season-12-trailer/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>[https://www.cbr.com/mst3k-movies-good-without-the-riffing/ 10 MST3K Movies You Should Watch Without The Riffing - CBR]</ref>

The podcast ''[[How Did This Get Made?]]'' reviewed the movie in Episode 10, featuring guest host [[Adam Pally]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.earwolf.com/episode/mac-me/ |date=May 16, 2011 |publisher=[[How Did This Get Made?]] |title=#10 Mac & Me |access-date=March 19, 2019 |archive-date=October 2, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191002145646/https://www.earwolf.com/episode/mac-me/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Cancelled sequel ===
A sequel was announced at the time of the film's release.<ref name="The Los Angeles Times"/> It ends with the text "We'll be back!", but given its unpopularity, a sequel did not happen.<ref>{{cite news|title= Sequel Baiting Endings That Didn't Work|work=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]|url= http://www.empireonline.com/features/sequel-baiting-endings-that-didnt-work/p4|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214151849/http://www.empireonline.com/features/sequel-baiting-endings-that-didnt-work/p4|access-date=June 11, 2012|archive-date=December 14, 2013}}</ref> Producer R.J. Louis spoke of the ending in a 2017 interview and did not rule out a sequel. He claimed there is public interest because home video sales have made the film profitable for [[Orion Pictures]], and also said that MAC would resonate with modern, young moviegoers.<ref name="thrillist-macandme"/>

===Awards===
{{Anchor|Accolades|Awards|Awards and nominations}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Award
! Date
! Category
! Recipient 
! Result
|-
|rowspan=4|[[9th Golden Raspberry Awards|Golden Raspberry Awards]]
| rowspan="4" |[[9th Golden Raspberry Awards|March 29, 1989]]
|[[Golden Raspberry Award for Worst New Star|Worst New Star]]
|[[Ronald McDonald]]
|{{won}}
|-
|[[Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director|Worst Director]]
|[[Stewart Raffill]]
|{{won}}
|-
|[[Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture|Worst Picture]]
|R.J. Louis
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screenplay|Worst Screenplay]]
|Stewart Raffill and Steve Feke
|{{nom}}
|-
|rowspan=4|[[Young Artist Award|Youth in Film Awards]] 
| rowspan="4"|[[10th Youth in Film Awards|May 6, 1989]]
|[[10th Youth in Film Awards#Best Family Motion Picture: Animation or Fantasy|Best Family Motion Picture: Animation or Fantasy]]
|''Mac and Me''
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[10th Youth in Film Awards#Best Young Actor in a Motion Picture: Comedy or Fantasy|Best Young Actor in a Motion Picture: Comedy or Fantasy]]
|Jade Calegory
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[10th Youth in Film Awards#Best Young Actress in a Motion Picture: Comedy or Fantasy|Best Young Actress in a Motion Picture: Comedy or Fantasy]]
|Tina Caspary
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[10th Youth in Film Awards#Best Young Actress in a Motion Picture: Comedy or Fantasy|Best Young Actress in a Motion Picture: Comedy or Fantasy]]
|Lauren Stanley
|{{nom}}
|}

== See also ==
* ''[[Flight of the Navigator]]''
* [[List of films considered the worst]]
* ''[[My Little Bossings]]''
* ''[[Nukie]]''

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes}}
* {{Metacritic film}}
* {{mojo title|macandme|Mac and Me}}
* [https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/82229/enwp ''Mac and Me''] at the [[Turner Classic Movies|TCM Movie Database]]
* {{AFI film|58827}}

{{Stewart Raffill}}
{{Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director}}
{{McDonald's}}
{{E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mac And Me}}
[[Category:1980s adventure films]]
[[Category:1980s children's fantasy films]]
[[Category:1980s English-language films]]
[[Category:1980s science fiction comedy films]]
[[Category:1988 children's films]]
[[Category:1988 comedy films]]
[[Category:1988 films]]
[[Category:1988 independent films]]
[[Category:Films about alien visitations]]
[[Category:American adventure comedy films]]
[[Category:American children's comedy films]]
[[Category:American independent films]]
[[Category:American science fiction comedy films]]
[[Category:Films about extraterrestrial life]]
[[Category:Films about people with paraplegia or tetraplegia]]
[[Category:Films directed by Stewart Raffill]]
[[Category:Films scored by Alan Silvestri]]
[[Category:Films set in California]]
[[Category:Films shot in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:American mockbuster films]]
[[Category:Orion Pictures films]]
[[Category:Sponsored films]]
[[Category:Golden Raspberry Award–winning films]]
[[Category:1980s American films]]
[[Category:McDonald's in popular culture]]
[[Category:E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial]]
[[Category:1988 science fiction films]]
[[Category:English-language science fiction comedy films]]
[[Category:English-language independent films]]
[[Category:English-language fantasy films]]
[[Category:English-language adventure films]]
[[Category:Mystery Science Theater 3000]]