A genetics professor's wife dies in a fire at her glass blowing studio, but he finds her brush with a few of her hairs in it. He and his grad student assistant make a clone of her, but there are problems. He keeps trying with slight changes to her environment. He becomes so obsessed with trying to make the perfect match that he doesn't realize that his assistant has fallen in love with him. Also, the life insurance adjuster isn't convinced that she really is dead. The lab assistant then tries to clone the professor so she can have the person she loves, but he is unresponsive to her overtures. The professor finally is able to make a clone and have it raised by the girl's original parents. She is identical to his wife, but she says she doesn't love him. He returns her to her parents. Meanwhile, the life insurance adjuster accuses the professor of faking his wife's death, and offers to approve the claim on the condition that the professor gives him the $1,000,000 policy payout. The professor kills the adjuster, then clones him. He gets the clone drunk, and calls the police on him. He gets to keep the payout. The professor and grad student reconnect and realize that they should be together, but they have to deal with the professor and his former wife's clones. Sure enough, the clones fall in love, and we know they will be as happy as the professor and his wife were. And we know the professor and his lab assistant will be happy together too.
Shannon Makhanian was the casting director as well as one of the producers. She cast the movie Brick which was the directorial debut of Rian Johnson. Jonathan Lipnicki from Jerry Maguire does a cameo as a college student. Thomas Q. Jones the former running back from the Chicago Bears and Arizona Cardinals plays Dawn's ex-boyfriend Wyatt. Jonathan Silverman and Jennifer Finnigan are married in real life.
Richard Kind and Beth Grant were nominated for best supporting actor and actress at the Orlando Film Festival
Scott Perlman was nominated for best director and best screenplay at the Orlando Film Festival
Reception
Andover had a limited theatrical release and received mixed reviews from critics. Ben Cahlamer from Electric Bento said "With Mr. Perlman’s deft hand and the child-like wonderment that is Jonathan Silverman in the lead, you can be assured that Andover is unlike any other romantic comedy you’ve seen. Its heart leaps off the screen and reminds us that it’s okay to love and let go over and over." The Los Angeles Times said, "This choppy film, which is saddled with a subplot about a dogged insurance agent, becomes more mechanical than emotional, leapfrogging time, logic and process as it scrambles to its too clever-by-half conclusion."
Home media
released Andover on Blu-ray, DVD, and streaming in the US on July 17, 2018.
Soundtrack
All the songs were performed by The Pouts featuring Nadia Lanfranconi.
