This post includes a brief plot summary and an explanation about the ending of the film “Minority Report” (2002). Beware of spoilers.
Directed by Steven Spielberg, the 2002 sci-fi action film stars Tom Cruise as John Anderton, Samantha Morton as Agatha and Max von Sydow as Lamar Burgess.
The film “Minority Report” is set in a world where it is possible to predict and prevent murders before they happen. John Anderton is the chief of Precrime, a special police unit that uses three psychics (precogs) to foresee the future.
What Happens in “Minority Report”? (Plot Explained)
One day, Anderton sees his own name appear in the Precrime system. In 36 hours, the police are going to arrest Anderton for killing a man named Leo Crow. However, Anderton doesn’t know anyone by that name and suspects that someone is trying to frame him for a crime he did not commit.
Anderton escapes the Precrime facility and becomes a fugitive. While trying to find the person who framed him, Anderton kidnaps one of the precogs, Agatha. It turns out that, sometimes, one of the precogs might have a different vision from the others. When that happens, a “minority report” is created.
After some time, Anderton finally finds Leo Crow. At first, he thought this man was behind the abduction of his son, Sean, who disappeared many years ago. But then Crow reveals that someone paid him to pretend to be that person. Despite his change of heart, Anderton accidentally pulls the trigger, killing Leo Crow.
Plot Twist: It turns out that Lamar Burgess, the founder of Precrime and Anderton’s mentor, is the culprit behind the events. Many years ago, Burgess killed Agatha’s mother, Anne Lively. The former addict wanted her daughter back, but Burgess couldn’t allow it, as Agatha was his most powerful precog.
Meanwhile, Anderton escapes prison and confronts Burgess at a public event. Now, the founder of Precrime has a dilemma on his hands: killing Anderton will send him to prison, but not killing him will prove that the Precrime system is flawed.
The Ending of “Minority Report” Explained
The ending of “Minority Report” shows Burgess shooting himself. After his death, Precrime is shut down, and its prisoners are released. Just as Agatha predicted, Anderton and his estranged wife reconcile, and they conceive another child. Also, the precogs were sent to an isolated place where they can now live peacefully.
The biggest plot twist in “Minority Report” occurs when John Anderton finds out that Lamar Burgess, the founder of Precrime and his mentor, set him up and that he is the culprit behind Anne Lively’s disappearance.
What did Lamar Burgess do in “Minority Report”?
Since Burgess couldn’t afford to let Lively take away Agatha, he murdered her. However, he manipulated the Precrime system to cover his crime.
First, Lamar Burgess hired someone to murder Anne Lively. The Precrime unit arrived right before the murder happens, and they arrest the individual. Then Lamar showed up on the scene and lured Anne closer. He drowned the woman at a nearby lake, and ever since then, she became a “missing person”.
The reason why his crime went under the radar is because the Precrime technicians labelled the images as an “echo”, instead of a “vision”. Having said that, the supposed “echo” was actually a real “vision”, a new one.
What did Leo Crow do in “Minority Report”?
Leo Crow was not involved in Anne Lively’s murder, but his murder was part of the plan to frame John Anderton. Lamar Burgess paid Leo Crow to pretend to be Sean’s kidnapper because he knew it would trigger John Anderton to kill the man. The founder of Precrime wanted to imprison John to prevent him from finding out more about Anne Lively’s murder.
So what does the ending mean? The ending of “Minority” suggests that humans have free will and can change their destiny. John Anderson made a choice when he decided not to kill Crow. And Lamar Burgess also proved that his own system was flawed when he shot himself, sparing Anderton’s life.
Minority Report Analysis and Themes
The film “Minority Report” serves as a commentary on the themes of free will, determinism and justice. It challenges its viewers to debate whether it is ethical to arrest people for crimes they have not committed yet and whether the future is fixed or can be changed by human choice.
Lamar Burgess established “Precrime” with the best of intentions, but in the end, the founder himself became corrupted when he decided to manipulate the system for his own benefit. The failure of Precrime and Lamar’s actions highlight the dangers of relying on technology without human oversight or accountability, as well as the potential for corruption and abuse of power.
“Minority Report” is set in a world where people’s eyes serve as a form of identification. However, this futuristic society is far from perfect because it prioritizes security and convenience over privacy and individual freedom. In certain cases, such as Precrime, the system even violates the rights and dignity of the precogs, who are viewed and treated as tools instead of human beings.
Final Thoughts
“Minority Report” is a solid adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s short story. Sometimes the sci-fi genre might feel alienating to some viewers, but Steven Spielberg managed to create a captivating world. The stunning visual effects that stand the test of time will amaze even the most demanding audience.
The film invites its viewers to think about what free will and determinism mean. In “Minority Report”, visions don’t always have to turn into reality. The protagonist himself, John Anderton, proves that the future is not unchangeable, each individual still has a say in their own fate.
One could say that Steven Spielberg’s “Minority Report” has a happy ending. John Anderton overcame his grief over Sean and gave himself another shot at happiness. Also, the precogs were finally able to live a normal and peaceful life. So, the ending gives a rather hopeful message that when people overcome their past trauma, they’ll be able to find better days in their present and future.
Last but not least, Tom Cruise delivers an engaging performance as John Anderton. He perfectly portrayed the role of John Anderton, the chief of the Precrime unit, who is haunted by the memory of his son’s disappearance. The actor brought his charisma and intensity to the role, making the audience empathize with his struggles.
