Search/Recent Changes
DBTropes
...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!

The Man from Earth

 The Man from Earth
type
TVTItem
 The Man from Earth
label
The Man from Earth
 The Man from Earth
page
TheManFromEarth
 The Man from Earth
comment
The Man from Earth is a 2007 dialogue-driven Science Fiction Drama film about a group of college professors and a grad student sitting together in a cabin during the going-away party of their colleague. They discuss the plausibility of their departing friend's story: that he has witnessed thousands of years of human progress first-hand since the Cro-Magnon Era.The professor, who calls himself John Oldman, reveals that he's secretly 14,000 years old and a former caveman. The movie revolves around the characters dissecting John's claims about him being that old, and especially historical happenings he claims to have witnessed and people he claims to have met or even been. To make it all the more interesting, every character is a teacher at a certain subject that sooner or later is relevant or brought up (there's an archaeologist, a psychologist, a biologist, historian and a Christian theologian/literalist), and everyone deals with each new part of the story from John in different ways.The film proved surprisingly popular on torrent sites, helping it receive more attention than an indie film of its budget normally would, which caused director Richard Schenkman no small amount of glee. As a result of its popularity, it received a sequel called The Man from Earth: Holocene, which was released directly to torrent sites for legal download in 2017.Not to be confused with The Man Who Fell to Earth or The Last Man on Earth.
 The Man from Earth
fetched
2024-04-23T09:31:28Z
 The Man from Earth
parsed
2024-04-23T09:31:28Z
 The Man from Earth
processingComment
Dropped link to ConversedTrope: Not a Feature - UNKNOWN
 The Man from Earth
processingComment
Dropped link to EndOfAnEra: Not a Feature - UNKNOWN
 The Man from Earth
processingComment
Dropped link to StarTrek: Not a Feature - ITEM
 The Man from Earth
processingComment
Dropped link to TheTimeMachine: Not a Feature - ITEM
 The Man from Earth
processingUnknown
ConversedTrope
 The Man from Earth
processingUnknown
EndOfAnEra
 The Man from Earth
isPartOf
DBTropes
 The Man from Earth / int_1869b4b1
type
Unreliable Narrator
 The Man from Earth / int_1869b4b1
comment
Unreliable Narrator: John starts out with the disclaimer that he is just pitching this for a science fiction novel. The group slowly learns to trust him, then all suspension of disbelief is shattered when he's pushed into revealing it was a hoax. In the end, though, John's story is confirmed.
 The Man from Earth / int_1869b4b1
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_1869b4b1
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_1869b4b1
 The Man from Earth / int_193e7e99
type
Contemporary Caveman
 The Man from Earth / int_193e7e99
comment
Contemporary Caveman: Subverted, as he blends in perfectly, out of necessity. He's lived through all the advances of society and technology and assimilates as they change.
 The Man from Earth / int_193e7e99
featureApplicability
-0.3
 The Man from Earth / int_193e7e99
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_193e7e99
 The Man from Earth / int_1beef720
type
Living Forever Is Awesome
 The Man from Earth / int_1beef720
comment
Living Forever Is Awesome: John may get bored on occasion or regret losing people, but he seems content with life and has no interest in death.
 The Man from Earth / int_1beef720
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_1beef720
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_1beef720
 The Man from Earth / int_1df7bbc0
type
Actually Not a Vampire
 The Man from Earth / int_1df7bbc0
comment
Actually Not a Vampire: When John stopped aging, his tribe began to believe he was stealing their life-force, thus necessitating his need to move on every ten years to avoid arousing suspicion and hostility. Harry jokingly theorizes that John may have been the pre-historic origin of the vampire myth.
 The Man from Earth / int_1df7bbc0
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_1df7bbc0
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_1df7bbc0
 The Man from Earth / int_24cf8a0e
type
Speech-Centric Work
 The Man from Earth / int_24cf8a0e
comment
Speech-Centric Work: The entire movie is a group of professors and a student, sitting in a wooden cabin, discussing their colleague's claim to be an immortal, 14,000-year-old caveman.
 The Man from Earth / int_24cf8a0e
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_24cf8a0e
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_24cf8a0e
 The Man from Earth / int_281de59f
type
Extremely Short Timespan
 The Man from Earth / int_281de59f
comment
Extremely Short Timespan: The entire movie takes place over the course of one afternoon. Ironic given the subject matter.
 The Man from Earth / int_281de59f
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_281de59f
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_281de59f
 The Man from Earth / int_297ab1b9
type
Parental Abandonment
 The Man from Earth / int_297ab1b9
comment
Parental Abandonment: Discussed by the psychologist Gruber as a possible cause of emptiness in John's life. The end of the movie reveals that John himself was forced to leave a young Gruber and his mother.
 The Man from Earth / int_297ab1b9
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_297ab1b9
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_297ab1b9
 The Man from Earth / int_2af6bbeb
type
Break the Haughty
 The Man from Earth / int_2af6bbeb
comment
Break the Haughty: Edith is one of the most snide and dismissive of John, but practically suffers a breakdown at the claims that John is Jesus, but it was all a misunderstanding and it shatters her worldview.
 The Man from Earth / int_2af6bbeb
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_2af6bbeb
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_2af6bbeb
 The Man from Earth / int_2b1d7c0a
type
The Drifter
 The Man from Earth / int_2b1d7c0a
comment
The Drifter: John says he moves on every ten years when people start to notice that he doesn't appear to age.
 The Man from Earth / int_2b1d7c0a
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_2b1d7c0a
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_2b1d7c0a
 The Man from Earth / int_2d407620
type
Undead Tax Exemption
 The Man from Earth / int_2d407620
comment
Undead Tax Exemption: Averted. When villages and city-states emerged, moving around became more difficult. He spent a year incarcerated in Belgium for forging government documents.
 The Man from Earth / int_2d407620
featureApplicability
-1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_2d407620
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_2d407620
 The Man from Earth / int_3322dd48
type
Hollywood Law
 The Man from Earth / int_3322dd48
comment
Hollywood Law: Will repeatedly threatens to have John involuntarily committed for a psychiatric evaluation if he doesn't admit he's making the whole story up. He'd have a lot of trouble convincing a judge to sign an order for involuntary commitment based on being told a story he doesn't like. John hasn't threatened anyone, committed any acts of violence, displayed any symptoms of mental illness, he isn't Will's patient, and Will doesn't have any valid reason for having John committed. All John would have to do is look at the judge and say it was just a story, and it probably wouldn't even get to that point. Basically, Will was either bluffing to try to force John to say something (likely counting on John not knowing the law well enough to call his bluff), or is being an asshole.
 The Man from Earth / int_3322dd48
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_3322dd48
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_3322dd48
 The Man from Earth / int_38b2491d
type
The Fog of Ages
 The Man from Earth / int_38b2491d
comment
The Fog of Ages: John remembers "the ups and downs and traumas" and has forgotten most of his ancient life, including his native language (with one exception). He also mentions that he uses archaeology to try to understand aspects of his life that he's forgotten over time or to clarify why certain events he was a witness to happened as they did.
 The Man from Earth / int_38b2491d
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_38b2491d
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_38b2491d
 The Man from Earth / int_392372f9
type
Actor Allusion
 The Man from Earth / int_392372f9
comment
Actor Allusion: The phrase "believe it or not" appears more than once, referencing the theme song to "The Greatest American Hero", the tv show where Art's actor William Katt was the lead.
 The Man from Earth / int_392372f9
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_392372f9
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_392372f9
 The Man from Earth / int_3b16449
type
Plot Tumor
 The Man from Earth / int_3b16449
comment
Plot Tumor: Once religion comes into the discussion all the other aspects of how John has lived so long, his experiences, etc., get crowded out of the plot. This is Lampshaded by John himself who tries to stop the conversation, saying he didn't want it to go in that direction.
 The Man from Earth / int_3b16449
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_3b16449
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_3b16449
 The Man from Earth / int_3c02aa69
type
Born-Again Immortality
 The Man from Earth / int_3c02aa69
comment
Born-Again Immortality: Harry speculates about this; however John claims he is The Ageless.
 The Man from Earth / int_3c02aa69
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_3c02aa69
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_3c02aa69
 The Man from Earth / int_3ea7916d
type
Immortality Immorality
 The Man from Earth / int_3ea7916d
comment
Immortality Immorality: Discussed, and averted. John was taught directly by the Buddha, who sensed something special about him, and later John brought the Buddha's teachings to Israel, where it was warped into what is now the New Testament. John reports being very disappointed with how nobody in modern times applies the main lesson.
 The Man from Earth / int_3ea7916d
featureApplicability
-1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_3ea7916d
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_3ea7916d
 The Man from Earth / int_3ed23024
type
Surprisingly Realistic Outcome
 The Man from Earth / int_3ed23024
comment
Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: When asked where he was originally from, John says he doesn't really know and points out that few people even remember their own (comparatively) recent childhood, and that back then there were no maps or borders, and 14,000 years is plenty of time for rivers and landmarks to change drastically. When questioned about mastering every possible skill and knowledge field, John reveals that while he has more degrees than most people could realistically attain in a lifetime, they are all rendered moot due to the passage of time, as science and development march on and he can't keep up with the advances in all the different fields he has studied at one point or another. In addition, John is a man with normal intelligence and abilities so there's only a finite amount of things he can remember, and thus he has forgotten a large part of his own past. In most stories with an ancient immortal, or really any immortal, the immortal character will have been present at all sorts of historical events and have known a plethora of famous people. While John was present at a few major historical moments and met a few people who are still well known today, he realistically couldn't be present at all of them as he was just one man in one place at one time. He didn't magically teleport to every major point in history or meet every famous historical figure.
 The Man from Earth / int_3ed23024
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_3ed23024
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_3ed23024
 The Man from Earth / int_5424d12d
type
Life of the Party
 The Man from Earth / int_5424d12d
comment
Life of the Party: Harry is a lively, somewhat goofy young-at-heart professor whose initially encouraging the others to have fun and occasionally interjects jokes and wisecracks into John's story.
 The Man from Earth / int_5424d12d
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_5424d12d
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_5424d12d
 The Man from Earth / int_5c5ac0e2
type
Really 700 Years Old
 The Man from Earth / int_5c5ac0e2
comment
Really 700 Years Old: John never physically aged beyond around 35, but he's been alive for roughly 14,000 years.
 The Man from Earth / int_5c5ac0e2
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_5c5ac0e2
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_5c5ac0e2
 The Man from Earth / int_5d1cdda9
type
God Test
 The Man from Earth / int_5d1cdda9
comment
God Test: Most of the story is built upon his friends' attempts to give him one of these, which he explains that he cannot (or simply will not) do. Then he tells them that the whole story was only a story, and they go on their way. He accidentally reveals himself to be Gruber's father at the end, thereby completing the God Test only for Gruber and Sandy, nearby. Dan's belief is unknown, but he is last shown in a contemplative mood, after an ambulance speeds past him towards the house. Though they miss one possibility in that John claims to have slowed his body functions to appear dead when he was crucified. They could have asked he demonstrate this. John refuses to go to Harry's lab for good reason, but there's no obvious danger in him demonstrating this.
 The Man from Earth / int_5d1cdda9
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_5d1cdda9
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_5d1cdda9
 The Man from Earth / int_62907b90
type
Bottle Episode
 The Man from Earth / int_62907b90
comment
Bottle Episode: The entire movie takes place in and around John’s cabin.
 The Man from Earth / int_62907b90
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_62907b90
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_62907b90
 The Man from Earth / int_6d7026fa
type
Punny Name
 The Man from Earth / int_6d7026fa
comment
Punny Name: John Oldman. Lampshaded. It's not the only Punny Name John has given himself, either. He's been John Paley (as in Paleolithic era), John Savage, and when he was working at Boston University, he was John T. Partee. Which is the name he had when he was Gruber's father.
 The Man from Earth / int_6d7026fa
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_6d7026fa
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_6d7026fa
 The Man from Earth / int_6d892421
type
Teacher/Student Romance
 The Man from Earth / int_6d892421
comment
Teacher/Student Romance: Art comes to the meeting with a student named Linda, and while they're not explicitly said to be a couple, it is strongly implied and they definitely give off a non-Platonic vibe.
 The Man from Earth / int_6d892421
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_6d892421
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_6d892421
 The Man from Earth / int_78d103c3
type
Exposition of Immortality
 The Man from Earth / int_78d103c3
comment
Exposition of Immortality: This film is essentially, entirely about this trope. It consists of an immortal character telling people all about the things he's done, seen, and experienced down the ages and their reactions to it. Oldman even lampshades this with his comment about people hanging onto objects from thousands of years ago being "absurd."
 The Man from Earth / int_78d103c3
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_78d103c3
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_78d103c3
 The Man from Earth / int_796fa10c
type
The Ageless
 The Man from Earth / int_796fa10c
comment
The Ageless: John is not immune to illness, but since he survived so long and recovered from any injury (he doesn't scar) and illness, he seems to be truly ageless.
 The Man from Earth / int_796fa10c
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_796fa10c
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_796fa10c
 The Man from Earth / int_79b5677
type
Belief Makes You Stupid
 The Man from Earth / int_79b5677
comment
Belief Makes You Stupid: Edith the art professor is a devoutly religious woman who constantly objects to anyone saying something contrary to her beliefs. She's remarkably unable to mount any real defense of Christianity or explain any of its tenets, even when John claims that it's just repackaged Buddhism.
 The Man from Earth / int_79b5677
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_79b5677
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_79b5677
 The Man from Earth / int_7d152a2d
type
Agent Mulder
 The Man from Earth / int_7d152a2d
comment
Agent Mulder: Dan, the anthropologist, is the first one of the professors ready to accept John's story, mostly because there's no way to prove nor disprove it and he's all ready for a thought experiment. Later, he grows even more enthusiastic. Needless to say, he's pretty pissed off when John "reveals" he was just making things up.
 The Man from Earth / int_7d152a2d
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_7d152a2d
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_7d152a2d
 The Man from Earth / int_83a55c8e
type
Napoleon Delusion
 The Man from Earth / int_83a55c8e
comment
Napoleon Delusion: Gruber compares John's belief he is immortal to this trope.
 The Man from Earth / int_83a55c8e
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_83a55c8e
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_83a55c8e
 The Man from Earth / int_86e2d67b
type
Compound-Interest Time Travel Gambit
 The Man from Earth / int_86e2d67b
comment
Compound-Interest Time Travel Gambit: When John says he has money saved, Harry jokingly asks if he got it thanks to this trope.
 The Man from Earth / int_86e2d67b
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_86e2d67b
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_86e2d67b
 The Man from Earth / int_8d042d3e
type
Abstract Eater
 The Man from Earth / int_8d042d3e
comment
Abstract Eater: The possibility of it is discussed. John mentions that when he stopped aging his tribe came to believe that he was “stealing� their lives and soon chased him out.
 The Man from Earth / int_8d042d3e
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_8d042d3e
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_8d042d3e
 The Man from Earth / int_91b5521d
type
Complete Immortality
 The Man from Earth / int_91b5521d
comment
Complete Immortality: The others start to believe that this is what John is claiming to be, especially after he tells them that he doesn't scar, but he then clarifies that he has never claimed to be immortal, just long-lived and acknowledges that he very well could die since he obviously doesn't know the source of his condition.
 The Man from Earth / int_91b5521d
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_91b5521d
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_91b5521d
 The Man from Earth / int_95c2a9dd
type
Outliving One's Offspring
 The Man from Earth / int_95c2a9dd
comment
Outliving One's Offspring: Gruber turns out to be John's son from decades past, and dies of a heart attack at the shock of it. It's implied that this has happened before in John's past since his children don't share in this immortality. Why he keeps having children if he'll just abandon them to avoid being discovered and then outlive them is anyone's guess. It seems hugely traumatic on them all.
 The Man from Earth / int_95c2a9dd
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_95c2a9dd
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_95c2a9dd
 The Man from Earth / int_98a63dc6
type
Time Abyss
 The Man from Earth / int_98a63dc6
comment
Time Abyss: Early in the film John claims to be a 14,000-year-old caveman, and most of the rest of the story consists of the people he said that to trying to prove whether it's true or not. His story is true, although the audience only gets the proof after most of the other characters have left.
 The Man from Earth / int_98a63dc6
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_98a63dc6
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_98a63dc6
 The Man from Earth / int_99244825
type
Screen-to-Stage Adaptation
 The Man from Earth / int_99244825
comment
Screen-to-Stage Adaptation: Director Richard Shenkman adapted Jerome Bixby's screenplay into a stage play in 2008, which is fairly popular among regional theatre companies.
 The Man from Earth / int_99244825
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_99244825
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_99244825
 The Man from Earth / int_9a1d239e
type
Been There, Shaped History
 The Man from Earth / int_9a1d239e
comment
Been There, Shaped History: John was Jesus, even though it's all pretty much a big misunderstanding. He also mentions that he knew the caveman that drew the cave paintings at Les Eyzies, discussed capturing nature in art with Van Gogh, studied under the Buddha until his death, and claims to have had the opportunity to sail with Christopher Columbus. But John also mentions that aside from those, it'd be incredibly difficult for him to know many historical people, as he is just one man in one place at any given time.
 The Man from Earth / int_9a1d239e
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_9a1d239e
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_9a1d239e
 The Man from Earth / int_9cc1e9ec
type
Unwanted False Faith
 The Man from Earth / int_9cc1e9ec
comment
Unwanted False Faith: John didn't intend to be seen as a miracle man, born of a virgin, the son of God. Various legends were falsely attributed to him, as was the tendency of the time. Even more so in the sequel. When four students discover that John (who is now living under the name surname Young) is immortal, they believe that he is Jesus and want him to preach “The Word�, despite John explaining that he is neither the son of god nor is he looking to be worshipped.
 The Man from Earth / int_9cc1e9ec
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_9cc1e9ec
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_9cc1e9ec
 The Man from Earth / int_9d12bbc1
type
Foreshadowing
 The Man from Earth / int_9d12bbc1
comment
Foreshadowing: Gruber repeatedly remarks about his old age and how cold he felt. Altogether with the revelation that his wife had just recently passed on, this is a hint to the audience that he too will pass on. Gruber also mentions that he barely remembers his own father after John denies remembering his. At one point the others muse about the possibility that one of them could be John's direct descendant. John reminds Gruber he has a heart condition, but in the same tone a parent might tell their kid to not do something. Gruber asks John if he'll be at his funeral. John does exactly that.
 The Man from Earth / int_9d12bbc1
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_9d12bbc1
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_9d12bbc1
 The Man from Earth / int_9d6427ec
type
Time Travel
 The Man from Earth / int_9d6427ec
comment
Time Travel: John has been alive 14,000 years and has lived through every period of human history. So technically he has traveled through time from the Cro-Magnon Era to the 21st century, he just had to do it the old-fashioned way. This is even lampshaded by Dan who says that John is a man who lives outside of time as we currently understand it.
 The Man from Earth / int_9d6427ec
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_9d6427ec
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_9d6427ec
 The Man from Earth / int_9f63d4f1
type
Our Vampires Are Different
 The Man from Earth / int_9f63d4f1
comment
Our Vampires Are Different: It is discussed and speculated that John may be the prehistoric origin of the vampire myth.
 The Man from Earth / int_9f63d4f1
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_9f63d4f1
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_9f63d4f1
 The Man from Earth / int_a05dd4ba
type
Inconspicuous Immortal
 The Man from Earth / int_a05dd4ba
comment
Inconspicuous Immortal: John began life as a simple hunter-gatherer in the upper Paleolithic and has preferred to remain under the radar ever since, taking relatively unspectacular jobs, avoiding fame, and vanishing into the undergrowth whenever his inability to age becomes impossible to ignore. His latest career is that of a simple college professor, and even as apparently the youngest man on the faculty, he prefers to let his more flamboyant colleagues take the spotlight. As such, the drama kicks off when, just before leaving his current life, he decides to confess everything to them. He also reluctantly admits that the one time he became famous was when he tried to bring Buddhism to the Middle East and accidentally became Jesus in the process. As far as he's concerned, that didn't end well.
 The Man from Earth / int_a05dd4ba
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_a05dd4ba
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_a05dd4ba
 The Man from Earth / int_a52d709a
type
Fire of Comfort
 The Man from Earth / int_a52d709a
comment
Fire of Comfort: John has one in his cabin, he says that it provides a feeling of security from his time as a caveman.
 The Man from Earth / int_a52d709a
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_a52d709a
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_a52d709a
 The Man from Earth / int_a6a6de9a
type
Humble Hero
 The Man from Earth / int_a6a6de9a
comment
Humble Hero: Despite being immortal John doesn’t think he is superior to other humans, is mild-mannered, happy to laugh at himself and make self-deprecating jokes, and isn’t comfortable with the idea of being worshiped.
 The Man from Earth / int_a6a6de9a
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_a6a6de9a
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_a6a6de9a
 The Man from Earth / int_b032e4ed
type
Ms. Fanservice
 The Man from Earth / int_b032e4ed
comment
Ms. Fanservice: Both Linda and Sandy might apply. However they do both contribute to the discussion and are more than just eye candy.
 The Man from Earth / int_b032e4ed
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_b032e4ed
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_b032e4ed
 The Man from Earth / int_b1efb7a7
type
Mayfly–December Romance
 The Man from Earth / int_b1efb7a7
comment
Mayfly–December Romance: Discussed. John tells Sandy that he feels fondness and attraction to her, but he's gotten over love too many times. He could only promise 10 years, his habitual "moving on" time-frame. He moved on from Gruber's mother 60 years ago, who maintained that John abandoned them.
 The Man from Earth / int_b1efb7a7
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_b1efb7a7
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_b1efb7a7
 The Man from Earth / int_b51a2dd8
type
Demythification
 The Man from Earth / int_b51a2dd8
comment
Demythification: While the movie has one possibly supernatural element on which the whole story is based, the way it explains the myth of Jesus is quite realistic. John's immortality is given a highly speculative natural explanation. The characters themselves discuss whether it would be scientifically plausible for a man to stop aging and live indefinitely. They conclude that it's theoretically possible, if highly unlikely.
 The Man from Earth / int_b51a2dd8
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_b51a2dd8
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_b51a2dd8
 The Man from Earth / int_b593baf1
type
Author Filibuster
 The Man from Earth / int_b593baf1
comment
Author Filibuster: John lapses into his thoughts on religion in a monologue what can only be interpreted as the author explaining his own beliefs. John describes the Old Testament as full of fear and hatred, while the New Testament is full of love and peace, though it's been warped over the years by centuries of mythology and superstition. John speaks very highly of Buddhism and explains that everything that's good in Christianity is just Buddhism.
 The Man from Earth / int_b593baf1
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_b593baf1
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_b593baf1
 The Man from Earth / int_b72ae7
type
Omnidisciplinary Scientist
 The Man from Earth / int_b72ae7
comment
Omnidisciplinary Scientist: Mostly averted. In his long lifetime, John has acquired ten advanced degrees, but he's still just a person of normal intelligence and abilities. He can't realistically keep up with the advances in that many fields, so his old degrees don't mean very much now.
 The Man from Earth / int_b72ae7
featureApplicability
-1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_b72ae7
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_b72ae7
 The Man from Earth / int_bcbf7aef
type
Plucky Comic Relief
 The Man from Earth / int_bcbf7aef
comment
Plucky Comic Relief: Harry, the most cheerful of the group, who is constantly making quippy remarks and jokes even while he shows open-mindedness and considers John's story.
 The Man from Earth / int_bcbf7aef
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_bcbf7aef
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_bcbf7aef
 The Man from Earth / int_c3743565
type
Time Dissonance
 The Man from Earth / int_c3743565
comment
Time Dissonance: When Gruber asks John what time means to him John describes the meeting of people as like ripples in a wheat field blown by the wind.
 The Man from Earth / int_c3743565
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_c3743565
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_c3743565
 The Man from Earth / int_c555059a
type
There Is Another
 The Man from Earth / int_c555059a
comment
There Is Another: John thinks that he might have met another person who was immortal although he couldn’t know for sure at the time. John connected with him for a while in the 16th Century, and believes he might have seen the other immortal in a train station in Brussels two hundred years later, but lost him in a crowd.
 The Man from Earth / int_c555059a
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_c555059a
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_c555059a
 The Man from Earth / int_c633ea76
type
Campfire Character Exploration
 The Man from Earth / int_c633ea76
comment
Campfire Character Exploration: This is essentially the second half of the movie, John continues telling his story and answering everyone’s questions while they are gathered around his fireplace.
 The Man from Earth / int_c633ea76
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_c633ea76
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_c633ea76
 The Man from Earth / int_c75df49a
type
Shout-Out
 The Man from Earth / int_c75df49a
comment
Shout-Out: The whole film strongly resembles the conversation from H. G. Wells' The Time Machine. It's quite fitting. When Harry suggests John take lab tests: Dan saying he's going home to watch some Star Trek to restore his sanity is a reference either to actor Tony Todd's frequent roles on the show, and/or writer Jerome Bixby's writing of several well-regarded episodes, including "Requiem for Methuselah," which was about an immortal human. John Billingsley's co-starring role on Star Trek: Enterprise might also be relevant. The actor Richard Riehle likewise appeared on a couple of Voyager episodes. David Lee Smith, John himself, appeared on a Voyager episode.
 The Man from Earth / int_c75df49a
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_c75df49a
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_c75df49a
 The Man from Earth / int_c83a589c
type
Luke, I Am Your Father
 The Man from Earth / int_c83a589c
comment
Luke, I Am Your Father: John offhandedly mentions the surname he was using 60+ years ago in front of Gruber, who recognizes it as his father's surname. John then confirms Gruber's mother's name and the name of the dog Gruber had during childhood.
 The Man from Earth / int_c83a589c
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_c83a589c
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_c83a589c
 The Man from Earth / int_cb70651c
type
Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane
 The Man from Earth / int_cb70651c
comment
Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: The characters speculate different theories to explain how John could be immortal from the supernatural to science-fiction, but no explanation is ever settled on. The closest to an accepted explanation is Will’s theory that an immortal human would have a quirk in their biology that allows for perfect regeneration of the body's cells, which would explain why John doesn’t have any scars.
 The Man from Earth / int_cb70651c
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_cb70651c
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_cb70651c
 The Man from Earth / int_cd7ef676
type
Seen It All
 The Man from Earth / int_cd7ef676
comment
Seen It All: In a limited sense. Being in only one place at any given time and having to keep a small identity means John couldn't meet too many historical figures. But he did meet Van Gogh, Beethoven, Columbus, the Buddha, and some others, and survived through the Black Plague. He was also the inspiration for Jesus.
 The Man from Earth / int_cd7ef676
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_cd7ef676
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_cd7ef676
 The Man from Earth / int_d0c563ad
type
Religion Is Wrong
 The Man from Earth / int_d0c563ad
comment
Religion Is Wrong: John explains how he tried to teach the Buddha’s teachings in a modern form during the time of the Roman Empire and his teachings were twisted by the church in order to control people (with some fairytales mixed in). This gets an angered response from Edith who is a Christian literalist.
 The Man from Earth / int_d0c563ad
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_d0c563ad
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_d0c563ad
 The Man from Earth / int_d5d976dd
type
I Have Many Names
 The Man from Earth / int_d5d976dd
comment
I Have Many Names: John naturally varied his name throughout history. Still, it's often been something similar to John. A lot of the surnames he has used were punny names.
 The Man from Earth / int_d5d976dd
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_d5d976dd
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_d5d976dd
 The Man from Earth / int_d92f1f2f
type
Immortal Genius
 The Man from Earth / int_d92f1f2f
comment
Immortal Genius: Subverted: John Oldman has lived for over twelve thousand years and spent a good deal of that time learning as much about the world as he could, even earning ten doctorates. However, he realistically can't keep up with the latest developments in every single possible field, especially since he has to move on every few years so that nobody notices that he doesn't age, and as such most of his degrees are out of date by now. Plus, his mind isn't any different from that of an ordinary human, so he can't remember literally everything he's experienced, only the highs and lows - he mentions at one point that he studied archeology/anthropology in part to fill in the blanks of his knowledge or help him better understand some events that happened around him.
 The Man from Earth / int_d92f1f2f
featureApplicability
-0.3
 The Man from Earth / int_d92f1f2f
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_d92f1f2f
 The Man from Earth / int_da12bcfb
type
You Can't Go Home Again
 The Man from Earth / int_da12bcfb
comment
You Can't Go Home Again: Early in the movie, Linda tells John she doesn't understand why he can't remember where he's from. He asks her about where she lived when she was a child and if it would be the same if she went back there today: she answered it would be all different and built up.
 The Man from Earth / int_da12bcfb
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_da12bcfb
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_da12bcfb
 The Man from Earth / int_dfe57573
type
Historical In-Joke
 The Man from Earth / int_dfe57573
comment
Historical In-Joke: John's story about being Jesus but it all being a misunderstanding fits in with an idea that's popped up several times across history. Thomas Jefferson, for instance, famously did a Fan Edit of the Gospels removing the supernatural elements and isolating the teachings he thought were from the real man.
 The Man from Earth / int_dfe57573
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_dfe57573
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_dfe57573
 The Man from Earth / int_e8967758
type
No Such Thing as Wizard Jesus
 The Man from Earth / int_e8967758
comment
No Such Thing as Wizard Jesus: Averted, sort of. John was Jesus, but he was actually just a normal preacher (of Buddhism) and has no miraculous powers beyond not aging, and being able to survive crucifixion by playing dead until everyone left.
 The Man from Earth / int_e8967758
featureApplicability
-1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_e8967758
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_e8967758
 The Man from Earth / int_ec7da60a
type
Beethoven Was an Alien Spy
 The Man from Earth / int_ec7da60a
comment
Beethoven Was an Alien Spy: Played straight and inverted. John, a (at the time) 12,000 year-old man was Jesus. However, all he was doing was spreading the teachings of the Buddha, under whom he had studied 500 years earlier.
 The Man from Earth / int_ec7da60a
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_ec7da60a
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_ec7da60a
 The Man from Earth / int_name
type
ItemName
 The Man from Earth / int_name
comment
 The Man from Earth / int_name
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Man from Earth / int_name
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Man from Earth / int_name
 The Man from Earth / int_name
itemName
The Man from Earth

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
Artistic License – Religion / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
Author Filibuster / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
Been There, Shaped History / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
Beethoven Was an Alien Spy / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
Bottle Episode / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
Building of Adventure / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
Contemporary Caveman / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
Demythification / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
Demythtification / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
Digital Piracy Is Okay / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
Exposition of Immortality / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
God Test / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
Healing Factor / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
Immortal Genius / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
Immortal Procreation Clause / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
Immortality Begins at Twenty / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
Immortality Immorality / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
Immortality Works / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
In the Past, Everyone Will Be Famous / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
Inconspicuous Immortal / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
Julius Beethoven da Vinci / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
Life Drinker / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
Living Forever Is Awesome / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
Living Relic / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
Mayfly–December Romance / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
Minimalist Cast / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
Mutant Media / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
My Grandson, Myself / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
No Such Thing as Wizard Jesus / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
Omnidisciplinary Scientist / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
Plot Tumor / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
Public Domain Soundtrack / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
Real Time / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
Screen-to-Stage Adaptation / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
Special Person, Normal Name / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
Speech-Centric Work / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Drifter / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
The Fog of Ages / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
Time Dissonance / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
Undead Tax Exemption / int_d9909edd
 The Man from Earth
hasFeature
Flying Dutchman / int_d9909edd