The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human

1999 film by Jeff Abugov

September 3, 1999 (1999-09-03)

Running time

88 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglishBox office$4,634 (US)^[1]

The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human is a 1999 American mockumentary directed and written by Jeff Abugov, and starring David Hyde Pierce, Carmen Electra, Lucy Liu, and Mackenzie Astin.

Premise

Hyde Pierce, acting out the role of an alien (credited as "infinity-cubed" in the opening credits), narrates a courtship in a late 20th-century American city, presenting findings and opinions as an extraterrestrial nature documentary. The relationship "footage" is played straight, while the voice-over (with its most often wildly inaccurate theories) and elaborate visual metaphors add comedy. Among other themes the film explores the possibility that, whenever describing their interpretations of other species' acts and feelings, humans may get everything wrong.

Plot

Billy, a shy young man looking for a date, meets the beautiful Jenny Smith at a nightclub. They enter a relationship where Billy is bashful to tell Jenny that he loves her due to fear of being "trapped", and both paramours receive advice from their respective friends. The couple engage in sexual encounters while using barrier devices; during these encounters Billy is unable to reveal to Jenny his affection.

Then, one year after their first meeting, Billy and Jenny decide to take a vacation, and (hastily) sleep together without condoms or diaphragms. Soon after, Jenny discovers that she is pregnant, and argues with Billy, who accuses her of trapping him into marriage. The couple take bad consultations from their coworkers. Eventually, Jenny decides to go to a clinic to abort her unwanted child. Billy comes to his senses and stops her from doing so, resulting in the two confessing their love for one another.

The film ends with Billy and Jenny getting happily married and celebrating the birth of their child.

Cast

David Hyde Pierce as Narrator (voice)
Mackenzie Astin as The Male (Billy Waterson)
Carmen Electra as The Female (Jenny Smith)
Markus Redmond as The Male's Friend
Lucy Liu as The Female's Friend (Lydia)
Lisa Rotondi as The Female's Slutty Friend (Ian Calder)
Sharon Wyatt as The Male's Mother
Jack Kehler as The Male's Father
Leo Rossi as The Female's Father
Antonette Saftler as The Female's Mother
Marc Blucas as The Female's Ex-Boyfriend
Anne Gee Byrd as The Female's Boss
Eric Kushnick as The Female's Brother
Linda Porter as The Wise Old Woman
Tyler Abugov as The Female's Fantasy Son

Reception

On film review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, critics gave the movie a 33% approval rating. However, it was well received by its audience, which gave it a score of over 70%.