The basic premise is one we all wish for at some point or another. Doug K (Michael Keaton) makes clones of himself - one to go to work, and one to help around the house, so he can go off and enjoy himself. Its a great thought, imagine finally have enough of yourself to go around.

For the first half of the movie, the plot is adequate and the physical humor is satisfying. After about mid way, however, the story starts to lose its appeal, as both audience and Doug realize that this is a dream that cannot cope with reality. Or can it?

I couldn't help but draw some interesting comparisons between Doug's clones, and the roles society forces onto the modern woman. Doug's first clone took over his work as a builder - he was the macho one. Ruthless, butch and without grace, No 1 was the stereotypical male. He is the one women try to emulate when they enter the work force. Emotion is not appropriate.

Clone No 2 was designed to help out around the house. He was very effeminate and finicky - the typical house wife type. When clone 1 and clone 2 live together, they are the Odd Couple all over again. Trouble starts when Clone 1 decides to clone himself, and the copy of the copy is less than good. Oops.

So what this movie really says, is that in everyone there is the masculine and the feminine side and the error side. Michael Keaton divides them up and allots them each a role. But isn't this just what women have been doing for the last several decades? Women have to be tough and ruthless - ready to make it in a man's world. At the same time they have to race home and don the nurturing cap - as Doug says, that's why they have breasts. Maybe Multiplicity can be grouped with all those movies that secretly pay homage to women, accepting that men can never be their equal. When men try to play more than one role in their life, they are torn apart. Women do it as a matter of course.

Doug didn't need a clone - he just needed a sex change, then he could do it all with ease.