How To Play The Organ?

In the movie Minority Report, how does the prison guard play the organ when he didn't have the use of his legs?

• He clearly had pedal stops selected on the console. Also, the sounds coming from the Organ didn't match the registration (i.e., set of selected stops) on the console. And finally, the console was an Allen Organ electronic organ console, specifically the "George Wright Model 319". Why were there those pipes? And why is he playing baroque music (specifically Bach's Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring") on a Theatre Organ? In this video, for example, you can see it being played on a proper Organ and you can see the footwork needed: It's very hard for me to suspend my disbelief when I see things like this, so I'd rather there be a consistent explanation.

• Answer:

  First, it's a movie. Second, most organs can couple one or more of the manuals to the pedals or vice versa, so you can play organ stops with your hands. Third, many theatre organs have complete unification, rather than separate divisions, so any desired sound can be played on any manual. A semi-consistent explanation could be that he is an organ building enthusiast with nothing to do all day except watch frozen people. As such he may well extend an electronic organ with actual pipes salvaged from one of the many defunct pipe organs around the place, especially in the future. I think the music is mostly atmospheric, though the particular hymn carries some pretty strong imagery and ideas. The whole movie is concerned with predicting crime and preventing it. The prisoners desire their freedom, and the producers critique the concept of an omniscient, omnipotent deity who does not prevent crime. Perhaps the guard stands in for god in this respect. Last, theatre organs are versatile instruments. While they are not usually used to play baroque repertoire, especially during the hysteria of so-called authentic performance, the larger ones are more than capable of doing so.