The Manhattan project is essentially a teenage science fiction film that joins the likes of the other teen films from the 80's, dominated by John Hughes with films like Weird Science.
A high school student Paul Stephens, played by Christopher Collet, meets a scientist named John Mathewson (John Lithgow) who has moved to town and is working on a mysterious project at a medical facility. In an effort to garner a date with Paul's mom, Elizabeth, John invites the bright student Paul to come see the lasers at his place of work.
This field trip sets up a series of cascading events that lead to Paul, with the help of his girlfriend Jenny (who incidentally is played by Cynthia Nixon of Sex and the City fame), building an atomic bomb from plutonium he steals from the "medical" facility. His plan is to expose the pseudo-medical facility and the radiation exposure to the environment and potentially for weapon creation at the national science fair...which he is hoping to win.
I loved that the five leaf clovers were used as evidence to the plutonium's damage to the environment. Christopher Collet does an excellent job holding down the lead in this film...but the real scene stealer in John Lithgow as you might expect. His character begins as this bachelor scientist, who is just excited about science and his invention...to being supportive of a bright mind, to the devastating realization of the ramifications of his invention. It was great...and all done in corduroys!
I didn't see this film in the 80's and I am a huge John Hughes fan...so if you can only pick one teen film to watch from the 80's I would pick one of those (my preference leaning to Sixteen Candles...but I like them all), but if you have the time and like science or are a big environmentalist, or a big John Lithgow fan this might be the film for you.
I will say my bigger recommendation for John Lithgow is a teen driven film would be Footloose...so if you only see one, watch Footloose.
Terrible quote: " A man can still have a snack between meals"-roadside assistance operator.
A high school student Paul Stephens, played by Christopher Collet, meets a scientist named John Mathewson (John Lithgow) who has moved to town and is working on a mysterious project at a medical facility. In an effort to garner a date with Paul's mom, Elizabeth, John invites the bright student Paul to come see the lasers at his place of work.
This field trip sets up a series of cascading events that lead to Paul, with the help of his girlfriend Jenny (who incidentally is played by Cynthia Nixon of Sex and the City fame), building an atomic bomb from plutonium he steals from the "medical" facility. His plan is to expose the pseudo-medical facility and the radiation exposure to the environment and potentially for weapon creation at the national science fair...which he is hoping to win.
I loved that the five leaf clovers were used as evidence to the plutonium's damage to the environment. Christopher Collet does an excellent job holding down the lead in this film...but the real scene stealer in John Lithgow as you might expect. His character begins as this bachelor scientist, who is just excited about science and his invention...to being supportive of a bright mind, to the devastating realization of the ramifications of his invention. It was great...and all done in corduroys!
I didn't see this film in the 80's and I am a huge John Hughes fan...so if you can only pick one teen film to watch from the 80's I would pick one of those (my preference leaning to Sixteen Candles...but I like them all), but if you have the time and like science or are a big environmentalist, or a big John Lithgow fan this might be the film for you.
I will say my bigger recommendation for John Lithgow is a teen driven film would be Footloose...so if you only see one, watch Footloose.
Terrible quote: " A man can still have a snack between meals"-roadside assistance operator.