Real Genius (1985)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Martha Coolidge

Writers:

Neal Israel (screenplay)
Neal Israel (story)

Release Date:

7 August 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Who ELSE can turn lasers into light shows, aircraft into armchairs, and high-tech into hijinks?

Plot:

Teenage geniuses deal with their abilities while developing a laser.

Plot Keywords:

Laser | Weapon | Professor | Student | Military

Awards:

2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Val Kilmer	...	Chris Knight
Gabriel Jarret	...	Mitch Taylor (as Gabe Jarret)
Michelle Meyrink	...	Jordan Cochran
William Atherton	...	Prof. Jerry Hathaway
Jon Gries	...	Lazlo Hollyfeld (as Jonathan Gries)
Patti D'Arbanville	...	Sherry Nugil
Stacy Peralta	...	Shuttle Pilot
Daniel Ades	...	Laser Ray Victim
Andres Aybar	...	Bartender
Louis Giambalvo	...	Maj. Carnagle
Ed Lauter	...	David Decker
Charles Shull	...	Air Force General
Beau Billingslea	...	George
Charles Parks	...	Larry
Sean Frye	...	Boy at Science Fair

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Iceland:L | Australia:PG | New Zealand:PG | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Crystal Springs Ranch, Canyon Country, California, USA

Company:

Delphi III Productions

Trivia:

When Hollyfeld sends in a large number of entries to the Frito-Lay contest, he is mirroring the actions of Caltech students Steve Klein, Dave Novikoff and Barry Megdal, who, in 1974, used a similar strategy to win a McDonald's sweepstakes. Their entries came to roughly 1/5th of the total entries and won them a station wagon, $3,000 and $1,500 in food gift certificates.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: When Jordan brings Chris and Mitch the fake IDs to get into the military base she first gives the wrong one to each of them, then switches as Chris Knight (Val Kilmer) is looking at his he flips it over to another picture of him, but the name on the top is that of Mitch Taylor (Gabriel Jarret). Jordan gave them the wrong badges because she accidentally mixed up which picture went on which badge.

Quotes:

Bodie: Well, I guess it goes from God, to Jerry to you to the cleaners. Right, Kent?

Movie Connections:

References "The Mighty Mouse Playhouse" (1955)

Soundtrack:

You Took Advantage of Me

Jiffy Pop

The imagination and quality of Hollywood movies in the early and mid 80's had regressed back to the pre "Bonnie and Clyde" days (the early and mid-60's being the worst ever period of American movie-making).

Fortunately there were a few gems like "Real Genius" to sustain audiences. Any film that features a memorable moment like Deborah Foreman's articulation of her standards for a male companion, a memorable character like Michelle Meyrink's hyper-kinetic Jordon, and the memorable sight of a house exploding from the force of a giant Jiffy Pop container can never be forgotten.

And who doesn't feel good just watching the neighborhood kids play in a mountain of popcorn to the sound of Tears For Fears' "Everybody Wants To Rule The World".

Although "Real Genius" has not totally escaped the ravages of the past 20 years, it has held up reasonably well. Now it can even be appreciated as a sort of time capsule, demonstrating rather strikingly the complete computerization of the applied sciences that has occurred during the relatively short time period since its 1985 release. Other than Kent's incidental use of an early computer in his dorm room and a mostly decorative monitor in the lab, these now essential machines are absent from this techno film. Amazing!

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.