The Manhattan Project (1986)

Director:

Marshall Brickman

Writers:

Marshall Brickman (written by) &
Thomas Baum (written by)

Release Date:

13 June 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Paul Stevens' high school science project has gotten a little out of hand. He just built an atomic bomb. Now he's got 11 hours to make sure it doesn't work.

Plot:

A teen and his girlfriend make an atomic bomb with plutonium stolen from a scientist dating his mother.

Plot Keywords:

Scientist | Plutonium | Atomic Bomb | Science Fair | Teen

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

John Lithgow	...	John Mathewson
Richard Council	...	Government
Robert Schenkkan	...	Government Aide
Paul Austin	...	General
Adrian Sparks	...	Scientist
Curt Dempster	...	Scientist
Bran Ferren	...	Lab Assistant
Christopher Collet	...	Paul Stephens
Jill Eikenberry	...	Elizabeth Stephens
Cynthia Nixon	...	Jenny Anderman
Gregg Edelman	...	Science Teacher
Abraham Unger	...	Roland (as Abe Unger)
Robert Sean Leonard	...	Max (as Robert Leonard)
David Quinn	...	Tennis
Geoffrey Nauffts	...	Craig

Also Known As:

Deadly Game (USA) (video title)

Runtime:

117 min | West Germany:107 min (video)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Spain:T | Netherlands:6 | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | Australia:M | Norway:12 | Sweden:7 | UK:PG | USA:PG-13 | UK:12

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Gladden Entertainment

Trivia:

The main theme of the score is, fittingly, based on the Christmas carol "The First Noel".

Goofs:

Continuity: Paul's mother is surprised when he gets up at 4:00 in the morning at the beginning of the movie. Later on, she tells Mathewson that Paul has been getting up this early - and earlier -regularly for years.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Dr. John Matthewson: Now, the beta synchrotron sends the electrons through this magnet which bends the course of them down to the reaction vessel. Stay away from that elbow joint. All right. Bran, you want to get that? Now, this is a tunable excimer laser. It's tuned to the exact resonance of the plutonium-239 that's in the reaction vessel down at that end. Now, I think we're all set. Hit it.

Movie Connections:

Features Two for the Road (1967)

Plutonium Grade Movie

Two important names in this film one is mega star John Lithgow & little known Christopher Collet. Both do a great job in a film that really is a thrill ride. John Lithgow has been in numerous films most of them big time films. Christopher Collet has been in about 10 films but this one being the most notable. Even by todays higher movie standards the film is still very watchable. It really is worth a look. The story is about a whiz kid that decides to build a nuclear weapon to win a New York science fair. He uses some very clever tactics to get some of the purest but most dangerous plutonium ever created. What happens when your walking around with a bomb capable of killing millions of people, well for one thing, everyone wants to stop you. So check out a fun weekend afternoon movie that is family friendly.