Fat Man and Little Boy (1989)

Director:

Roland Joffé

Writers (WGA):

Bruce Robinson (story)
Bruce Robinson (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

20 October 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History | War

Tagline:

The story of the extraordinary people who changed our world.

Plot:

This film reenacts the Manhattan Project, the secret wartime project in New Mexico where the first atomic bombs were designed and built.

Plot Keywords:

Atomic Bomb | Manhattan Project | Robert Oppenheimer | American Soldier | Nuclear Bomb

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Paul Newman	...	Gen. Leslie R. Groves
Dwight Schultz	...	J. Robert Oppenheimer
Bonnie Bedelia	...	Kitty Oppenheimer
John Cusack	...	Michael Merriman
Laura Dern	...	Kathleen Robinson
Ron Frazier	...	Peter de Silva
John C. McGinley	...	Capt. Richard Schoenfield, MD
Natasha Richardson	...	Jean Tatlock
Ron Vawter	...	Jamie Latrobe
Michael Brockman	...	William 'Deke' Parsons
Del Close	...	Dr. Kenneth Whiteside
John Considine	...	Robert Tuckson
Allan Corduner	...	Franz Goethe (as Alan Corduner)
Joe D'Angerio	...	Seth Neddermeyer (as Joseph D'Angerio)
Jon DeVries	...	Johnny Mount (as Jon De Vries)
James Eckhouse	...	Robert Harper
Todd Field	...	Robert Wilson
Mary Pat Gleason	...	Dora Welsh
Clark Gregg	...	Douglas Panton
Péter Halász	...	George Kistiakowsky
Gerald Hiken	...	Leo Szilard
Arthur Holden	...	Oak Ridge Doctor
Ed Lauter	...	Whitney Ashbridge
Donald MacKechnie	...	James Tuck
Madison Mason	...	Boris Pash
Krzysztof Pieczynski	...	Otto Frisch (as Christopher Pieczynski)
Don Pugsley	...	Sgt. Bronston, Groves' Orderly
Logan Ramsey	...	Brehon Somervell
Fred Dalton Thompson	...	Maj. Gen. Melrose Hayden Barry
Jim True-Frost	...	Donald Hornig
Barry Yourgrau	...	Edward Teller
Marek Alboszta	...	Scientist
Steven Baigelman	...	Dr. Avenell
Frank Benettieri Jr.	...	Messenger
Roger Cubicciotti	...	Frank Oppenheimer
Franco Cutietta	...	Enrico Fermi
Robert Peter Gale	...	Dr. Louis Hempelman
Wesley Harrison	...	Peter Oppenheimer
Brent Harrison	...	Peter Oppenheimer
Tom McFarlane	...	Scientist
David C. Parnes	...	Raincoat Man
Allen Poirson	...	Harold McDonald
David Politzer	...	Robert Serber
Bill Rubenstein	...	N.Y. Times Reporter
Ken Strausbaugh	...	Observation Officer
Walter Sullivan	...	Secretary of War Henry Stimson
Brian Wandell	...	Dennis Talmudge
John Williams	...	Mack Stoddard
Walker Edmiston	...	(voice)
Matthew Faison	...	(voice)
Stan Jones	...	(voice) (as Staley Jones)
Alan Oppenheimer	...	(voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
David Brainard	...	Samuel Allison

Directed by
Roland Joffé

Writing credits (WGA)
Bruce Robinson		(story)
Bruce Robinson		(screenplay) and
Roland Joffé		(screenplay)

Produced by
John Calley	....	executive producer
Kimberly Cooper	....	associate producer
Tony Garnett	....	producer

Original Music by
Ennio Morricone

Cinematography by
Vilmos Zsigmond		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Françoise Bonnot

Casting by
Nancy Foy

Production Design by
Gregg Fonseca

Art Direction by
Larry Fulton		(as Larry E. Fulton)
Peter Landsdown Smith		(as Peter Lansdown Smith)

Set Decoration by
Dorree Cooper

Costume Design by
Nic Ede		(as Nick Ede)

Makeup Department
Frank Griffin	....	makeup artist (as Frank H. Griffin Jr.)
Luis Horcacitas	....	hairdresser (as Luis Horcasitas)
Monty Westmore	....	hair supervisor
Monty Westmore	....	makeup supervisor

Production Management
David González	....	unit production manager
Johanna Persons	....	unit production manager: San Francisco
Tom Shaw	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Roberto Bockman	....	second assistant director
Daniel Camhi	....	second assistant director
Claudia Gomez	....	second second assistant director
Rubén González	....	second second assistant director
Chris Soldo	....	first assistant director: San Francisco
Gabriela Vázquez	....	second assistant director: San Francisco (as Gabriela Vazquez)
Bill Westley	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Frank Clark	....	construction coordinator
Charles Collum	....	construction coordinator
Carol Lee Davis	....	scenic artist (as Carole Lee Davis)
William MacDonald	....	construction coordinator
Michael Milgrom	....	property master: San Francisco
John Philpotts	....	leadman: additional photography
Denise Pizzini	....	assistant set decorator
John H. Samson	....	construction coordinator
Tom Shaw Jr.	....	property master
Peter A. Tullo	....	lead person
Claude Viator	....	assistant art director (as Claude J. Viator)
Doug E. Williams	....	propmaker: San Francisco
Rick Young	....	property master

Sound Department
Ron Bartlett	....	sound editor
Greg Curda	....	foley mixer
Ken Dufva	....	foley artist
David Lee Fein	....	foley artist
Christopher Flick	....	foley editor
Donald Flick	....	sound editor (as Donald S. Flick)
Judee Flick	....	foley editor
Stephen Hunter Flick	....	supervising sound editor (as Stephen H. Flick)
Robert J. Litt	....	sound re-recording mixer
Steve Maslow	....	sound re-recording mixer
Susan Mazzei	....	assistant sound editor
Oscar Mitt	....	assistant sound editor
Ernesto Muñoz	....	boom operator
Andrew Patterson	....	supervising adr editor (as Andrew G. Patterson)
Ken Pawlak	....	boom operator
Steve Powell	....	sound mixer: San Francisco (as Stephen Powell)
Stephen Purvis	....	sound editor
William J. Randall Jr.	....	sound mixer (as William Randall)
Gregg Rudloff	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Greg Rudloff)
Greg P. Russell	....	sound mixer
Conrad Slater	....	second boom operator: San Francisco
Charles Ewing Smith	....	sound effects editor
Elliot Tyson	....	sound re-recording mixer
David A. Whittaker	....	supervising sound editor
David Williams	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Frank Benettieri Jr.	....	special effects assistant (as Monty Benetierri)
Fred Cramer	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
C. Marie Davis	....	visual effects editor (as Marie Davis)
John Pierre Dechene	....	visual effects assistant supervisor
Justin Klarenbeck	....	visual effects supervisor
Jeff Matakovich	....	optical supervisor
David McCullough	....	visual effects producer
David A. Poole	....	visual effects
Robert Scifo	....	matte artist (as Bob Scifo)
Michael Arias	....	motion control cameraperson (uncredited)
Michael Condro	....	motion control operator (uncredited)
Michael Condro	....	motion control programmer (uncredited)
Christopher Duddy	....	visual effects (uncredited)
Paul Hettler	....	visual effects (uncredited)
Dorne Huebler	....	visual effects animation supervisor: DQI (uncredited)
James Valentine	....	rotoscope supervisor (uncredited)
Hoyt Yeatman	....	special effects: DQI (uncredited)

Stunts
Randy Peters	....	stunt driver
Warren A. Stevens	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Michael Gershman	....	camera operator: San Francisco
Robert Jason	....	chief lighting technician (as Robert E. Jason)
Colin Manning	....	dolly grip
Agustín Meza	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Eamonn O'Keeffe	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Roberto Rivera	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Mike Roberts	....	camera operator: "a" camera (as Michael Roberts)
Peter Sorel	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Barbara Harris	....	voice casting
Cathy Sandrich	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Angela Dodson	....	costumer
Stewart Meachem	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Matthew Booth	....	assistant film editor
Lizzie Gelber	....	additional editor (as Lizabeth Gelber)
Bob Noland	....	color timer
Anthony Sherin	....	first assistant film editor (as Tony Sherin)
Michael Tyler	....	post-production assistant

Music Department
Ennio Morricone	....	conductor
Ennio Morricone	....	orchestrator
Dan Goldwasser	....	soundtrack producer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Thomas A. Gordon	....	transportation coordinator
Randy Peters	....	transportation coordinator: San Francisco
Hector Salomon	....	transportation co-captain
Ricardo Gallarzo Jr.	....	driver (uncredited)
Anthony Muto Jr.	....	picture vehicles (uncredited)
Damon Viola	....	military vehicle supplier (uncredited)

Other crew
Ronald L. Carr	....	location manager
Robert Cornog	....	technical advisor
Marilyn Corwin	....	choreographer
Loreto de la Garza	....	production assistant
Bran Ferren	....	technical advisor
Paula Frankel	....	script supervisor: San Francisco
Gayle Fraser-Baigelman	....	assistant accountant
Ricardo Frera	....	production accountant
Robert Peter Gale	....	technical advisor (as Dr. Robert Peter Gale M.D.)
Judy Guerrero	....	production secretary
Humberto Gurza	....	animal wrangler
Miguel Gurza	....	animal wrangler
Carol Juk	....	production office coordinator
Kurt Kaynor	....	choreographer
G. Pekas Lozano	....	assistant to production coordinator
Lou Phillips	....	production auditor
Pat Rambaut	....	script supervisor
Larry Ramin	....	historical research
Jay Roberts	....	assistant accountant
Anne Shaw	....	coordinator: Los Angeles
Gail Stempler	....	location manager: San Francisco
Warren A. Stevens	....	military coordinator
Eden Ashley Umble	....	unit publicist (as Eden Ashley)
'Chema' Hernandez	....	livestock coordinator (uncredited)
'Chico' Hernandez	....	head wrangler (uncredited)
Alfredo Hernandez	....	wrangler (uncredited)

Thanks
José Dolores Herrera	....	thanks: Mexico unit chief of staff
Roger Meade	....	thanks: Los Alamos National Laboratory, Historic Archives
Roberto Maldonado Muñoz	....	thanks: Mexico unit representative
Edward Reese	....	thanks: Military Reference Branch, National Archives and Records Administration
Bill Jack Rodgers	....	thanks: Los Alamos National Laboratory
Theresa Strottman	....	thanks: Los Alamos Historical Museum Archives

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures
• Lightmotive

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1989) (USA) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1990) (Germany) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1990) (France) (theatrical)
• AVU-Video-Vertriebs-GmbH (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• CIC Video (1991) (Germany) (VHS)
• CIC Video (1991) (France) (VHS)
• CIC Video (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (video)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1990) (UK)

Special Effects

• Dream Quest Images (special visual effects)

Other Companies

• Chapman Servicios Filmicos Mexico  dollies provided by
• Goldwyn Sound Facility  re-recorded
• JDC Limited  anamorphic lenses provided by
• Karina Films  French post-synchronized version
• La-La Land Records  soundtrack album (2-disc limited edition) (2011)
• Moviecam Super America Mexico  camera equipment provided by
• Pacific Studios Inc.  chromatrans background
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Reel People Inc.  negative cutting
• Sam Alexander Productions  titles designed by
• Servicos Filmico Antonio Hernandez C.  lighting, grip and transportation equipment provided by

Also Known As:

Runtime:

127 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Iceland:L | USA:PG-13 (# 29576) | France:U | Norway:15 | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | Germany:12 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Durango, Mexico

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

In real life, Newman was a liberal and Schultz is a conservative... opposites of the roles they played in this film.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In the first shot of the experiment that Michael Merriman is performing, with the two hemispheres of beryllium surrounding a core of plutonium held slightly apart, he measures the gap between the hemispheres with a dial caliper - but the dial caliper was not developed until after the war.

Quotes:

Gen. Leslie R. Groves:We could give this country the biggest stick in the playground, and I intend to do that.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Simpsons: Fat Man and Little Boy (#16.5)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

Dance of the Reed Flutes

One of the more accurate films about the making of the ATOMIC Bomb

Having worked with all historical aspects of nuclear energy, radiation, etc. for 11 Years ( including working with the US D.O.E - Department of Energy during the cleanup of the Chicago site ), I found this film to be VERY accurate with only several exceptions ( such as groves did not meet Szliard in a bathtub in Szliards Apartment, the Critically accident referred to in th film happened later at Los alamos to Louis Slotin and Harrry Daughlin, and groves was slightly heavier than neumann's character, and not to mention much less harsh and abusive, although he was a perfectionist, always VERY concerned about the sites security and about the public's safety and sometimes got his way without exception, and finally there were other sites in the early project that should have been mentioned more...such as Chicago ). Technically, I feel that the producers/directors created a "Perfect Feel" for the time, as most sites I've been too are simply a-lot of high-dollar, high-tech stuff in the middle of quite isolated areas - very quiet with just the sound of wind blowing and creaking steel. I've seen some peoples reviews talking about this movie as if they're reviewing a love story.....Hello, This story is about an atomic bomb !!!!! I too feel that the brief love story romance is not really needed, but I'm sure that the directors put it in there to show you what oppenheimer was also going thru emotionally in addition to all the chaos he was already facing day-to-day on the projects sites !!! I have seen this movie on VHS, Laserdisc and FINALLY DVD, and I must say that the DVD release is the SHARPEST transfer made of the movie to-date; they did a very good job on the mastering as well ( No artifacts or blockiness - and to those Fatman and LittleBoy movie buffs, yes, they still left in the 1 or 2 screwed-up voice-overs ). Unfortunately, after waiting years for the DVD release to come out, there are really no special features aside from 4:3, Widescreen 16:9, and Dolby 5:1 ( which I was hoping for, since the soundtrack is AMAZING ), There isn't even a trailer for the movie !!! :-( What was paramount thinking ????? Well, maybe they'll read this review and include some more special features ( Like interviews with Paul Neumann, John Cusack, Dwight Schultz, along with a TRAILER of the movie, and some behind-the-scenes making-of the lots ) if they ever release it in High-Definition 1080p !!! One can only hope.

All-in-all its an excellent movie, but if your renting/buying/watching it because you thought it was a romantic movie.....DON'T BOTHER !!!!