The Manhattan Project (1986)

A high school prodigy builds an atomic bomb with stolen plutonium to win the 45th National Science Fair and expose a nuclear weapons lab posing as nuclear medicine in Ithaca NY.

Director:

Marshall Brickman

Writers:

Marshall Brickman, Thomas Baum

Stars:

John Lithgow, Christopher Collet, Richard Council

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Lithgow	...	John Mathewson
Richard Council	...	Government Aide
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

Storyline

A high school prodigy builds an atomic bomb with stolen plutonium to win the 45th National Science Fair and expose a nuclear weapons lab posing as nuclear medicine in Ithaca NY.

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Plot Keywords:

ithaca new york | teenage boy | reporter | military | whistleblower | 

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Taglines:

The switch is set... The clock has started... Time's running out!

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Genres:

Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 June 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Deadly Game

Filming Locations:

85 Main Street, Haverstraw, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$18,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,503,000, 13 June 1986, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$3,900,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gladden Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min 107 min (video)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

During the scene where they are cutting the bomb flashtube wires, the time left on the timer when the wires are cut is 7:16:45, which was the day of the first atomic bomb test.

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Goofs

Paul shows Jenny a fistful of four leaf clovers that he had picked some time ago from the grounds of the lab. When revealed, they're crisp and freshly picked. If they were in his pocket for as many hours, they would have withered and been much darker in color.

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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.

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Connections

Features Two for the Road (1967)

User Reviews

Had more holes than the Titanic

Totally unbelievable story about a pair of kids who penetrate a highly classified, super secret government bomb making lab. There were so many flaws in this thing that I never could get interested in it. The dialogue, which was supposed to be tense, was just corny beyond belief. No drama either, I don't know, maybe it was a comedy, eh? Loser film.