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Fat Man & Little Boy
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by Paramount
Sales Rank: 14534
Price: $14.95
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Despite the combined star power in front of and behind the camera, <I>Fat Man and Little Boy</I> is a largely tepid retelling of the history of the Manhattan Project, the atomic testing project that led to the U.S. bombing of Japan during World War II (said bombs were dubbed "Fat Man" and "Little Boy"). The Nevada-based project is headed by General Leslie R. Groves (a testy Paul Newman) and scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer (Dwight Schultz of the TV series <I>The A-Team</I>), who later regretted his cooperation in the project. The problem with the film lies not with the acting, which includes solid performances by Bonnie Bedelia, Laura Dern, John Cusack, and future U.S. Senator Fred Dalton Thompson, but with the script by director Roland Joffé and Bruce Robinson (<I>Withnail and I</I> and Joffé's <I>The Killing Fields</I>). A subject as morally complex as the creation of a supreme weapon requires a strong and thoughtful script, but <I>Fat Man and Little Boy</I> never gets further than establishing that indeed, atomic power is something to reckon with. Joseph Sargent's 1989 made-for-TV film <I>Day One</I>, with Brian Dennehy as Groves and David Straithairn as Oppenheimer, covers the same story with twice the depth and avoids the pitfall of a romantic subplot (Oppenheimer's dalliance with a communist played by Natasha Richardson), which this film stumbles into. Cusack's doomed scientist is actually a combination of two real-life physicists, Harry Daghlian and Louis Slotkin, who died from radiation poisoning, albeit long after V-J Day. <I>--Paul Gaita</I>
Viewer Reviews
"Fat Man and Little Boy" takes a human look at the history behind the making of the atomic bomb. It has a superb ensemble cast- with the late Paul Newman as Gen. Leslie Groves, Dwight Schultz as Robert Oppenheimer, Jon Cusak as a scientist, and Natasha Richardson as Oppenheimer's Russian mistress. The movie avoids passing judgment on the Manhattan Project. Was it necessary for winning WWII, or was it human meddling with powers beyond their reach? What is the relationship between science and morality, especially in wartime?
"Fat Man and Little Boy" powerfully shows the isolation of the Manhattan Project in the midst of the New Mexico desert. Los Alamos and the Trinity site are, to this day, "desert solitaire" to quote the late naturalist Edward Abbey. There is the land and the sky-- and not much else. The movie is claustrophobic,in a sense, even in the wide open spaces that are pure void.
One of the standout incidents is the scientist who dies from radiation poisoning. It's harrowing to watch. It's terrifying, realizing how a little dose of nuclear power can cause a painful, awful death.
Schultz is great as the conflicted Oppenheimer,who sees himself as "Vishnu, destroyer of worlds" at Trinity. Newman is equally great as the gruff, abrupt Groves,who has a strong sense of duty. "Fat Man and Little Boy" is much character studies as it as a re-enactment of historical incidents.
Paul Newman will be remembered as one of the greatest actors of our time. He brought nobility and masculinity to the silver screen. He shone as a luminary in the movies-- as well as a humanitarian. His charitable efforts will be among his legacies. Rest in peace.
RIP Paul Newman (1925-2008)
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