The Manhattan Project: Difference between revisions

* [[California Doubling]]: Averted. The film is set in Ithaca, New York, which is in the middle of [[New York State]] about halfway between New York City and Buffalo. While not filmed in Ithaca itself, it was still filmed largely in Upstate New York.

* [[Casual Danger Dialog]]: Dr. Mathewson when the bomb {{spoiler|suddenly begins counting down to detonation}}.

* [[Child Prodigy]]: A teenage boy is smart enough to break into a top secret nuclear production facility, steals plutonium and builds an atomic bomb.

* [[Chekhov's Gun|Chekhov's]] [[Frickin' Laser Beams|Frickin' Laser Beam]]: The Medatomics lab uses one to purify plutonium. Dr. Mathewson uses it to impress Paul by having it cut through a steel plate. Later, Paul uses it to cut a small hole in the wall to help him smuggle out the plutonium.

* [[High School Hustler]]: Paul

* [[I Can't Believe I'm Saying This]]: Paul to Jenny in the hotel hosting the science fair.

* [[Hilarious in Hindsight]]

* [[Instant Death Bullet]]: A sniper claims he can do this to both Paul and Dr. Mathewson if need be.

* [[Insufferable Genius]]: Paul could very well be the posterchild for this.

* [[Reluctant Mad Scientist]]: Possibly Dr. Mathewson. He enjoys the challenge of purifying plutonium for its own sake, and does not seem to have an issue with his work being used to develop increasingly powerful nuclear weapons. Later on, Lt. Col. Conroy forces him to face the cold moral and ethical realities and responsibilities of what he does for a living.

* [[Refuge in Audacity]]: Paul plans to unveil a fully working home-made 70 kiloton nuclear bomb at a New York science fair and win first prize. He doesn't expect any interference from the authorities whatsoever. Even when he's caught by government agents, he acts like it's a social call.

'''Paul''': Well I thought we might start with some kissing and then move into the fancy stuff. }}

** Even after Paul is caught and is discussing his options with Mathewson, he says he will give the bomb to the government only after he wins the science fair with it, and he expects them to agree.

** At one point in the film, a timer reads 7:16:45. The Trinity test occurred on July 16, 1945.

** Following the Trinity test, Manhattan Project scientist Kenneth Bainbridge said to colleague Robert Oppenheimer, "Now we are all sons of bitches." This quote is alluded to twice late in the film.

'''Dr. Mathewson''': (to Lt. Col. Conroy and his team) "Hold it, gentlemen. Fellow sons of bitches, we're all what we are, right? So here's ''my'' responsible act..." }}

** When Lt. Col. Conroy is struggling to unscrew the cap to get the core out, Dr. Mathewson remarks, "That's funny. The same thing happened at the Trinity test 40 years ago. The core got stuck halfway in while they were trying to insert it."

* [[Spiritual Successor]]: Arguably to [[War Games]].

* [[Tailor-Made Prison]]: Invoked by Mathewson as the potential consequences of Paul's pet project.

* [[Teacher's Pet]]: Roland, which is presumably why Paul makes him the [[Butt Monkey]] of the nitrogen triiodide prank.

* [[Teen Genius]]: Definitely Paul. Maybe Roland. Likely the four geeks at the science fair, too.