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IMDbPro

Fat Man and Little Boy

  • 19891989
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 2h 7m
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
7.7K
YOUR RATING
Paul Newman in Fat Man and Little Boy (1989)
Theatrical Trailer from Paramount
Play trailer3:08
1 Video
45 Photos
  • Biography
  • Drama
  • History
This film reenacts the Manhattan Project, the secret wartime project in New Mexico where the first atomic bombs were designed and built.This film reenacts the Manhattan Project, the secret wartime project in New Mexico where the first atomic bombs were designed and built.This film reenacts the Manhattan Project, the secret wartime project in New Mexico where the first atomic bombs were designed and built.
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
7.7K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Roland Joffé
  • Writers
    • Bruce Robinson(story)
    • Roland Joffé(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Paul Newman
    • Dwight Schultz
    • Bonnie Bedelia
Top credits
  • Director
    • Roland Joffé
  • Writers
    • Bruce Robinson(story)
    • Roland Joffé(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Paul Newman
    • Dwight Schultz
    • Bonnie Bedelia
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 58User reviews
    • 24Critic reviews
    • 50Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 nominations

    Videos1

    Fat Man and Little Boy
    Trailer 3:08
    Fat Man and Little Boy

    Photos45

    John Cusack, Laura Dern, and John C. McGinley in Fat Man and Little Boy (1989)
    Bonnie Bedelia in Fat Man and Little Boy (1989)
    Paul Newman and Dwight Schultz in Fat Man and Little Boy (1989)
    John Cusack and Dwight Schultz in Fat Man and Little Boy (1989)
    Paul Newman, Roland Joffé, and Dwight Schultz in Fat Man and Little Boy (1989)
    Bonnie Bedelia and Dwight Schultz in Fat Man and Little Boy (1989)
    Natasha Richardson in Fat Man and Little Boy (1989)
    Laura Dern in Fat Man and Little Boy (1989)
    Paul Newman and Bonnie Bedelia in Fat Man and Little Boy (1989)
    Paul Newman and Dwight Schultz in Fat Man and Little Boy (1989)
    John C. McGinley in Fat Man and Little Boy (1989)
    Dwight Schultz in Fat Man and Little Boy (1989)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Paul Newman
    Paul Newman
    • General Leslie R. Groves
    Dwight Schultz
    Dwight Schultz
    • J. Robert Oppenheimer
    Bonnie Bedelia
    Bonnie Bedelia
    • Kitty Oppenheimer
    John Cusack
    John Cusack
    • Michael Merriman
    Laura Dern
    Laura Dern
    • Kathleen Robinson
    Ron Frazier
    Ron Frazier
    • Peer de Silva
    John C. McGinley
    John C. McGinley
    • Richard Schoenfield
    Natasha Richardson
    Natasha Richardson
    • Jean Tatlock
    Ron Vawter
    Ron Vawter
    • Jamie Latrobe
    Michael Brockman
    • William 'Deke' Parsons
    Del Close
    Del Close
    • Dr. Kenneth Whiteside
    John Considine
    John Considine
    • Robert Tuckson
    Allan Corduner
    Allan Corduner
    • Franz Goethe
    • (as Alan Corduner)
    Joe D'Angerio
    Joe D'Angerio
    • Seth Neddermeyer
    • (as Joseph D'Angerio)
    Jon DeVries
    • Johnny Mount
    • (as Jon De Vries)
    James Eckhouse
    James Eckhouse
    • Robert Harper
    Todd Field
    Todd Field
    • Robert Wilson
    Mary Pat Gleason
    Mary Pat Gleason
    • Dora Welsh
    • Director
      • Roland Joffé
    • Writers
      • Bruce Robinson(story) (screenplay)
      • Roland Joffé(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The code names for the weapons - "Fat Man" and "Little Boy" - stem from characters in the written stories of writer Dashiell Hammett. Originally the names "Fat Man" and "Thin Man" were lifted directly from the stories, but the Thin Man weapon design (a Plutonium gun-type weapon) had to be abandoned. The relatively small Uranium gun-type weapon that followed was then named "Little Boy" as a contrast to "Fat Man".
    • Goofs
      It was actually Seth Neddermeyer who originally conceived the implosion theory, and John von Neumann who refined it to usability.
    • Quotes

      Richard Schoenfield: Hey Oppenheimer! Oppenheimer! You oughta stop playing God, 'cause you're no good at it, and the position's taken!

    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: The Fabulous Baker Boys/Breaking In/Crimes and Misdemeanors/Look Who's Talking (1989)
    • Soundtracks
      The Sorcerer's Apprentice
      Written by Paul Dukas

      Performed by the Wiener Symphoniker (as The Vienna Symphony)

      Edouard Van Remoortel, Conductor

      Courtesy of The Moss Music Group

      By Arrangement with Warner Special Products

    User reviews58

    Review
    Top review
    A Great Movie, Despite What They Say...
    Cold War enthusiasts are like Civil War enthusiasts in that they get extremely upset when something is portrayed differently than it actually happened (or differently than they THINK it happened). When you read a negative review of this movie, that is what you are seeing. It may not be 100% factual with the timeline and all of that, but who cares? It is still an excellent movie. The acting is wonderful and the message is even better. Dwight Schultz does an amazing job with his role. The entire cast must have lost 50 lbs each to look like skinny 1940s people. If you haven't seen this film, see it. If you have and you didn't like it, please see it again and look at it with an open heart. It truly questions the moral issues of developing the bomb. It makes you think!
    helpful•24
    10
    • MRyerson2
    • Dec 11, 2002

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 20, 1989 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • Mexico
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Debeljko i Malisa
    • Filming locations
      • Durango, Mexico
    • Production company
      • Lightmotive
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $30,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $3,563,162
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $1,476,994
      • Oct 22, 1989
    • Gross worldwide
      • $3,563,162
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 7 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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