Real Genius (1985)

Regisseur:

Martha Coolidge

Drehbuchautoren:

Neal Israel (screenplay)
Neal Israel (story)

Premierendatum:

7. August 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Komödie | Romanze | Sci-Fi

Werbezeile:

When he gets mad, he doesn't get even... he gets creative.

Plot:

Teenage geniuses deal with their abilities while developing a laser.

Plot Keywords:

Exploding House | Smart Kids | Beautician | Military | Weapon

Filmpreise:

2 wins & 2 nominations

Nutzerkommentare:

More than just a guilty pleasure of a movie . . .

Besetzung

Val Kilmer	...	Chris Knight
Gabriel Jarret	...	Mitch Taylor (as Gabe Jarret)
Michelle Meyrink	...	Jordan Cochran
William Atherton	...	Prof. Jerry Hathaway
Jon Gries	...	Lazlo Hollyfeld (as Jonathan Gries)
Patti D'Arbanville	...	Sherry Nugil
Stacy Peralta	...	Shuttle Pilot
Daniel Ades	...	Laser Ray Victim
Andres Aybar	...	Bartender
Louis Giambalvo	...	Maj. Carnagle
Ed Lauter	...	David Decker
Charles Shull	...	Air Force General
Beau Billingslea	...	George
Charles Parks	...	Larry
Sean Frye	...	Boy at Science Fair

Alternativ:

Was für ein Genie (Bundesrepublik Deutschland) [de]

Länge:

108 Min

Produktionsland:

USA

Sprache:

Englisch

Farbe:

Farbe (Metrocolor)

Seitenverhältnis:

2.35 : 1

Tonverfahren:

Dolby

Altersfreigabe:

Argentina:Atp | Iceland:L | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG

Drehorte:

Crystal Springs Ranch, Canyon Country, California, USA

Firma:

Delphi III Productions

Dies und das:

A scene where Chris floats outside his classroom suspended in a lounge chair attached to several balloons appeared in the preview version but not the release version. This is a reference to a real-life 1982 incident.

Pannen:

Abfolgefehler: During the party scene, Chris first puts a blue lei around Mitch's neck and has a red lei in his hand. In the next shot, Mitch is wearing the red lei and Chris is holding the blue lei. Then in the next shot, Mitch is wearing the blue one and Chris is once again holding the red one.

Dialogzitate:

Lazlo Hollyfeld: How did you do?
Chris Knight: How'd I do? I passed! But I failed! Yeah!
Lazlo Hollyfeld: Well then I'm happy and sad for you.

Bezüge zu anderen Titeln:

Wird parodiert in "Spaced: Change (#2.2)" (2001)

Soundtrack:

Number One

More than just a guilty pleasure of a movie . . .

Siskel and Ebert once ran a special show entitled "Movies I'm Embarrassed to Admit I Liked." I suppose that if I composed such a list of guilty pleasures, this one would be one of them . . . but upon reflection, it's really a lot better than that. Fifteen year-old science prodigy Mitch (Gabe Jarret) is recruited by ambitious college professor Jerry Hathaway (William Atherton, in yet another of his patented roles as a loathsome character) to work on the professor's prize laser project, not knowing that Hathaway is really developing a government weapon. Along the way, Mitch is mentored by Chris (Val Kilmer), another prodigy a few years his senior who teaches Mitch how to loosen up.

This could have degenerated into nothing more than just another teen revenge comedy, but there's so much more: the dialogue is laced with sharp wit; there are some lovely scenes that have nothing to do with the story yet are carefully set up, almost as blackouts (e.g., Mitch goes to a lecture at which a few students have left tape recorders instead of attending; later, at another lecture there are more tape recorders than students; and, in a final scene, one large tape recorder gives the lecture to a room populated by nothing but other small recorders!); and throw-away scenes that make you want to stop and back up the tape (e.g., Chris off-handedly cutting a slice off a bar of solid carbon dioxide to make a slug for the coffee machine).

It's also one of the few movies to boast the presence of the memorable Michelle Meyrink -- as Jordan, the "girl-nerd" who made being smart and female something to emulate. And there's Tears for Fears' great song, "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" providing the perfect coda as the closing credits begin to roll . . . . Yes: really now, what's there to be embarrassed about?