Fat Man and Little Boy
1989 · Movie · PG-13 · 127 min · ★ 6.2 · 50% critics
In wartime America, a hard-driving military leader teams up with a brilliant scientist to run a secret program racing to build a devastating new weapon. As pressure mounts, personal clashes, moral doubts, and the sheer scale of the mission shape a drama about power, responsibility, and progress.
Also known as Shadow Makers
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Details
- Years
- 1989
- Release date
- 1989-10-20
- Language
- English
- Rated
- PG-13
- Runtime
- 127 min
- Critic score
- 50/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.2/10 (165 votes)
About
You may like this if you’re interested in wartime dramas about big moral questions and high-stakes projects, especially if titles like Emperor or The Monuments Men appeal to you; Not for you if you want fast pacing or strict historical accuracy.
Pros: thought-provoking subject; strong central conflict; some compelling moments | Cons: slow start; uneven character focus; disputed historical accuracy
Themes
- atomic bomb
- new mexico
- world war ii
- atomic bomb test
- biography
- based on true story
- 1940s
- manhattan project
Cast & crew
Paul Newman
as Gen. Leslie R. Groves
Dwight Schultz
as J. Robert Oppenheimer
Bonnie Bedelia
as Kitty Oppenheimer
John Cusack
as Michael Merriman
Laura Dern
as Kathleen Robinson
Ron Frazier
as Peter de Silva
John C. McGinley
as Richard Schoenfield
Natasha Richardson
as Jean Tatlock
Ron Vawter
as Jamie Latrobe
- MB
Michael Brockman
as William "Deke" Parsons
Directed by Roland Joffé