MovieChat Forums > Real Genius (1985) Discussion > What they SHOULD have done about the las...

What they SHOULD have done about the laser...

posted 10 years ago by JSouth1
8 replies | jump to latest

When Mitch and Chris found out their minds had been used to build a death-ray laser--they SHOULD have gotten some "compensation" for their work.

One of them (or both of them) should have gone to Atherton and let him know they knew what was going on. Then...they should have DEMANDED to be "taken care of" for their ENTIRE college time there--including ALL fees, expenses, and maybe a new car for each of them . ANY money already paid would be returned to them (or their parents)Along with a written, notarized legal contract for BOTH of them, stating they would be paid, perhaps 1K a WEEK, from then on--for the next TEN years. Otherwise...the dean AND the board of regents would find out what was going on....

Faced with such a choice...I am sure the college would agree to that...

After all...Atherton was likely going to get MILLIONS for the laser...from the CIA, or whoever it was supposed to be.

I would have done something like that....Why not get PAID for your work?

But since the WHOLE movie had an anti-war/anti military theme.... they decided to go that route...

[–] ncdwbmk6 10 years ago

The laser was presumably being developed under a government contract. Hathaway would continue to get his salary, but the laser would belong to the government.

And why would the college administration care about Mitch and Chris not being told they were working on a weapon?

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You got your mind right, Luke?

[–] stevenackerman69 9 years ago

Well, when they find out from Lazlo what the laser is for, they go to the lab and see that it is gone. Maybe they figured they couldn't go to Hathaway because he probably fled with the laser to that Army Base so they couldn't get in touch with him.

[–] PaladinNJ (21524) 6 years ago

It was a Top Secret project. They weren't supposed to know about it. If they went after Atherton then they might get arrested or just 'disappear'. That's why they set the trap with the popcorn. So they could expose him in public with proof of the laser in operation before the authorities. Of course destroying Jerry's house was just a bonus.

[–] TJLamb0518 (3316) 6 years ago

Am I the only one to remember this was a COMEDY? What the OP describes is......hardly comedic.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

I dunno... I can think of a number of people who could just "disappear" and I'd laugh about it.

[–] Jamfo (408) 6 years ago

Exactly... they were dealing with a deep-cover government agency with the power and money to fund large projects, and who had their fingers in goodness only knows what at the university. If Mitch and Chris had used their knowledge to try and extort money from Atherton, he would have gone to his buddies in charge who, as we know from the opening scene in the film, have no problems "getting rid of" anyone who might threaten their project. I imagine that, after threatening Atherton, Mitch and Chris would have been victims of a "horrible lab accident" or found dead from alcohol poisoning after another "epic all-night party".

They handled it exactly right... they contacted their local senator, made a very public display, and exposed the project for what it was.

And, projecting forward, I'm sure that two college kids who managed to expose a large government conspiracy would find some very lucrative book, movie, and speaking deals after the fact, where they could make great gobs of money without having to resort to blackmail, and having to live the rest of their lives cringing every time they tried to start their car in the morning!

[–] kenburke (2377) 6 years ago

A sign of the times. If the movie were made nowadays the kids would be doing their best to MAKE the death ray.

[–] ExTechOp (2770) 5 years ago

Sort of the point of the movie ... it's written into the title in fact

These guys don't do it for money - they care about doing "neat things" that challenge their brains

Neil deGrasse Tyson said this about the space program - why spend so much money on it? In part, because we get so many useful inventions out of the program from inventors who would NEVER put in that much work UNLESS it was for the space program.