MovieChat Forums > Real Genius (1985) Discussion > Excessively Cruel?

Excessively Cruel?

posted 16 years ago by fordthewanker
18 replies | jump to latest

Not to look too deeply into the movie, but even as big a dick as the antagonist was (forget his name, already started typing this so don't feel like looking on the previous page), doesn't it seem like they sort of took it to a new level with their revenge on him? I mean, they *beep* the guy's home up. Probably lost items of sentimental value (the popcorn busted the house up, I imagine the pressure would've done likewise to everything in the house).

Now I'm not torn up about all of this. I thought it was funny when it happened, but upon further reflection it seems pretty messed up.

[–] deem714 16 years ago

I don't think it was excessively cruel, he was using the funding money for the project to pay FOR the house. It was also payback for this douche (Hathaway) to try to purposely fail Chris for no legal, true reason. He also hated popcorn.

You're laborers, you're supposed to be laboring! That's what you get for not having an education!!

[–] aurelie_ledoyen 15 years ago

actually, I gathered that once Chris and Mitch had built the laser that Hathaway was no longer going to fire him, since he told him "You did it..you get the job." I doubt if he gave him that Darlington job that he wouldn't also reneg from failing Chris. It was all done in the heat of anger toward Chris before he knew he could use him for the laser.

Of course that's what I gathered. Naturally Dr.Hathaway didn't need Chris after he took the laser but since he said he was getting the job I figured he would actually take care of him.

Would you classify that as a launch problem or a design problem?-Real Genius

[–] lowedown98 16 years ago

It might have been a bit excessive, but isn't there a saying about "an egghead scorned"? I think it was mostly about using his own weapon against him. After all, if he wasn't test firing the laser, he wouldn't have blown up his own house!
Seriously though, I was wondering about the physics of this popcorn stunt. Isn't popcorn mostly air? So, the popcorn would start to compress itself before it blew out anything. Now, glass has a really low density, so you'd expect that to blow out. But would it really rip off the roof? I realize its a movie and they were doing it for effect, but how much pressure would popcorn need to bend wood and rip out nails?
I'm thinking about this too much, huh?

[–] HikerBoy57 15 years ago

You're right about the mass of popcorn; it doesn't actually get any bigger. Everything in a popped kernel was already INSIDE that popped kernel, just compressed much more densely. So in real life the popcorn would just fall back in on itself, crushing itself much more readily than wood & glass.

The war is not meant to be won... it is meant to be continuous.

[–] MillionMonkeys 16 years ago

For the purposes of the movie, it was appropriate. And he was way more than just a "dick." It's arguably criminal how he used the students to help develop a deadly weapon without their knowing it.

Had the re-directed laser beam actually killed someone (and it should have killed Kent), the kids would have been in big trouble--and the prank wouldn't have been so fun. But hey, who doesn't love popcorn???

[–] stittdude 16 years ago

I gathered that there was no intention to destroy the house, just fill it with popcorn. When Laslo shows up, he says "I guess we used too much" which would seem to confirm that. However, considering how many calculations had to be computed for other scenes in the movie, they should have been able to calculate the necessary amount of popcorn without error.

[–] moodie-1 15 years ago

IIRC, the house was just recently constructed (Hathaway was *so* proud of it) so it's unlikely that he would have had any personal/sentimental stuff in it yet. The aerial view of the house showing it sitting all by itself suggests that it was the first to be built in a new neighborhood, so if they had been a bit off with the laser's aim it wouldn't have endangered anyone. As for why Kent wasn't vaporized by the beam, well, there *was* that prism mounted on the window that the beam passed through, maybe it reduced the beam intensity and spread it out.

[–] NobodysDeadman 15 years ago

Hatheway, that's who.

Atherton truly is one of the kings of the j**koffs.

[–] JarethNomak 15 years ago

the purpose of the laser was to be used as a weapon, to vapourize humans in terms of modern warfare, so he had innocent students building an extremely dangerous weapon! and don't forget this movie is from 1985, so think about the cold war and what this would have meant for the americans, compared to the eastern block!
popcorn-wise i have the strong feel, they didn't care about a exact calculation, the destrucion of the house might be a little over the top, but so is the depicted lasersystem.
but it's a great eighties flick and sometimes modern science doesn't apply to these movies, it would decrease the amount of fun, with what they provide us so plenty!
someone aks here who doesn't like popcorn! me, for one!
the eighties rule!

[–] Chicago816 15 years ago

The guy hated popcorn, that's just unforgivable in my book.

Where's the laser?
It's coming.
It's coming? Ha! It's not even breathing hard!

[–] aurelie_ledoyen 15 years ago

<<Where's the laser?
It's coming.
It's coming? Ha! It's not even breathing hard! >>

Chicago,

I absolutely *love* that scene between Don and Dr. Hathaway, but never knew Don said that! Maybe I was just too young when I saw the film:-P

..and every one of them words rang true and glowed like burnin' coal..

[–] stevenackerman69 15 years ago

They used popcorn because Hathaway hated the stuff. If he didn't like jelly beans, they would have used that.

[–] Splarne 10 years ago

If he didn't like jelly beans, they would have used that

good thing it wasnt that. lazer + jelly beans = sticky mess.

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Go away, or I shall taunt you a second time!

[–] MReynes 15 years ago

Excessively cruel? No. The guy took a massive government contract and then used his students to do the work for free. Not only this, but he had them using equipment that was very likely paid for by the school, meaning that Hathaway was screwing over pretty much everyone around him for his own personal gain. Beyond that, he was chasing women half his age, routinely insulted anyone and everyone around him, and continually lorded his power and influence however he could. There's also that little bit where he was fully willing to make a buck off of incinerating people from space. He was a fairly despicable guy.

Frankly, no, it wasn't cruel - it was excessive and extreme in scope, but I personally think it was justified. At worst, he was out $60-100K for the house (at then current prices), but more than likely insurance would cover most of that. I'd love to see how it would be written up - I think kitchen accident might work...

[–] dlmedley2003 15 years ago

It was a bit much, but failing someone without cause is just as evil. In my opinion, there's nothing wrong with helping the government build a weapon or using that money to improve your house.

I 'seeked' the brown flower of everlasting pleasure and lost my dreams and soul.

[–] Splarne 11 years ago

"or using that money to improve your house. "

the implied behavior wasn't that he was using his paycheck to do this... he was syphoning funds from the project to build his house. fraud. he was sitting in a position that they felt powerless to "make him pay" by turning him in to the authorities. as college students it was much easier to extract revenge person to person instead of involving a third party (like the IRS).

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