Fat Man and Little Boy
Assigned to oversee the development of the atomic bomb, Gen. Leslie Groves is a stern military man determined to have the project go according to plan. He selects J. Robert Oppenheimer as the key scientist on the top-secret operation, but the two men clash fiercely on a number of issues. Despite their frequent conflicts, Groves and Oppenheimer ultimately push ahead with two bomb designs — the bigger "Fat Man" and the more streamlined "Little Boy."
Critics Sentiment
Trinity test detonates in the Alamogordo Desert
Jean Tatlock commits suicide after Oppenheimer breaks off their relationship
The film's most dramatic shift occurs when Michael Merriman's radiation accident transforms from technical work into devastating personal tragedy, jumping from moderate technical interest to the film's most powerful emotional sequence.
Fat Man and Little Boy receives mixed to positive reception, with critics consistently praising the central Newman-Schultz dynamic and the spectacular Trinity test sequence while criticizing unnecessary romantic subplots and pacing issues. The film's strength lies in its realistic portrayal of scientific problem-solving and moral complexity, though reviewers felt it was too ambitious in scope and suffered from Hollywood-ization of complex historical events.
Full cast
Showing 20 of 52
Paul Newman
Gen. Leslie R. Groves
Dwight Schultz
J. Robert Oppenheimer
Bonnie Bedelia
Kitty Oppenheimer
John Cusack
Michael Merriman
Laura Dern
Kathleen Robinson
Ron Frazier
Peter de Silva
John C. McGinley
Richard Schoenfield
Natasha Richardson
Jean Tatlock
Ron Vawter
Jamie Latrobe
Michael Brockman
William "Deke" Parsons
Del Close
Dr. Kenneth Whiteside
John Considine
Robert Tuckson
Allan Corduner
Franz Goethe
Joe D'Angerio
Seth Neddermeyer
Jon DeVries
Johnny Mount
James Eckhouse
Robert Harper
Todd Field
Robert Wilson
Mary Pat Gleason
Dora Welsh
Clark Gregg
Douglas Panton
Péter Halász
George Kistiakowsky
Crew
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