Films about (fictional) physicists

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SUMMARY

This discussion centers on films featuring physicists or physics students, highlighting the scarcity of such representations compared to mathematicians. Notable mentions include "Dark Matter," set to release in April, and classic films like "Back to the Future" and "The Day the Earth Stood Still." Participants express interest in movies where physics concepts serve as metaphors, referencing literature such as "The Genius and the Goddess" by Aldous Huxley. The conversation also touches on the portrayal of physicists in popular culture, including characters like Dana Scully from "The X-Files" and Reed Richards from Marvel comics.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of physics concepts and their cultural implications
  • Familiarity with film analysis and storytelling techniques
  • Knowledge of notable physicists in popular media
  • Awareness of the historical context of science in cinema
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the film "Dark Matter" and its thematic elements
  • Explore the role of physics in storytelling through films like "Back to the Future"
  • Analyze the representation of scientists in cinema, focusing on physicists
  • Investigate the influence of literature on film narratives, particularly in science fiction
USEFUL FOR

Film enthusiasts, educators, and students of physics or film studies interested in the intersection of science and cinema.

oedipa maas
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Can anybody recommend a movie about physicists or physics students? It seems that math people seem to have gotten most of the limelight in the last few years. However, there's a film coming out in April which I'm curious about:


"Dark Matter"

Dana Scully had a physics degree, but that barely ever came up on "The X-Files". In "Spiderman" Peter Parker was studying physics... But in these cases physics mostly serves as a cheap way to give a character credibility without actually being important to the character.

I'm particularly interested to hear about films where ideas from physics work as metaphors for some other aspect of the story. I can only think of a couple books which accomplish this in a very compelling way - "The Genius and the Goddess" (Aldous Huxley), "Music In A Foreign Language" (Andrew Crumey) and "The Crying of Lot 49" (Thomas Pynchon).
 
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Physics news on Phys.org
Real Genius.
 
Excuse me? How can anyone forget Christopher Lloyd as http://www.imdb.com/media/rm912824576/ch0001831" ?
“There's that word again; ‘heavy’. Why are things so heavy in the future? Is there a problem with the Earth's gravitational pull?”​
“Wait a minute, Doc. Ah... Are you telling me you built a time machine... out of a DeLorean?”
“The way I see it, if you're going to build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some style?”​

And if you're talking comic book heroes you've got yer http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reed_Richards" (awesome job Patrick Stewart!).

Going way back in the history of film, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klaatu_%28The_Day_the_Earth_Stood_Still%29" is also a physicist.

The character Sherlock Holmes is a scientist in general and spends lots of time monologuing about the scientific method. The scientist-hero http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Who" seems like he'd be classified as a physicist if anything, though he basically appears to know everything.
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And here's an http://www.imdb.com/Find?select=Plots&for=physicist" for “physicist”.
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Oh, how could I have forgotten "Back to the Future"? Thanks!

Thanks for the IMDB hint. Unfortunately there's no way to filter out the crappy films. ;-)

Here's my favourite entry so far:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0467139/plotsummary

Two story lines in one bondage film: in the first tale, Natasha and Connie both have dreams of being tied and gagged in a strange white room. Too soon, the dreams turn to reality. In the second feature, a colleague breaks into a beautiful physicist's home, ties her up and searches her office for a secret research project while the lovely damsels struggles in her bonds.
 
Whoa. Sounds like the créme de crap.
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I forgot to say, Dark Matter does look interesting. Though I'm not really in the mood for a movie about school shootings right now.
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