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Real Genius

Real Genius
Real genius.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Martha Coolidge
Produced by Brian Grazer
Robert Daley
Screenplay by Neal Israel
Pat Proft
Peter Torokvei
Story by Neal Israel
Pat Proft
Starring
Music by Thomas Newman, The Textones
Cinematography Vilmos Zsigmond
Edited by Richard Chew
Production
company
Delphi III Productions
Distributed by TriStar Pictures
Release date
  • August 7, 1985 (1985-08-07)
Running time
108 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Box office $12,952,019 (North America)

Real Genius is a 1985 science fiction comedy film directed by Martha Coolidge. The film's screenplay was written by Neal Israel, Pat Proft, and Peter Torokvei. It stars Val Kilmer and Gabriel Jarret.

The film is set on the campus of Pacific Tech, a technical university similar to Caltech. Chris Knight (Kilmer) is a genius in his senior year working on a chemical laser. Mitch Taylor (Jarret) is a new student on campus who is paired up with Knight to work on the laser.

The film received positive reviews from critics. It grossed $12,952,019 at the United States and Canadian box office.

A group of CIA officers watch a video presentation of a top-secret project called "Crossbow": a space shuttle mounted with a computer-guided laser weapon capable of incinerating a man on the ground with pinpoint accuracy. Researchers on the project have yet to devise a system to generate enough power to operate it. When it becomes clear that this weapon has no wartime applications and is intended solely for illegal assassinations, one agent decries the project as immoral and refuses to take part. The remaining agents discuss eliminating the dissenting agent before going to lunch.

Professor Jerry Hathaway meets high school student Mitch Taylor at the school's science fair. He informs Mitch that he has been admitted to Pacific Technical University, where he will room with physics "legend" Chris Knight. Hathaway is secretly developing the laser for the CIA, but instead of doing the work himself, he has his unpaid students do it, while misappropriating the project funding to remodel his house. Arriving on campus, Mitch meets Chris and is disappointed to learn that he is an irreverent slacker who spends his time pulling elaborate high tech pranks. Mitch also meets Jordan, a hyperkinetic female student, "Ick" Ikagami, a brilliant and affable foil to Chris's antics, and the mysterious Lazlo Hollyfeld, a middle-aged man who seems to be living in Mitch's closet. Hathaway's sycophantic graduate assistant Kent becomes hostile when Hathaway puts Mitch in charge of the laser project.


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