Favourite representation of science/scientists on feature film?
Scott Keir
Sunday, 16 March 2008 22:55 UTC
Inspired tangentially by Jennifer Rohn’s post – what’s your favourite representation of science/scientists in the movies, the feature film?
Jennifer’s blog reminded me of Sally Potter’s Yes, which features as its lead, a successful female molecular biologist. She’s smart, interesting, there’s even a bit where they touch on her ethical stance. And, to add Nature Network London topicality to it, they filmed some of it at the Advanced Biotechnology Centre, Imperial College, London – well, they’re thanked in the credits, so…
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I’m rather partial to a particular scene: Robin Williams as Dr. Sayer in Awakenings (of course, based on Oliver Sacks’ book, so he’s actually Sacks there) in the scene where he talks (quite excitedly) about years of research he did on worms, but in the end nothing worked…
Depressing, maybe, but it’s kind of realistic.
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We’re making a rather lazy effort to keep track of films on the Lab Lit List, but as novels are the main focus, we’ve missed a few. Thanks for some new ideas – and you can check out the List for a few others not mentioned here, keeping in mind that we don’t track SF (ruling out Doc, alas).
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I saw The Andromeda Strain recently – somehow makes microscopes very cool and slightly scary! Really interesting and exciting film though and lots of (reasonably) accurate science (it is about alien matter though…). It’s nice because the science is the focus and not just a side story.
Pi is a good shout too :-)
Can’t believe no-one mentioned Flubber! Ahem…
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Oh Flubber!! The version with Robin Williams as a mad scientist was totally awesome. I think there was an original from the 60s too. My apologies if I’m randomly jumping in on the discussion! I can’t think of other films that feature scientists, besides ones that really stretch it (i.e. the Hulk, featuring a genetically modified scientist and Outbreak, starring an ebola-like virus on the rampage). However, I’m enjoying a new tv show/sitcom called “the Big Bang Theory,” that makes fun of a group of physicists at Cal Tech. It’s full of scientific humour and puns.
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