Anyway the "geek fiction" movies are dear to me, because of the enduring pursuit of the truth, the admirable female lead is a leading scientist in her field, and I like the hard science the screen writers have woven into the fabric of the story. Anyway here's the lo-down. Who is the geek, what is the subject matter of expertise, and what is she wearing.
Proof - Gwyneth Paltrow is the Math geek.
Contact - Jodie Foster is the Astrophysicist or RF Engineer geek
The Saint - Elisabeth Shue is the Electrochemist geek
Thor - Natalie Portman is the Electric Storm Chaser geek
Miss Congeniality - Sandra Bullock is a geek in the FBI who ends up in the Miss America Pageant.
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| Cosmic Background RF for SETI Research, by Freescia |
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| SETI - Steerable Antenna was Tracking! by Freescia |
She searches the air waves for clues in the galaxy about extra terrestrial life. You see the huge low frequency antenna arrays and the SETI computer algorithms in the movie, as well as the inspiration and legacy of her loving father; a little girl who speaks into the universe, Daddy, CQ are you out there? Blueprints and design documents to build an enormous space apparatus are intercepted from an RF transmission, possibly originating from aliens. The UN or some global entity led by the US must select one candidate to represent mankind on a journey to meet the aliens. A romantic interest is a man of faith and forbidden love, who questions her convictions of atheism and scientific proof. She is catapulted into a journey that seems only too real and symbolic, yet when she returns to earth, one can only rely on faith to prove it ever happened.
Most Memorable Wardrobe: Space Suit, silver locket from her father. More fact and fiction on the movie.
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| It is the same antenna, just tracking... by Freescia, Australia 2008. |
There is more to the back story of the main character Val Kilmer plays, but I am most interested in his attempted theft of the secret of Cold Fusion from a top nuclear scientist, the smart and beautiful Dr Emma. Fact: In 1992, two chemists in England Ponds and Fleischman had claimed to discover cold fusion, supposed heat energy released when hydrogen atoms bonded together on a palladium rod, after electrolysis of water. Of course it was all a myth or a flop that generated more controversy than real nuclear energy at room temperature. The movie was exploiting the hype which unfortunately may have also contributed to the movie being a flop. Despite that, I still enjoyed it as an action movie with some romance. I was really drawn to the movie because I was an impressionable Grade 7 student when Cold Fusion came about. In fact, I am not embarrassed to admit that my science fair partner and I actually tried to replicate this experiment and we were expecting some big flash or amazing event at the moment of "fusing hydrogen atoms together". Fiction: The movie finishes with the world being saved from an evil person in Russia owning unlimited nuclear energy because the secret formula is openly shared, on live TV, or in today's world that would be Wikipedia.
Most Memorable Wardrobe: White lab coat, and a white sweater dress (the kind from Victoria's Secret)
Movie: THOR
The god of Thunder is cast down to earth, generating an epic electromagetic disturbance on earth. Two female storm chasers and their stern father find a mortal man with amazing abs unconscious and discover he is an old soul who has lost his superpowers but not his fury. The US government confiscates her notebook with all the information about the storm's origin and coordinates. He fights off all the armed guards with the same double-leg kick each time (how about a new dance move?) and retrieves the notebook for her. In the end, his power is restored but in order to save mankind he chooses to leave his beloved on earth. She is a storm chaser and more determined than ever to find him again.
Most Memorable Wardrobe: I missed the bubble bath scene I saw in the trailers. Otherwise, it would have to be the oversized plaid shirts and think warm jackets. I think they spent more money on the Asgard costume set.
Movie: MISS CONGENIALITY
A geeky FBI agent is chosen to infiltrate the Miss America Pageant to halt a plot to assassinate Miss America. The US government enlists enough staff to fill an abandoned aircraft hangar to transform her into a super model to fit the role. She hits the mark, and even survives a beating with a bouquet of roses by the real Miss America and they remain best friends. She keeps the job for another movie while famously keeping her guns in an expensive Fendi.
Most Memorable Wardrobe: agent in black pant suits and greasy hair, later tripping in high heels; Bavarian bar maid tackles man in cowboy hat.
Movie: PROOF
I had first seen the theatre adaptation of the book, "Proof" long before it was made into a movie, at the Ottawa Little Theatre years ago actually. From my memory, it is a charming and heart-warming story bout a grieving daughter who happens to be a stellar math student, stumbles upon a prized collection of her late father's math notebooks. He is a professor of Mathematics at a prestigious university and there is another hot-looking grad student looking for access to the notebooks as well. The notebooks are precious because it contains an elaborate formula or proof for a very significant theorem of sorts. There are appearances and visitations; in a theatre setting the border between reality and imagination seem to blend, and it all seems so logical mathematically until at the end you really discover the truth. Poof! How do you prove that something you believe truly existed?
Most Memorable Wardrobe: Nothing out of the ordinary, I only remember the baggy jeans.
Just an odd observation, why is it that every movie about a clever guy or girl, highly skilled in math, is usually someone who ends up with a borderline case of insanity or other medical condition? Think of Rainman, A Beautiful Mind, even Proof. Why couldn't people just be geeks without further explanation?
Anyways, I found another great click the link for more website math in the movies! I hope you really enjoyed reading this post. What is your favorite movie? Please comment!
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