I think I would appreciate that movie far more. I think that learning about the entire process of what the group went through would be more interesting than trying to understand the intrigue and drama around this one man. Thank you for recommending that.
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The classic book about the Manhattan Project and the race to build the first atomic bomb is The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes.
If you read the first volume of Richard Feynman’s autobiography, Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman, he discusses his experiences at Los Alamos. Among other things, he made a hobby of safe-cracking and broke into every single safe and vault in Los Alamos.
Feynman has a very tragic backstory. He partially joined the Manhattan Project because his young wife, Arline, had TB. At the time there was no medical treatment for tuberculosis. The only treatment was rest and clean air. New Mexico had numerous sanatariums and moving Arline to one was her only hope. She entered a sanatarium in Albuquerque while Richard worked in Los Alamos. The full details of their relationship are in Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman by James Glieck. Arline didn’t survive the war.
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Those sound like some fantastic books, particularly the one about Feynman. Such a difficult thing for him to do, and while his wife was so ill, also.
Edit to add, I just bought the Feynman book. Reading the reviews, what a character!
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Feynman’s critics (and some of his admirers) always said that Feynman greatest achievement was…Feynman.
He was a real character.
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I thought the one thing everyone knows about Feynman was that he played the bongos. Hence him doing that in the background in a couple of scenes, though I’m not sure he actually played them in WW2?
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I agree. I really liked it a lot, but didn’t love it like many. I found it amusing and fun. I got the main message, but the Will Farrell stuff was ridiculous and not well done.
But as far as a Barbie movie, it probably couldn’t have been better.
I played with Barbie’s until I was 12, but never any of the professional career type Barbie’s. Mine were always the iconic one with just a lot of dresses, always making out with Ken.
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D and I saw Barbie today. We both enjoyed it and neither felt the messaging was too much. D commented that the people who really need to see this are likely the people who won’t.
It was fun, though. The theater was sold out - lots of women, some men. lots of pink. I was surprised by the number of preteen and younger girls as I felt it wasn’t aimed at kids.
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I’m taking my mom and niece to see Barbie on Tuesday, I know they’ll love it. My husband wanted to see it (for a second time), and I could only get him a seat behind us. He is being a good sport about that, though. It’s amazing how it’s still hard to get seats at this movie!
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Holy cow! Barbie is still going strong!
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I told H that I may see Barbie again with a friend who is dying to see it. (I saw it with my 80 year old mom last week.)
He looked at me and said, “I’ll see it with you if you want to see it again”.
Had to break it to him that I wanted to go with my friend first! And that it wasn’t about seeing it again per se, but helping another friend go and enjoy it, too.
(And yes, he has a thing for Margot Robbie, lol!)
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Not to be a downer on this wonderfully upbeat thread, but my son told me that internet ■■■■■■ have been making disparaging comments about Florence Pugh’s body. My son said this is nothing new, but the nude scene in the movie just gave it fresh legs.
This is very disappointing.
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How ironic (not) in a national time of pop culture of these two movies where one of them (Barbie) takes a stand on the microscope that women endure in terms of there body, career, etc.
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Went to see Barbie movie yesterday with DD and DH. I think about 90% of the audience were women. DH only fell asleep once during the first part of the movie which was my least favorite as well. And after that it was so good that it made perfect sense that this movie is so successful. Now I want to see more movies of this director. I don’t think there were any dry eyes in the audience as we were leaving.
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You must see Lady Bird. My one son raved about this movie and then we watched it together. You won’t be disappointed.
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At the end of America Ferrara’s tirade, all the women in our theater cheered. It was such a feel good moment!
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I saw Feynman acting in Lady’s Not for Burning when my husband was at Caltech! His autobiography - especially the first volume - is wonderful reading. You don’t need to be a science nerd.
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Thought this was interesting. A map showing whether Barbie or Oppenheimer is more popular in a state. I know this is not a Political thread, but was amused by the correlation to voting patterns.
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Is it voting patterns?
Oppenheimer interest seems correlated to science, especially places in the movie (NM obviously, also WA, CA, NJ, DC/VA).
Barbie interest seems correlated to places where sororities are a big deal (SEC schools)
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I’m somewhat surprised that Barbie is generally more popular in those states than Oppenheimer. You would have thought there would be the usual suspects crying “woke” about a movie that shows female empowerment in the Barbie world, and that some would boycott it. Maybe it’s okay as long as it stays in Barbie land.
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That’s the thing. It’s not a woke move. It’s very tastefully walking the line not to be called that. Very well done move
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