THE MANHATTAN PROJECT (1986)
This is a nifty, intelligent and not-too-serious thriller from 1986 about a bright teenager (Christopher Collett) who builds his own atomic bomb. It was directed and co-written by Marshall Brickman, who co-wrote Annie Hall and, coincidentally, Manhattan.
Collett was sort of typecast as the socially adjusted teen genius in the ‘80s, and this film proves why. He’s perfect in the part. The film also features John Lithgow as the scientist dating Collett’s mom, a young Cynthia Nixon as Collett’s girlfriend and John Mahoney as the unyielding military man. Brickman also delivers a nice twist on the old which-wire-do-we-cut routine. (1986; 117 min; Rated PG-13) - [imdb]