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Engineer's Companion
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Engineer as Hero
Copyright 1995-2003 by Ron Graham

Ron's Ratings

5 How can you call yourself an engineer if you haven't seen this one? A action/adventure M mystery
4 Worth seeing unless you have something important to do. C comedy R romance
3 Flip a coin. D drama S suspense
2 Not worth seeing unless you have nothing else to do. HD historical drama SF science fiction/fantasy
1 Bleah. H horror TV made for TV, mini-series
0 Never mind watching it. This is a movie that should not have been MADE. K kids W war
    Mu musical We western

Currently, I'm recommending October Sky as the best "engineer as hero" movie EVER.
And A Bug's Life as the best "engineer as hero" movie for kids EVER.
Though Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events is coming on strong.

The WORST "engineer as hero" movie ever made is no doubt The Center of the World. The hero is both an engineer and an entrepreneur pretty much in name only. It's a porn film. That's what it's about.
On the other hand, Van Helsing (Reviewed) is so bad we won't name it in our house. Kind of like the way theater actors call Macbeth "the Scottish play." We call Van Helsing "the Transylvanian flick."

Alec Guinness and Jimmy Stewart are IMPO history's most engineer-friendly actors, followed closely by Joe Morton.
And Michael Douglas is history's most engineer-unfriendly, followed closely by Jeff Goldblum and John Wayne.
Speaking of Jeff Goldblum, I must point out that Internet sources are saying that the movie tagline "Be afraid. Be very afraid." first appeared in "The Fly," where it was spoken by Geena Davis. So although "The Fly" is typical of Goldblum's engineer-as-hero work -- far from one of my favorites -- it does have this piece of American cultural history credited to it. :-)

Don't trust me? You shouldn't. Each movie includes a link to Internet Movie Database (imdb.com) reviews. Get a second opinion.

Movie As the/an Engineer
(or something close)
Genre Year Ron
Says
IMDB
#
Rating
1408 Isiah Whitlock Jr. H/S 2007
3
0450385 PG-13
The Abyss Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio SF 1989
2
0096754 PG-13
The African Queen Humphrey Bogart D 1951
3
0043265 unrated
Anaconda the snake (villain; one HECK of an engineered system -- would have gotten more points for eating Jennifer Lopez) H 1997
1
0118615 PG-13
Antitrust Ryan Phillippe, Rachael Leigh Cook, Tim Robbins (villain), Yee Jee Tso S 2001
1
0218817 PG-13
Apollo 13 Tom Hanks, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris, Loren Dean D 1995
5
0112384 PG
Arlington Road Tim Robbins (villain) D/S 1999
4
0137363 R
Armageddon Billy Bob Thornton, Jason Isaacs, Peter Stormare SF/A 1998
2
0120591 PG-13
Around the World in 80 Days Steve Coogan SF/A 2004
0
0327437 PG
Austin Powers: the Spy who Shagged Me Mike Myers (villain) C/A 1999
4
0145660 PG-13
The Aviator Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Ross HD/A 2004
5
0338751 PG-13
Back to the Future Christopher Lloyd SF 1985
5
0088763 PG
Batman Begins Morgan Freeman A 2005
4
0372784 PG-13
Belles on Their Toes Myrna Loy D/Mu 1952
3
0044410 unrated
Birdman of Alcatraz Burt Lancaster HD 1995
4
0055798 unrated
Body and Soul Kristin Scott Thomas D/TV 1995
5
0108711 unrated mature
Box of Moonlight John Turturro C/D 1996
4
0115738 R
Boys and Girls Freddie Prinze Jr., Heather Donahue R/C 2000
2
0204175 PG-13
Breaking the Code Derek Jacobi D/M/TV 1996
4
0115749 unrated mature
The Bridge Over the River Kwai Alec Guinness W 1957
4
0050212 PG
A Bug's Life Dave Foley K 1998
5
0120623 PG
The Center of the World Peter Sarsgaard D 2001
0
0240402 unrated
mature
Chairman of the Board Carrot Top C 1998
0
0118836 PG-13
Challenger Karen Allen, Peter Boyle, Joe Morton, several others HD (TV) 1990
NR
0099237 PG-13
Cheaper By the Dozen Clifton Webb, Myrna Loy C 1950
4
0042327 unrated
Chicken Run Julia Sawalha K/A 2000
3
0120630 PG
The China Syndrome Jack Lemmon, Wilford Brimley D 1979
3
0078966 PG
Chinatown Darrell Zwerling M 1974
3
0071315 R
Chip 'n Dale's Rescue Rangers to the Rescue (animated) K 1989
NR
0200528 G
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Dick Van Dyke K/C 1965
3
0062803 G
Colossus: The Forbin Project Eric Braeden (villain) SF 1969
1
0064177 PG
Contact John Hurt, Jodie Foster SF 1997
4
0118884 PG
The Core Aaron Eckhart, DJ Qualls SF/A 2003
2
0298814 PG-13
The Dam Busters Michael Redgrave W 1954
5
0046889 unrated
The Day The Earth Stood Still Michael Rennie SF 1951
5
0043456 G
Death Machine Brad Dourif (villain) SF 1994
1
0109575 R
Deep Blue Sea Michael Rapaport H 1999
1
0149261 R
Deep Core Terry Farrell SF 2000
1
0202314 PG-13
Desk Set Spencer Tracy, Katherine Hepburn C 1957
3
0050307 unrated
Die Hard Clarence Gilyard, Jr. (villain) A 1988
4
0095016 R
Disclosure Michael Douglas, Dennis Miller, Suzie Plakson S 1994
1
0109635 R
The Dish Patrick Warburton HD 2000
4
0205873 PG-13
Edison the Man Spencer Tracy HD 1940
2
0032432 unrated
Efficiency Expert Anthony Hopkins C 1991
2
0102969 PG
Eight Below Jason Biggs K 2006
3
0397313 PG
Eight Legged Freaks David Arquette SF/C 2002
3
0271367 PG-13
Enemy of the State Gene Hackman A 1998
3
0120660 R
The Emerald Forest Powers Boothe D 1985
2
0089087 unrated
The Englishman who Went Up a Hill and Came Down a Mountain Hugh Grant C/D 1995
3
0112966 PG
Ever After Patrick Godfrey SF/K 1998
5
0120631 PG
Executive Decision Joe Morton, Oliver Platt A 1996
2
0116253 R
eXistenZ Jennifer Jason Leigh, Ian Holm (villain) SF 1999
3
0120907 R
Falling Down Michael Douglas (villain) D 1993
0
0106856 R
Falling in Love Robert DeNiro D 1984
NR
0087233 PG-13
Fat Man and Little Boy Paul Newman, Dwight Schultz, John Cusack HD 1989
3
0097336 PG-13
Fighting Seabees John Wayne W 1944
1
0036824 unrated mature
Fire: Trapped on the 37th Floor (engineer unknown at this time) D (TV) 1991
NR
0101881 PG-13
Firewall Harrison Ford, Mary Lynn Rajskub A 2006
3
0408345 PG-13
Five Million Years to Earth (Quatermass and the Pit) Julian Glover, Andrew Keir SF 1967
NR
0062168 unrated
Flight of the Phoenix Jimmy Stewart, Hardy Kruger D 1965
5
0059183 unrated mature
Flightplan Jodie Foster A 2005
3
0408790 PG-13
The Fly Jeff Goldblum SF 1986
2
0091064 R
Fly Away Home Jeff Daniels K/D 1996
3
0116329 PG
Forbidden Planet Richard Anderson, Robby the Robot :-) SF 1956
5
0049223 G
Gattaca Ethan Hawke SF 1997
3
0119177 PG-13
The Ghost and the Darkness Val Kilmer M/A 1996
5
0116409 R
The Glass Bottom Boat Rod Taylor C 1966
3
0060463 unrated
Goldeneye Alan Cumming (villain), Izabella Scorupco A/M 1995
3
0113189 PG-13
The Great Race Jack Lemmon (villain) A/C 1965
3
0059243 unrated
Gremlins Hoyt Axton SF 1984
4
0087363 PG
Gung Ho Michael Keaton C 1986
3
0091159 PG-13
Hackers Jonny Lee Miller, Angelina Jolie SF/S 1995
1
0113243 PG-13
Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets Mark Williams SF/S 1995
4
0295297 PG
Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves Rick Moranis K/C 1997
2
0119310 PG
Inspector Gadget Rupert Everett (villain), Joely Fisher K/SF 1999
1
0141369 PG
Into the Night Jeff Goldblum C/A 1985
0
0089346 R
The Italian Job Seth Green C/A 2003
4
0317740 PG-13
Jurassic Park Jeff Goldblum, Samuel L. Jackson, Wayne Knight (villain) SF/A 1993
3
0107290 PG-13
Kansas Pacific Sterling Hayden, Harry Shannon W/HD 1953
4
0045954 approved
Kate & Leopold Hugh Jackman R/C 2001
3
0035423 PG-13
A Knight's Tale Laura Fraser A/C 2001
2
0183790 PG-13
Lara Croft, Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life Noah Taylor A 2003
2
0325703 PG-13
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Naseeruddin Shah A 2003
3
0311429 PG-13
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events Emily Browning K 2004
5
0339291 PG
Lorenzo's Oil Nick Nolte D 1992
2
0104756 PG-13
Lost in Space Jack Johnson, Jared Harris SF/A 1998
2
0120738 unrated
Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines Terry-Thomas (villain) A/C 1965
3
0059797 unrated
The Man in the White Suit Alec Guinness D 1952
5
0044876 unrated
Mission: Impossible Emilio Estevez A 1996
2
0117060 PG
Mr. Mom Michael Keaton C 1986
3
0085970 PG
The Mosquito Coast Harrison Ford (villain?) D 1986
4
0091557 PG
Jules Verne's Mysterious Island Patrick Stewart, Kyle MacLachlan, Roy Marsden SF/TV 1961
1
0448965 PG
Mysterious Island Michael Craig, Herbert Lom (villain?) A 1961
3
0055207 PG
The Net Sandra Bullock M/A 1995
2
0113957 PG-13
No Highway in the Sky Jimmy Stewart D 1951
5
0043859 unrated
October Sky Jake Gyllenhaal HD 1999
5
0132477 PG
Office Space Ron Livingston, David Herman, Ajay Naidu C 1999
5
0151804 R
On the Beach Gregory Peck, Fred Astaire SF/D 1959
5
0053137 PG
Paycheck Ben Affleck SF/M 2003
5
0338337 PG-13
The Prestige David Bowie D 2006
4
482571 PG-13
Primer Shane Carruth D 2004
2
0390384 PG-13
Real Genius Val Kilmer, Michelle Meyrink C 1985
3
0089886 PG
Red Planet Val Kilmer, Carrie-Anne Moss SF 2000
3
0199753 PG-13
Richie Rich Michael McShane K 1994
3
0110989 PG
Ridicule Charles Berling D 1996
NR
0117477 R
Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves Morgan Freeman A 1991
3
0102798 PG-13
The Rocketeer Alan Arkin, Terry O'Quinn A 1991
4
0102803 PG-13
Rodan Kenji Sahara SF 1957
3
0049782 PG-13
Schindler's List Ben Kingsley, Liam Neeson HD 1993
4
0108052 R
The Scorpion King Bernard Hill A 2002
3
0277296 PG-13
Serenity Jewel Staite SF/A 2005
5
0379786 PG-13
Shooting Fish Stuart Townsend (villain?) R/C 1997
NR
0120122 PG
Short Circuit Steve Guttenberg, Fisher Stevens C 1986
3
0091949 PG (ha!)
Sneakers Ben Kingsley (villain) M 1992
3
0105435 PG-13
Space Cowboys Marcia Gay Harden, Donald Sutherland, Loren Dean (villain) C/D 2000
4
0186566 PG-13
The Specials Jim Zulevic C/SF 2000
4
0181836 R
Spider-Man Willem Dafoe (villain) A 2002
4
0145487 PG-13
Spider-Man 2 Alfred Molina (villain) SF/A 2004
4
0316654 PG-13
Spitfire Leslie Howard, Ralph Bellamy W 1942
1
0034734 unrated
Spy Kids Alan Cumming (villain) K/A 2001
3
0227538 PG
Stand and Deliver Edward James Olmos D 1987
4
0094027 PG
Star Trek: First Contact LeVar Burton, James Cromwell SF 1996
2
0117731 PG-13
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home James Doohan SF/A 1986
4
0092007 PG
Steamboy Anne Suzuki (Japanese version), Anna Paquin (English version)