It is probably impossible for Hollywood to produce a good movie, or in this case mini-series, about the Manhattan Project without devolving into a debate about morality. A solid start to "Day One" was ruined by what became endless moralizing between the characters. I was hoping for a detailed movie about the Manhattan Project and the development of the first atomic bomb, and instead got a simplistic, contrived, high school level argument between the those against the bomb (obviously the good guys), and those who wanted to use the bomb (obviously the bad guys). We have all heard the morality of atomic warfare debated countless times, ad nauseum, we didn't need a movie about it as well.
There were some good performances in this drama, that were rather wasted. Brian Dennehy was very solid as the driven and goal oriented General Leslie Groves, even if the writers were guilty of turning the General into more a of caricature than a real person. David Strathairn was believable as the stressed out J. Robert Oppenheimer. The tragic hero of the piece, Leo Szilard, was performed well by Michael Tucker.
The Manhattan Project is still awaiting that great movie that will walk us through one of the most remarkable, if diabolical, accomplishments of mankind. Sadly, Day One was not it.
There were some good performances in this drama, that were rather wasted. Brian Dennehy was very solid as the driven and goal oriented General Leslie Groves, even if the writers were guilty of turning the General into more a of caricature than a real person. David Strathairn was believable as the stressed out J. Robert Oppenheimer. The tragic hero of the piece, Leo Szilard, was performed well by Michael Tucker.
The Manhattan Project is still awaiting that great movie that will walk us through one of the most remarkable, if diabolical, accomplishments of mankind. Sadly, Day One was not it.