Infinity (film)

Infinity is a 1996 American biographical drama film about the romantic life of physicist Richard Feynman. Feynman was played by Matthew Broderick, who also directed and produced the film. Broderick's mother, Patricia Broderick, wrote the screenplay, which was based on the books Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! and What Do You Care What Other People Think?, both written by Feynman and Ralph Leighton.
==Plot==
The film follows the book What Do You Care What Other People Think? fairly closely in terms of the stories told.
The film starts in 1924 with Richard and his father Melville walking through the woods where Melville shows his scientific inspiration for Richard.
In 1934, Richard and Arline are in high school and their romantic relationship starts.
The story then jumps to his college years and Arline getting sick with lymphatic tuberculosis.
It continues to his move west to Los Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico, where Arline follows him later to a hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she dies.
The film ends with Feynman crying at the sight of the red dress Arline had pointed out.
==Cast==
Actor 	Role 	Notes
Matthew Broderick 	Richard Feynman 	
Patricia Arquette 	Arline Greenbaum 	Feynman's first wife & lover
Peter Riegert 	Melville "Mel" Feynman	Feynman's father
Dori Brenner 	Tutti Feynman 	
Peter Michael Goetz 	Dr. Murray Gell-Mann 	
Željko Ivanek 	Bill Price 	
Joyce Van Patten 	Aunt Ruth 	
James LeGros 	John Archibald Wheeler	Thesis advisor at Princeton
Jeffrey Force 	Young Richard Feynman 	
David Drew Gallagher 	Harold 	
Raffi Di Blasio 	Robert 	
Joshua Keaton 	David 	
James Hong 	Abacus Adder 	
Emerson Tran 	Kid 	
Melissa DeLizia 	Young Joan 	
John Hammil 	County Dr. #1 	
Jack Lindine 	Mr. Greenbaum 	Arline's father
Helene Moore 	County Nurse #1 	
Mary Pat Gleason 	County Dr. #2 	
Horton Foote Jr. 	Neighborhood Doctor 	
Mary Kay Wulf 	Aunt Rose 	
Laurence Haddon 	Family Doctor 	
Tom Kurlander 	Driver 	
Mark Burnham 	Passenger #1 	
Googy Gress 	Passenger #2 	
Joshua Goldin 	Passenger #3 	
Erich Anderson 	Gil 	
Matt Mulhern 	Gate Guard 	
Drew Ebersole 	Calculator Kid #1 	
John Patterson 	Stan Ivanek 	
Damion Scheller 	Calculator Kid #2 	
Joshua Malina 	Calculator Kid #3 	
Demetrius Navarro 	Calculator Kid #4 	
Cosimo Sherman 	Garo 	
Geoffrey Nauffts 	Rob 	
David Barrera 	Chepa 	
Patrick James Clarke 	Strong Fellow 	
Kirk Fox 	Mechanic 	
Marianne Muellerleile	Nurse Gracie 	
Michelle Feynman 	Sewing Girl on Train 	Cameo by Michelle, Richard Feynman's daughter (adopted)
Kristin Dattilo 	Joan Feynman 	Sister of Richard Feynman
Bill Bolender 	Isidor Rabi 	
Corbitt Smith 	Henry 	
==Production==
In 1994, Broderick said of the project, "The obvious way to structure a film about Feynman would be to open with the Challenger disaster: The crazy old genius comes along and figures everything out, then he drifts into a reverie along the lines of 'A long time ago I met a girl.. . .' We didn't do that, because we want this to be an intimate movie and thought focusing on one period of his life that includes the invention of the bomb and the death of his first wife was enough."
Broderick later said in 1997, "It was a difficult job and took four years from start to finish."
==Reception==
The film has a 62% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Roger Ebert awarded the film three stars. Leonard Maltin awarded it two and a half stars.
Emanuel Levy of Variety gave the film a negative review and described the film as "a flawed movie that suffers from a weak performance by Patricia Arquette." On the other hand, John Krewson of The A.V. Club gave it a positive review and wrote that "saps, scientific or otherwise, will enjoy it."
Category:1990s romantic drama films
Category:1996 films
Category:American biographical drama films
Category:American romantic drama films
Category:American films
Category:Biographical films about scientists
Category:Films directed by Matthew Broderick
Category:Films shot in New Mexico
Category:Films shot in New Jersey
Category:Richard Feynman
Category:Films about the Manhattan Project
Category:Films scored by Bruce Broughton
Category:Directorial debut films
Category:1990s drama films
Category:Films produced by Joel Soisson