IMDb > Infinity (1996)
Infinity
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user reviewsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips
Photos (see all 15 | slideshow) Videos
Infinity (1996) -- Trailerfan.com - Trailer (Flash)

Oscar Nominations    Photos    more »

Overview

User Rating:
6.1/10   991 votes
Your Rating:
Saving vote...
Deleting vote...
/10   (delete | history)
Sorry, there was a problem
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 41% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Richard Feynman (books) &
Ralph Leighton (books) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for Infinity on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
4 October 1996 (USA) more
Genre:
Plot:
Story of the early life of genius and Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman. full summary | add synopsis
NewsDesk:
Matthew Broderick: The Hollywood Interview
 (From The Hollywood Interview. 17 January 2010, 10:13 AM, PST)

User Reviews:
A gem of a small movie, told with gentleness and feeling more (28 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Matthew Broderick ... Richard Feynman
Jeffrey Force ... Young Richard

Peter Riegert ... Mel Feynman
David Drew Gallagher ... Harold

Raffi Di Blasio ... Robert (as Raffi DiBlasio)

Josh Keaton ... David (as Joshua Wiener)

Patricia Arquette ... Arline Greenbaum

James Hong ... Abacus Adder
Emerson Tran ... Kid
Melissa DeLizia ... Young Joan
Dori Brenner ... Tutti Feynman
John Hammil ... County Dr. #1
Jack Lindine ... Mr. Greenbaum
Helene Moore ... County Nurse #1
Carl Strano ... County Dr. #2
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated PG for thematic elements, mild sensuality and language.
Runtime:
119 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.66 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
USA:PG (original rating) | USA:TV-14 (TV rating) | Germany:6 | Argentina:13
Filming Locations:

Fun Stuff

Quotes:
Richard Feynman: Mathematics is a language. It's very difficult. It's subtle. You couldn't say those things any other way - and I can talk to dead people with it. I talk to Copernicus every day. more
Soundtrack:
Ugly Chile (You're Some Pretty Doll) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
15 out of 18 people found the following review useful.
A gem of a small movie, told with gentleness and feeling, 20 February 2003
Author: Tom Mehle from Minnesota

A caution: this review reveals details of the movie.

The movie "Infinity", stars Matthew Broderick who portrays the Nobel-prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman. Broderick also co-produced and directed the movie. Keeping it in the family, the screenplay was written by Matthew's mother, Patricia Broderick. The other major role, that of Feynman's first wife Arline Greenbaum, was played by Patricia Arquette.

Infinity is not a documentary about a phase in the life of Feynman the scientist, my expectation. My first impression as the movie unfolded was disappointment. I have been intrigued by Feynman the physicist and scientist since I purchased his Quantum Mechanics lectures trilogy in 1968. As the movie progressed, I saw that it isn't a movie about science; it is a movie about the heart. The point of this movie is to portray Feynman the person, and his relationship to the love of his life, Arline Greenbaum; in this it succeeds wonderfully.

A few years back, while reading one of Feynman's books, I ran across a passage which made a big impression. Feynman wrote that his children, who were raised in private schools and visited home only during holidays, were known well enough to him that if he were to meet one on the street, he would probably recognize that person as his child. That statement helped convince me to move from academia to the business world, making becoming a better father and husband my top priority. After seeing this movie, I better understand Feynman the person. The tragic loss of his first wife probably produced a life-long desire to hold personal relationships at a distance, and to make research and teaching his top priorities.

Broderick does an impressive job of directing the film. Just one example: at the moment of the death of his wife, my expectation was for there to be intrusive weepy violins. Instead, the moment moved through silence, making a more powerful statement. That scene reminded me of George Burns pulling down his shoe box of old photos from the top shelf of his closet, and looking at them quietly in "Going in Style", a scene which packed an emotional punch without resorting to violins.

There is another dimension to the two Brodericks' intelligence which surprised me: they did not botch the physics, what little there was. Nearly every Hollywood movie which has an opportunity to do so, gets the science wrong... having space ships produce impressive sounds as they move through the vacuum of space, for example. Matthew Braderick as Feynman explains beta decay to his wife using olives from his lunch in an approach worthy of the real Feynman. Also, Feyman's father explanation of inertia, in which he differentiated between being able to name it and describe it, which he could do, and understanding the "why" of it, which no one could do, was a "deep" understanding of science which Broderick portrayed with sympathy and understanding. By staying away from complex mathematics and the physics that could have been incorporated into this story, to the delight of the geeks of the world, Broderick created a movie that is accessible to all.

"Infinity" is a gem of a small movie, a love story, a true story, told with gentleness and feeling; a movie which does not overreach itself. I strongly recommend it.

Was the above review useful to you?
more (28 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Infinity (1996)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Where can I find this? Lamoidz
Amazing liberalis
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Fat Man and Little Boy October Sky A Beautiful Mind Day One Reds
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Biography section IMDb USA section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.