fat man and little boy be the code name of the two atomic bomb that be drop in reverse order on nagasaki and hiroshina . how these come to be and come to be in american hand be the story of this film . the term by the way be the code name of two bomb fuel with plutonium and uranium . fat man be the plutonium bomb and that one be drop on nagasaki and little boy be the one use on hiroshimathe film be primarily a conflict between general leslie r. grove of the united state army and physicist j. robert oppenheimer who lead the team of scientist who develop the bomb under grove direction . with two men from a widely divergent background a these be and conflict be inevitable . paul newman who all his life have be a disarmament activist play general grove . to his credit newman do not play a man whose view he would very little in common with a any kind of caricature . grove be a military man first and foremost with an engineering background . he want a combat command a trained military professional would naturally want in this great of war . but because of his background in engineering grove get to head the manhattan project which be what the effort be code name . so be it and newman be determine to make his contribution to the war effort count . most of u first become acquaint with dwight schultz from the a team a h. m. murdoch the pilot whose grip on reality be tenuous at best . if one be only acquaint with the a team and one might think that schultz have a great future in comic role . instead dwight schultz be one of the best actor in the english speaking world with an astonishing range of dramatic part since leave that television series . j. robert oppenheimer in life be a complex man who recognize the danger and benefit of atomic energy . the challenge of the problem also intrigue him . later on oppenheimer get into a real bind because of his left wing political view and associate which everyone know walk into the manhattan project . some of the less role that stand out be bonnie bedelia a mrs. oppenheimer and natasha richardson a oppenheimer communist mistress whose affair with oppenheimer get him in such a jackpot later on and and laura dern a a nurse at the los alamos site . but the best be john cusack who a michael merriman be a composite of some real life scientist who might accurately be label a the first casualty of the atomic age . his scene with laura dern and especially with what happen to him and take on a real poignancy . the debate over the bomb a the use put to them be still a matter of rag debate . fat man and little boy present the fact and let you decide what might have happen if an alternative use of them have be take .