US (1983): Thriller/War

Cute but silly, this 1983 cautionary fantasy stars Matthew Broderick as a teenage computer genius who hacks into the Pentagon's defense system and sets World War III into motion. All the fun is in the film's set-up, as Broderick befriends Ally Sheedy and starts the international crisis by pretending while online to be the Soviet Union. After that, it's not hard to predict what's going to happen: government agents swoop in, but the story ends up in the "hands" of machines talking to one another. Thus we're stuck with flashing lights, etc. John Badham directs in strict potboiler mode. Kids still like this movie, though. (MGM) (Tom Keogh, Amazon.com)

· Writing (Best Screenplay written directly for the screen) 1983: Lawrence Lasker, Walter F. Parkes
· Cinematography 1983: William A. Fraker
· Sound 1983: Michael J. Kohut, Carlos DeLarios, Aaron Rochin, Willie D. Burton

3 nominations