WarGames

About WarGames

WarGames is a classic sci-fi film directed by John Badham. Released in 1983, the movie follows the story of a young computer whiz kid, David, who unwittingly hacks into a top-secret government supercomputer codenamed, WOPR. David, thinking he's playing grand-scale computer games, inadvertently precipitates a potential WWIII scenario by challenging WOPR to a game of "Global Thermonuclear War".

Making / Production

The film was produced by MGM and directed by John Badham. The screenplay was written by Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes. The idea for the movie was inspired by a 1979 incident in which a system operator found a game named "war game" that had been loaded into the system network by a remote user.

Actors

• Matthew Broderick as David Lightman: Matthew gave a masterful performance as the unwitting hacker, bringing vigor, curiosity, and youthfulness to the role.
• Dabney Coleman as Dr. John McKittrick: Dabney played the role of not quite villain but merely ambitious programmer who designed WOPR.
• Ally Sheedy as Jennifer Mack: Ally was Matthew's classmate and girlfriend, supporting him and adding to the excitement of the unfolding drama.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The logon sequence used in the film is now one of the most misquoted phrases in movie history. It is often remembered as "Would you like to play a game?" although it is actually "Shall we play a game?"
• The film was influenced by an actual event in 1979, when a 12-year-old boy, Kevin Mitnick, hacked into the computer systems of DEC and stole their latest operating system.

Awards

WarGames was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Original Score. In addition, it is recognized as a seminal film in the hacker and sci-fi genres.

Quotes

• "Shall we play a game?" - WOPR (Computer)
• "It's not a game, it's real!" - David Lightman (Matthew Broderick)

Music, Soundtrack

• "Video Fever" by The Beepers
• "History Lesson" by The Beepers
• "WarGames" by Arthur B. Rubinstein