Since this is my first of these series of posts, let’s start with what’s on my homepage. I worked for Val Kilmer from 2012-2014. During this time, he embodied Mark Twain in his one-man show, Citizen Twain. The show toured Southern California. I’m writing this while watching an episode of Cheers. (You could say I am stuck in the past, no. It’s nostalgic for me.) Anyhow, in this episode, ironically Woody Harrelson’s character is playing Mark Twain. I love hermetic synchronicities!
This video is from the film Real Genius about a group of brilliant, quirky students at a fictional university, Pacific Tech, which is basically Caltech on steroids. Val Kilmer, in one of his most iconic and charming roles, plays Chris Knight, the senior wunderkind on campus. He’s a bona fide genius who has become completely disillusioned with the academic pressure cooker and now channels his intellect into elaborate pranks and mentoring younger students on how to actually enjoy life.
He’s tasked with rooming with and mentoring a new 15-year-old recruit, Mitch Taylor, who is all brains and no social graces. The plot revolves around a powerful laser they are building for their smug professor, Jerry Hathaway. They believe it’s a pure research project, but they soon uncover a sinister truth: Hathaway has secretly contracted with the military to turn their creation into a weapon for a space-based assassination program called “Crossbow.” What follows is one of the greatest cinematic revenge plots of the 80s. Faced with a moral dilemma—seeing their pure science perverted for destruction—the students don’t just protest; they get even. The finale involves precise calculations, a giant tub of Jiffy Pop, and a house filled to the rafters with popcorn. It’s a brilliant, non-violent, and utterly satisfying takedown of corrupt authority.
So, where does this all connect? A genius scientist in a movie, a historical humorist on stage, and a sitcom character playing dress-up. It’s the thread of irreverent genius. Mark Twain used his sharp wit to satirize the greed, corruption, and absurdity of his time. In Real Genius, Chris Knight does the same, not with a pen, but with lasers and popcorn. Both are rebels who use their intelligence to challenge a system they see as foolish and immoral. Seeing Val Kilmer transition from the anarchic joy of Chris Knight to the thoughtful gravitas of Mark Twain years later was a testament to his incredible range. Perhaps that’s why these old films and shows stick with us. They’re not just relics of the past. They’re little packages of ideas that remain surprisingly relevant. A good story, whether it’s about a boy on the Mississippi or a boy in a lab, reminds us to question authority, to find the joy in what we do, and to never, ever let the “Hathaways” of the world win.
Leave a Reply