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''Young Einstein'' is a 1988 Australian
comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...
written, produced, directed by and starring Yahoo Serious. It is a fantasized account of the life of
Albert Einstein Albert Einstein (14 March 187918 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist who is best known for developing the theory of relativity. Einstein also made important contributions to quantum mechanics. His mass–energy equivalence f ...
which alters all people, places and circumstances of his life, including relocating the
theoretical physicist Theoretical physics is a branch of physics that employs mathematical models and abstractions of physical objects and systems to rationalize, explain, and predict natural phenomena. This is in contrast to experimental physics, which uses experi ...
to Australia, having him splitting the atom with a chisel, and inventing
rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
and
surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suita ...
. Although highly successful in Australia, and winning an award from the Australian Film Institute Awards, it was poorly received by critics in the United States. At the APRA Music Awards of 1990, the soundtrack won Most Performed Australasian Work for Film.


Plot

Albert Einstein Albert Einstein (14 March 187918 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist who is best known for developing the theory of relativity. Einstein also made important contributions to quantum mechanics. His mass–energy equivalence f ...
, the son of an apple farmer in
Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...
in the early 1900s, is interested in physics rather than the family business. His father shows him his grandfather's "laboratory", a remote shed where he made beer. His father tells him that they have tried for years to introduce bubbles to beer, saying that the person who can will change the world forever. After heavy drinking, Einstein postulates the theory of
mass–energy equivalence In physics, mass–energy equivalence is the relationship between mass and energy in a system's rest frame. The two differ only by a multiplicative constant and the units of measurement. The principle is described by the physicist Albert Einstei ...
(E=MC2) as a formula to split beer atoms to create bubbles in beer. After spending all night preparing, he splits a beer atom (with hammer and chisel), which causes the shed to explode. After Einstein excitedly shows his parents the formula and a glass of beer with bubbles in it, his father encourages him to head to the Australian mainland and patent the formula. On a train to Sydney, he meets
Marie Curie Maria Salomea Skłodowska-Curie (; ; 7 November 1867 – 4 July 1934), known simply as Marie Curie ( ; ), was a Polish and naturalised-French physicist and chemist who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity. She was List of female ...
, a Polish-French scientist studying at the University of Sydney, and Preston Preston, the pompous manager of the Sydney Patent Office. Marie is fascinated by Einstein, while Preston is annoyed by him. In Sydney, Einstein lodges in a whorehouse and finds that the patent office will not accept scientific theories. Einstein leaves and meets Marie at the university, only to upset her professor by erasing his work and writing his own theory. Though he is thrown out, Marie becomes more taken with him. Preston attempts to woo Marie with his upper-class lifestyle. During a performance at a social club, she mentions her interest in Einstein's theory. Jealous, Preston has his clerk call Einstein in to take his formula for safe keeping. Preston turns the formula over to the Bavarian Brothers, a pair of brewmasters who intend to use the formula to get rich. As Einstein invents
rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
and the electric violin, he begins a romance with Marie. While at a beach, he demonstrates surfing for her. As they leave, Marie wishes the moment could last forever. Inspired, Einstein comes up with the
theory of relativity The theory of relativity usually encompasses two interrelated physics theories by Albert Einstein: special relativity and general relativity, proposed and published in 1905 and 1915, respectively. Special relativity applies to all physical ph ...
on the spot, amazing Marie. As they return to the hotel, the clerk tells him that Preston is creating a keg using his formula. When Einstein protests, the Bavarian Brothers claim that Einstein is insane and have him committed. Einstein's electric violin is destroyed, and he is kept isolated. Marie confronts Preston, who says Einstein would have done nothing with his work and he is trying to help people. Marie infiltrates the institution as Einstein's father confronts Einstein in the shower room, and reveals Preston's plot. When Einstein expresses helplessness, Marie leaves disappointed. Einstein rebuilds his violin into an
electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external electric Guitar amplifier, sound amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar. It uses one or more pickup (music technology), pickups ...
, uses it to short out the security system, and escapes. Upon finding she has returned to France, Einstein sails a small steamboat to France and wins her back by promising to stop Preston. They use the Curie family hot air balloon and head to the Nobel ceremony in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
that night, attended by many inventors and scientific luminaries.
Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English Natural history#Before 1900, naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all speci ...
announces Preston is the winner of this year's
Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...
for his beer bubble discovery. Einstein interrupts Preston's speech and questions if Preston knows what happens when an atom is split. When Darwin realizes that Preston has unknowingly built an atomic bomb, he orders Preston to stop. Preston scoffs at the warning and starts the keg, which starts shaking and building up pressure. Einstein attaches his guitar to the keg to drain it despite Marie's warning that this will kill him. Einstein plays a guitar riff, which causes the keg to lose power. Preston attempts to kill Einstein, but Marie knocks him unconscious. Einstein radiates pure energy, which causes a massive feedback, then an explosion. As the smoke clears, Einstein is revealed to be unharmed. He and Marie kiss as the assembled crowd cheers while Preston had been escorted out and committed. He returns to Tasmania with the keg and the Nobel Prize. He tells his family that he will give his formula to the world instead of keeping it for personal gain. Marie questions what will happen if governments use that formula to create atomic weapons. Einstein naively expresses his trust in the governments of the world, announces he has learned a new theory, and then plays a rock and roll song.


Cast

* Yahoo Serious as
Albert Einstein Albert Einstein (14 March 187918 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist who is best known for developing the theory of relativity. Einstein also made important contributions to quantum mechanics. His mass–energy equivalence f ...
* Odile Le Clezio as
Marie Curie Maria Salomea Skłodowska-Curie (; ; 7 November 1867 – 4 July 1934), known simply as Marie Curie ( ; ), was a Polish and naturalised-French physicist and chemist who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity. She was List of female ...
* John Howard as Preston Preston * Ian "Peewee" Wilson as Mr. Einstein * Su Cruickshank as Mrs. Einstein * Lulu Pinkus as The Blonde * Kaarin Fairfax as The Brunette * Jonathan Coleman as Wolfgang Bavarian * Basil Clarke as
Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English Natural history#Before 1900, naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all speci ...
* Steve Abbott as Brian Asprin * Esben Storm as Wilbur Wright * Georgie Parker as Country girl fan


Production

Serious first became interested in
Albert Einstein Albert Einstein (14 March 187918 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist who is best known for developing the theory of relativity. Einstein also made important contributions to quantum mechanics. His mass–energy equivalence f ...
when he was travelling down the Amazon River and saw a local wearing a T-shirt with a picture of a physicist on it. The image was that of Einstein sticking out his tongue, taken by photographer Arthur Sasse. On returning from the Amazon, Serious adapted a previous screenplay called ''The Great Galute'' which he had written with David Roach. It was a story about an Australian who invents
rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
. The two developed ''The Great Galute'' into ''Young Einstein''. The film was created on an extremely low budget, so low that Serious sold his car to generate funds, cameras were borrowed, and his mother cooked for the crew. Serious managed to get Australian Film Commission support for the movie. By March 1984, an hour of the film had been shot, partly by the AFC and partly by private investment.Philippa Hawker, "Young Einstein", ''Australian Film 1978-1992'', Oxford Uni Press, 1993 p261 Serious was then able to pre-sell the film to an American company, Film Accord, for $2 million. This enabled him to raise the film's original budget of $2.2 million. The movie started filming again late in 1985 and went for seven weeks, from 23 September, taking place in Newcastle and Wollombi, near Cessnock in the Hunter Valley, with the second unit at various locations throughout Australia. A 91-minute version of the film was entered in the 1986 AFI Awards where composer William Motzing won Best Music."Production round-up", ''Cinema Papers'', November 1985 p48 In 1986, Film Accord sued the production to recover its distribution guarantee and the rushes, claiming the film delivered was not the one it had contracted to buy. The dispute was settled out of court. Serious was unhappy with his first version of the film.Philippa Hawker, "Start Laughing ", ''Cinema Papers'', January 1989 p11-12 Graham Burke from Roadshow saw it and became enthusiastic about its possibilities. Roadshow bought out Film Accord in March 1987, persuaded Warner Bros. to take on the film for international distribution outside Australia, and financed re-shooting, re-editing and re-scoring, resulting in an hour of new material which included a new ending and new music score which included the addition of songs by artists such as Paul Kelly, Icehouse and Mental As Anything. This pushed the budget of the film up to $5 million. Warner Bros. contributed to the full version of the film, and would go on to spend $8 million on marketing the film in the United States alone. Serious' key collaborators in the movie were co-writer David Roach, co-producer Warwick Rodd and associate producer Lulu Pinkus. He has said it helped that they all shared the same vision for the movie which got them through the long production process. Serious refused to consider making a sequel to the film, as he stated in interviews that he was opposed to them in general.


Reception


Critical response

The film received negative reviews in the United States, with '' Spin'' describing the release as a "marketing misfire" due to Warner Bros.' "PR department's penchant for overkill".
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...
called it a "one-joke movie, and I didn't laugh much the first time." He theorized that the lack of appeal to American audiences was because of the film's comedy taps "the vast and inexhaustible fascination the Australians have about their own isolation and gawky charm. But the jokes don't travel very well." He gave the film one star out of a possible four. On their
television show A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming platf ...
, Ebert's colleague
Gene Siskel Eugene Kal Siskel (January 26, 1946 – February 20, 1999) was an American film critic and journalist for the ''Chicago Tribune'' who co-hosted a movie review television series alongside colleague Roger Ebert. Siskel started writing for the '' ...
said he "didn't laugh once" during the film and named it one of the worst pictures of 1989. ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' was also unimpressed: Rita Kempley called the film "dumber-than-a-bowling-ball" and questioned its mass appeal; Desson Howe noted that distributor Warner Bros. had made it a "pre-processed legend" regardless of merit. ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' was more tempered, noting that though the film was "an uneven series of sketches strung along an extended joke", that the first time director Serious "is a much more adept film maker than his loony plot suggests." The ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' gave a favorable review, saying the film would appeal to younger audiences and that "it's just about impossible to dislike a movie in which examples of the hero's pacifism include his risking his life to save kitties from being baked to death inside a pie." Neil Jillett of Australia's ''
The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...
'' reviewed the film positively, noting that despite some "directorial slackness", the film was "a lively work that is sophisticated and innocent, witty and farcical, satirical and unmalicious, intelligent but not condescending, full of concern with big issues but not arrogantly didactic, thoroughly Australian but not nationalistic." ''Variety'' meanwhile thought that the film relied on the performance of Yahoo Serious, who they described "exhibits a brash and confident sense of humor, endearing personality, and a fondness for sight gags." Although giving it a low rating,
Leonard Maltin Leonard Michael Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is an American film critic, film historian, and author. He is known for his book of film capsule reviews, '' Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide'', published from 1969 to 2014. Maltin was the film criti ...
stated, "any movie with 'cat pies' can't be all bad". In the UK, William Russell for the '' Glasgow Herald'' described the film as "trying too hard to be funny for its own good."
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
gives the film a 36% rating based on reviews from 33 critics. The website's consensus reads: "''Young Einstein'' suggests Yahoo Serious could be an effective leading man in the right comedic setting -- but this disappointingly uneven outing isn't it."


Box office

''Young Einstein'' grossed A$13,383,377 at the box office in Australia. On release in Australia, it became the fifth biggest opening in Australian film history behind '' "Crocodile" Dundee'', '' "Crocodile" Dundee II'', '' Rocky IV'', and '' Fatal Attraction''. It grossed A$1.26 million in the opening weekend, despite being released in only three states. It was only the third film of 1988 to exceed the A$1 million mark at the Australian box office. ''Young Einstein'' became the tenth most successful film released at the Australian box office, after being the second most successful Australian film ever on release after ''"Crocodile" Dundee''. In the United States, it debuted at No. 8 on opening weekend.August 4-6, 1989 - Weekend
accessed 22 February 2016.
US distributor Warner Bros., hoping for similar crossover success as ''"Crocodile" Dundee'', spent US$8 million on a major marketing push.
''
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...
'', 6 August 2014, accessed 22 February 2016.
It continues to be regarded as a flop."Australian comic named Yahoo Serious who starred in the 1988 Warner Brothers flop "Young Einstein".
When Terry Met Jerry, Yahoo!
''The New York Times'', 29 January 2006, accessed 22 February 2016.
It did, however, end its US theatrical run at a slightly profitable $11,536,599. The film has been released on DVD in region 1. The DVD is available in Australia by LA Entertainment.


Accolades


References


External links

*
Young Einstein at the National Film and Sound Archive
{{Albert Einstein 1988 films APRA Award winners Australian comedy films Australian rock music films Cultural depictions of Albert Einstein Cultural depictions of Marie Curie Cultural depictions of Charles Darwin 1988 comedy films Films set in Tasmania Films set in Sydney Films set in New South Wales Films set in Paris Films set in France Films about nuclear war and weapons Australian alternative history films 1980s English-language films Films directed by Yahoo Serious English-language comedy films Films scored by Tommy Tycho Flims scored by William Motzing