Movies with computer programmers as the leading role.
 

Hi,

A colleague of mine wants to establish his ultimate movie (DVD) collection. He would like to own each movie ever made where a computer programmer is casted in the leading role. So far, he has come up with the following list:

- Matrix trilogy
- Hackers
- Wargames
- Office space

There must be many, many more out there. Please, get my colleague out of his agony. Post your suggestions. Maybe I should have my colleague post here after he has watched your suggestions with a review of his. Could get interesting...

Thanks for your replies!

- Swordfish
- Weird Science (kind of :P)

- The Net

- 40 Day and 40 Nights
- Sneakers

Pirates of Silicon Valley

Tron

Hackers (doh! He already had that in his list.)
Also, there is probably quite a bit of anime that has computer programmers in leading roles. He might check out .hack//SIGN, as it has characters in an online role-playing game.

...and for today's grammar lesson, cast is one of those funny little words that doesn't tack on -ed for the past tense.

Grammar: Your friend and mine, just don't let Grampa catch ya! :D

- Antitrust
- Independence Day
- The Lawnmower Man
- Goldeneye

I think your colleague should focus on a movie collection full of movies he likes.

Also, to nitpick, most movies don't have computer programmers cast in the leading roles; they usually have actors cast in the roles, playing computer programmers.

Paycheck would probably qualify
Real Genius (if you allow Weird Science ;))
Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai (maybe... ;))

Colin Ferrell's character in The Recruit was a computer programmer, but the movie didn't really focus on that to much.

This is actually what I meant: actors playing computer programmers.

Keep them coming guys. The list is growing!

Obvious choice: Revenge of the Nerds

Jurassic Park... Although Sam Jackson wasn't the lead, he was the man. :)

In a similar vein Gattaca would work.

13th Floor and Existenz (sp?) also come to mind.

The Thief Who Came to Dinner

Overdrawn at the Memory Bank (MST3K fans will recognize this one)

After Hours (I think)

Weekend at Bernies (I think)

Assassins

Superman III

Menno's Mind

Pi

- Dungeonmaster

no pr0n titles? :)

He didn't have a job as a programmer. He was just able to do it. His worked for the cable company.

The Arrival

Hey there, this is 'the colleague'. Thanks for the help so far, keep them coming!

I really only want movies where the Main Character is a computer programmer.

for sure:
Matrix
Hackers
Wargames
Office Space
Antitrust
Swordfish
Pirates of Silicon Valley
The Lawnmower man
Tron
The Net
Wierd Science (this is pushing things a bit...)

other thoughts:
Paycheck - electrical engineer, close, but not quite a programmer
Goldeneye - Isn't Bond the main character here?
The Core - not main character

The rest of your suggestions I'll have to look into more. Thanks for the help so far

Oh yeah, (edited some stuff out from here that came off a bit silly, but yeah less a movie more a docu).

Freedom Downtime seemingly fits the bill.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0309614/

Yes, but both Natalia and Boris are programmers and they get quite a bit of screen time in front of a computer.

the documentary Once Upon Atari

The Fly (1986). Brundle, while an "inventor", was also a programmer. Teaching the computer about the flesh and what not.

Any more? I saw that my colleague has also registered and posted in this thread, so it served at least one purpose...

Thanks for any other suggestions.

Dopamine. It's about a robotics software developer nerd & a teacher. Got rave reviews at Sundance, and 3 1/2 stars by Ebert.

Maybe not exactly a programmer, but Spencer Tracy in The Desk Set. He's the engineer responsible for computerizing the research department of a TV network. Pretty early for computers to be the main theme of a movie also (1957).

Ghost in the Machine

You've all overlooked the master of all computer programmers - Dr. Charles Forbin in the great Colossus: The Forbin Project.