Hayden Christensen Comes to MIT, Looks Pretty by Jess K. '10
Pictures of the top of Hayden Christensen's head inside!
Tonight LSC hosted a pretty exciting event – a screening of a few selections from the upcoming movie “Jumper”, as well as a discussion panel including Hayden Christensen, director Doug Liman (who also directed “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” and “The Bourne Identity” trilogy), and MIT physics professors Edward Farhi and Max Tegmark. It’s not every day that we get former Darth Vaders up on the stage at 26-100, so there was a pretty sizable crowd lining up all the way out to the building 56 Athena cluster, including local press and MIT alums.
And so, because it’d be faster and more interesting and also because I don’t remember exactly what was said, I give you HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN AT MIT IN 15 MINUTES! (and pictures.)
LSC GUY: Hello, and on behalf of LSC, thank you for coming to this free screening of Jumper! Speaking of Jumper, I’m wearing a blue sweater. And now, here to talk about his movie, Doug Liman.
DOUG LIMAN: Hello, my name is Doug Liman and this is my movie. These clips are from a week ago, which is like a year in Hollywood time, so it’s like going back in time for me. And also, I didn’t get to pick them – Fox did. Okay, here we go.
CLIP 1: (DAVEY, the movie’s main character, discovers he can teleport. Joke about a library.)
AUDIENCE: HAHAHAHA!
DL: And this clip is why I fell in love with the movie.
CLIP 2: (DAVEY robs a bank. Lots of money.)
DL: And this clip is where we see Hayden.
FEMALE AUDIENCE: Woo!
CLIP 3: (HAYDEN gets beaten to a pulp by SAMUEL L. JACKSON)
MALE AND FEMALE AUDIENCE: WOO!
DL: And this is the clip where we see another one of the jumpers, who is played by Jamie Bell.
HALF OF THE AUDIENCE: Hey, wasn’t he Billy Elliott?
OTHER HALF OF AUDIENCE: Ohhh yeah.
DL: Some of you thought you were going to come see the whole movie tonight, but we actually just finished it last night, so uh, sorry, that’s pretty much it. I have no idea how that rumor got out. Uh, now the guy you probably actually came to see.
HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN: Hi, I’m Hayden Christensen.
LSC GUY: OKAY! Now we’re going to have a discussion panel!
HC: Oh, uh, okay.
LSC GUY: Talking about the physics of teleportation tonight – Professor Edward Farhi!
AUDIENCE: WOO!!! (more cheering and applause than for HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN)
LSC GUY: And Professor Max Tegmark!
AUDIENCE: WOO!!! (more cheering and applause than for HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN)
EDWARD FARHI: Hey, this is like teaching 8.01 all over again.
AUDIENCE: Guhhh.
EF: Wow, major Debbie Downer. Anyway, I’m going to talk about quantum teleportation. But in order to do that, I have to teach you quantum mechanics. It’ll just take a minute.
SOME FRESHMAN COURSE 8 MAJOR: Oh good, so I don’t have to take 8.05 now.
HC and DL: K.
MAX TEGMARK: So now I’m going to talk a little more about classical teleportation – which isn’t necessarily teleportation, per se, but is more like transporting someone from point A to B very quickly. But I’m going to do it with a power point that isn’t always grammatically correct, and features a lot of pictures of Hayden Christensen in various poses.
RANDOM GUY: LSC!
AUDIENCE: SUCKS!
LSC GUY: Let’s open up the panel to questions!
MIT STUDENT: Physics question!
EF: Physics answer!
DL: Hahaha!
MALE MIT STUDENT: This question is for Doug Liman. How much effort do you put in trying to stay true to real-world science?
DL: I do a lot of research for my movies. Like I talked to a real world assassin when I was doing the Bourne movies. I try to still think of the science of my movies, you know, like, if Hayden’s sitting over here, and you teleport him, the air should like collapse in, so much so that there might be condensation created..
MT: Mmm. Yeah.
EF: Actually, I have a question for you guys (Liman and Hayden Christensen). What do you think we, as scientists, can do for Hollywood?
HC: Go see Jumper. And then, you know, get on it. Make it happen.
MALE MIT STUDENT 2: This question’s for Hayden – I was just wondering what you were expecting when you agreed to come talk to us at MIT tonight..
AUDIENCE and HC: HAHAHHA
MALE MIT STUDENT 2: Like, were you expecting just normal kids, or did you think we’d be like (nerd voice) “huhhh, flux capacitors”?
AUDIENCE and HC: HAHAHAHAH
HC: Uhh.. I guess I wasn’t expecting you guys to be such a lively group.. but ah, no.. this is cool.
OTHER MIT STUDENTS: Other various physics and/or film related questions!
PANEL: Other various physics and/or film related answers!
FEMALE MIT STUDENT: This question is for Hayden. My best friend is recently single; would you ever consider dating an MIT girl?
HC: Uh- yeahhhh- no- I…
LSC GUY: And that’s it for tonight! Make sure to come to our other LSC events coming up, like Hotel Rwanda this weekend co-hosted by MIT’s STAND..
STEPH SHIM: I LOVE YOU HAYDEN!!!
HC: (head nod)
Nice blog.
Please can somebody give me some more deatail on Quantum Teleportation?
I can’t really get the full picture.
A very nice entry.
I enjoyed the conversation the most. You made it really come alive and it was like I was there witnessing the event. And hey the MIT Professors ARE greater than Hayden Christensen.
Awesome, learning the new way. Every time MIT enchants me, a bit more. Thank you each and every bloggers. This is vicarious enjoyment…
Ahhh! My ponytail is in your last picture! And I got his autograph! And I’m still really excited about that!
For a profile shot of Hayden click here
For a horrible picture of the otherwise really intelligent and funny director click here
You did an incredible job with the transcript. It was just such a funny/ awkward/ amazingly cool event…
“you do some quantum thingy”
XD That really clears things up. Thank you for another entertaining, yet informative entry.
You know, you’d probably get a lot more hits on this post if the subject line mentioned that there were photos of B1 enclosed. I mean, you know that’s the only pictures anyone wants to see. Hayden Christensen. Pfft. He’s got nothing on Praveen’s freakishly long tongue and Angela Monster looking like she’s trying to sneak a bite out of Gurt’s sandwich.
Not that you’ll understand this comment anyway.
MALE MIT STUDENT 2: Like, were you expecting just normal kids, or did you think we’d be like (nerd voice) “huhhh, flux capacitors”?
ahh MIT.
From today’s Boston Globe (there was a lot of press coverage!):
The scientists and the stars
In his new movie, “Jumper,” Hayden Christensen plays a man who can teleport himself anywhere in the world. But yesterday the movie star had to opt for more conventional transportation to make it to MIT, where he and “Jumper” director Doug Liman joined physicists Max Tegmark and Edward Farhi to talk about the sci-fi film. “If I could really be anywhere right now, I’d be at home,” said Christensen complaining about the cold despite being a native of Canada. Best known for his role in the “Star Wars” prequel pics, Christensen said he’s a fan of science fiction. “It’s all about the story for me, for sure,” the 26-year-old actor said. “But I’m big on the idea that sci-fi is the birthplace of what’s coming next.” Asked about his costar Rachel Bilson, who happens to be his current girlfriend, Christensen wouldn’t bite. “She’s really great,” he said smiling. “I’m a big fan of hers.” If last night’s event felt more like a tutorial than a movie premiere, that’s because it was. Only a few scenes of the film were shown, with most of the evening devoted to a discussion of the science of teleporting. “Don’t forget we’re professional scientists,” said Farhi. “So when we go to a movie we’re not too interested in evaluating the scientific accuracy of it.” Liman, who directed Matt Damon in the first “Bourne” film, said he was struck by the honesty of the “Jumper” script. “The ability to teleport, you’ve seen in a million movies, but here was an 18-year-old kid using it to rob banks that felt just so authentic to me,” said Liman. “Jumper,” which also costars Diane Lane and Samuel L. Jackson, opens Feb. 14.
I really wish I didn’t have to comment this:
HE IS SO FREAKING HOT.
Also, thx for this entry, now I don’t feel so bad that I forgot to get a ticket.
OMG are you and hayden christensen dating??
Your blogging is like sunshine.
When does some one explain the light saber? haha. No, I already know, you make it with jedi crystals.
At least you got to see the Darth Vader of our generation. I was too busy finishing my 18.02A and 8.01L psets… argh
“LSC GUY: Talking about the physics of teleportation tonight – Professor Edward Farhi!
AUDIENCE: WOO!!! (more cheering and applause than for HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN)”
i bet that happens only at MIT
and Jess that is one amazing picture of the top of hayden’s head! i love it! (the picture and the head
)
Hayden’s with Rachel Bilson :(:(
omg please tell me Praveen was photoshopped?
AMAZING ENTRYYYYYY MISS KIMMYZIMKIM
So wait. According to the director, the fact that 18-year-olds will readily use their unique abilities to rob banks is a mark of honesty? Don’t get me wrong, I sort of see where he’s coming from – but, at the same time, it just makes me go, “…please, think about what you actually said.”
@Paul – I’m with you, people need to think before they speak. It wouldn’t be “honest” if characters actually used thier unique abilities to help other people?
@Jess – This event sounds pretty cool, but I think HC should have been asking for YOUR autograph. =)
I’ve never been to an LSC movie before. This must change..
Wow! How often does Max Tegmark give talks and lectures and stuff like that that undergraduates can attend???
jess kim = hot.
hayden christianson = hot.
they should get together and make some (hot)^2 babies.
oo, and p.s. y’all spell “gert” wrong.
This was way better than actually being there would have been. (I wanted to go. I got a ticket. But noooooooo, I was one of the 50-odd kids left out in the cold with a ticket but no entry because apparently LSC can’t count!!!!!!)
You missed the part where some random guy asked (on behalf of some random girls) HC out to a party on Beacon St.
Think he went?
ZOMG..no way!!! Wow, quick, kidnap him!!! lolz, jk
OMG praveen–you’ve exposed Frederique(spelling?) in a big way!!!