In 1968, James D. Watson published a book called “The Double Helix”. It became an instant best seller especially among students of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. The cover notes indicated “being a personal account of the discovery of the structure of DNA, a major scientific advance which led to the award of a Nobel prize”. In 1987, the book was turned into a movie starring Jeff Goldblum. The movie, The Race for the Double Helix, is as topical today as it was over 20 years ago.

I first saw this movie on the A&E network in 1988. It was available on video up until 1994, it has not yet been put on DVD, but I do hope that the movie does not disappear due to the changing technology. I used the movie with the academic level Biology students for many years. I found that the students did require a little bit of preparation to get the full information out of the film.

It is important that students realize that this story is a first person account of the process of science, including the testing, tweaking and retesting of a hypothesis. My background notes on the book and film date back to discussions I had with others when the book came out in the late 1960’s so I cannot verify the correctness. I did indicate to students that in watching the film it is important to note that at the time in the United States, a Ph.D. was generally awarded 3 – 4 years of study after a Bachelor’s degree. Thus as the time James Watson went to England for post-doctoral work, he was only 22 years old. On the other hand, scholars in Britain generally were rewarded for life-long studies with a doctorate degree. Thus, Frances Crick was already 35 and still working to earn his Ph.D. The race for the model was with Linus Pauling, who was already a very prominent scientist. He had published an elementary Chemistry text used in colleges all over America at the time. He was also a very prominent x-ray crystallographer. But key to the story is that because of his prominent stance in the Ban the Bomb movement, he was not allowed to travel to Britain at the time. In our world of the internet and email, it is hard for us to imagine the slower pace and isolation which existed then.

I gave the students a little backgrounder on the various colleges as that was confusing in the film, King’s College London, and Cambridge University, Cavendish Lab. And I would stop the film and give little highlights as each of the significant scientists were introduced throughout the film.

On a search of the title of the film, you can find many alternate ‘lesson plans’ for using this film with students at the high school, AP Biology and university level. I did find it somewhat disturbing to read in one review that in some places this film is shown routinely to eighth graders and that the teacher’s motivation technique involved having the students make pig noises everytime the James Watson character was seen eating. I don’t see how such disrespect advances the study or love of science.

Hopefully, your school teacher librarian can assist you in obtaining this film if it is not already part of your collection. Otherwise, keep your eye on the TV guide as the movie makes regular appearances on several of the specialty networks.