Novel
I distinctly remember this being based on a novel, because I read the book before I saw the movie. I can't find any information about the book online though. Can anyone help?
shareThere's no mention in the IMDB info about this being based on a novel. However, maybe you're thinking of the story of teenager David Hahn -- the "Nuclear Boyscout"-- who built a rudimentary fission reactor in a garden shed in suburban Detroit?? I read a book about it that had some very interesting details about how he got his hands on authentic nuclear materials & the processes he used to refine them & construct his atomic pile.
The book:
https://www.amazon.com/Radioactive-Boy-Scout-Frightening-Homemade/dp/0812966600
The kid!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hahn