Who would have thought that HVAC systems, air conditioners, and furnaces had an important place in pop culture? Funnily enough, they’ve had their fair share of Hollywood plot points over the years. However, some of our favorite Hollywood HVAC moments are the ones that aren’t accurate at all. As heating and cooling system repair experts, we find the inaccuracies to be quite comical.

To help you join in on the laughter and debunk some HVAC myths along the way, we’ve counted seven times Hollywood used heating and cooling systems in climactic scenes and why they’re unrealistic.

1. Jurassic Park

With four people weighing at least 100 lbs. in a suspended ceiling, the ceiling tiles in this scene should be moving and clanking a whole lot more. Regardless of the steel frame, the weight and movement of our main characters scrambling for their lives should have busted a tile or two. This is especially obvious a scene or two later when one of the tiles easily breaks on the Velociraptor’s head. Ceiling tiles simply can’t sustain 500 pounds of people actively moving around. (And don’t get us started on the bad editing where the ceiling tiles go from grated to completely solid.)

2. Mission Impossible

When Tom Cruise is repelling from the ductwork into the vault, there is an alarm that will trigger based on room temperature. But for such a large exhaust duct, we’re skeptical that Tom Cruise’s body heat would have raised the overall room temperature even a little bit. Considering the fact that the HVAC system is large and in good working order, it would have been very effective at regulating the room temperature. Plus, those ducts are extremely clean. In reality, no duct is pristine unless it’s brand new.

3. Father of the Bride 2

Steve Martin is as funny as ever in this much-loved sequel and watching him juggle two pregnant women is certainly amusing. But with today’s air conditioning technology, this scene wouldn’t have been possible. With a split system (also known as ductless air conditioning) there is always a perfect temperature for everyone. The system can cool one room and heat another to ensure everyone is always comfortable, even expectant mothers.

4. Happy Gilmore

Happy Gilmore is easily one of our favorite sports movies. And while the premise alone requires a suspension of belief, we always laugh at how easy it was for Happy to drop an A/C window unit onto an unfortunate senior. The reason this scene is unrealistic is because it’s actually very hard to unmount a window unit when it has been installed correctly. Happy simply gave the unit a nudge on the side and down it went. In reality, A/C window units are only at risk of falling when installing and uninstalling the unit.

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5. Seinfeld

Mrs. Seinfeld is very adamant in this episode that it’s impossible to work the air conditioner. Well, we know from our 100+ years of experience that it’s not that hard after all. Just turn it on and the rest will follow. Considering that Mrs. Seinfeld lives in Florida as well, it would actually be more efficient for the Seinfelds to leave their A/C on throughout the hot and humid months. Turn on the A/C, Mrs. Seinfeld. We know you’d love it!

6. Brazil

Harry Tuttle is the hero we aim to be. He makes HVAC repair look extremely heroic and action-packed. In this 1985 film, Robert De Niro is a renegade heating expert on a mission to repair heating and cooling systems against the wishes of the government’s Central Services. Given that we do not exist in the dystopian society as depicted in “Brazil,” performing HVAC repairs on your own are certainly not illegal. In addition, the state of the ducts in this film are horrendous and no decent HVAC expert would leave a system in such a mess.

7. Community

This is easily one of our favorite depictions of HVAC experts in television. The idea that there is an elite society of air conditioning experts gives us great joy. But John Goodman’s character states in this episode that air conditioning secrets can’t be shared with the world. Well, this is where we disagree. Just take a look through our air conditioning and furnace blog and you’ll see plenty of resources and tips to help you self-service your home’s heating and cooling systems. We’re here to help you, not hide secrets.

Make Your HVAC a Hit This Winter

With summer’s blockbusters behind us, trailers for holiday movies will soon be upon us. Make sure your home is ready for movie watching all winter long by reviewing our fall furnace maintenance checklist. If you think your furnace or HVAC is in need of repair, contact us before winter hits to schedule an appointment.