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The Day After (1983) (TV)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
20 November 1983 (USA) moreTagline:
The day before. The day of. The Day After. morePlot:
A graphic, disturbing film about the effects of a devastating nuclear holocaust on small-town residents of eastern Kansas. full summary | full synopsisAwards:
Won 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 3 wins & 10 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(21 articles)
Guttenberg, Danson and Selleck = 'Three Men and a Bride' (From Cinematical. 4 November 2009, 4:45 PM, PST)
The War Game Review II
(From Alternative Film Guide. 2 November 2009, 6:14 PM, PST)
User Comments:
It's later than you think more (133 total)Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Jason Robards | ... | Dr. Russell Oakes | |
| JoBeth Williams | ... | Nurse Nancy Bauer | |
| Steve Guttenberg | ... | Stephen Klein (as Steven Guttenberg) | |
| John Cullum | ... | Jim Dahlberg | |
| John Lithgow | ... | Joe Huxley | |
| Bibi Besch | ... | Eve Dahlberg | |
| Lori Lethin | ... | Denise Dahlberg | |
| Amy Madigan | ... | Alison Ransom | |
| Jeff East | ... | Bruce Gallatin | |
| Georgann Johnson | ... | Helen Oakes | |
| William Allen Young | ... | Airman Billy McCoy | |
| Calvin Jung | ... | Dr. Sam Hachiya | |
| Lin McCarthy | ... | Dr. Austin | |
| Dennis Lipscomb | ... | Reverend Walker | |
| Clayton Day | ... | Dennis Hendry |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
127 min | USA:120 min (TV)Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 moreSound Mix:
MonoCertification:
Canada:14A | Australia:PG | South Korea:All | Netherlands:12 | Finland:K-14 | France:-12 | Norway:12 (1984) | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:12 | USA:Unrated | West Germany:12 (w) | Singapore:PG | Brazil:18Fun Stuff
Trivia:
When originally televised, the Presidential speech via radio was delivered by a voice actor who sounded much like Ronald Reagan. This speech was re-voiced by a different actor for the VHS/DVD releases and the version which airs on cable television. Conversely, a startling close-up of a screaming hospital patient was excised from the original ABC telecast, but restored for the home video and cable versions of the film. moreGoofs:
Revealing mistakes: Dr. Oakes is driving at speed along I-70 towards Kansas City when the first bomb is air-burst over downtown. Subsequent exterior shots show that vehicles heading out of Kansas City were crossing over to the wrong side of the freeway in panic to get around the outbound gridlock before the EMP effect stalled them. However Dr. Oakes drives as if there were no other cars heading towards him the wrong way at speed. moreQuotes:
Dr. Russell Oakes: I wonder who was spared? I wonder if New York, Paris, Moscow... are just like Kansas City now? moreFAQ
Is this any relation to the recent blockbuster, 'The Day After Tomorrow?'more
more (133 total)
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If you think this movie's theme is outdated, think again. The Doomsday Clock has moved ahead three times since the end of the Cold War. From a press release: "Chicago, February 27, 2002: Today, the Board of Directors of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moves the minute hand of the `Doomsday Clock,' the symbol of nuclear danger, from nine to seven minutes to midnight, the same setting at which the clock debuted 55 years ago. Since the end of the Cold War in 1991, this is the third time the hand has moved forward."
I watched this movie again a few weeks ago, after seeing it on TV as a ten-year-old kid. While some of the story-lines were painful (e.g. the soon-to-be-wed farmer's daughter whining when dad caught her sneaking off to have sex) this was a well-done movie showing the effects of nuclear war on middle america.
While maybe you can knock this for it's dramatic quality, I think it holds together as an honest story. Some of the criticisms I've read below don't hold together. The story *is* clear about the effects that happen at different distances from ground-zero. The Russians nailed Kansas because of the missile silos there. And it is honest about human nature: in the aftermath lots of people help, like the doctor, but others kill for food or land and there's plenty of panic and anger to go around.
This movie made an impression on me when I saw it as a kid and also now as an adult. And for those out there knocking it--remember this: The Day After made the people of the United States realize what kind of horrible toys their leaders are dealing with. It sparked the movement against nukes. We need a similar movement today--because people have forgotten, or don't think nuclear weapons are a threat. But the United States is now researching new, tactical nukes which, if smaller, will still result in fallout poisoning people unlucky to be in the neighborhood. Just like the kids in Iraq that get to breath the Uranium dust from our tank-busting weapons.
I wish we had more movies like this, and like _Traffic_, that bring painful realities to life and make people think.