The Big One: The Great Los Angeles Earthquake (TV 1990)

After a series of small tremors in Los Angeles, Dr. Clare Winslow, a local seismologist, pinpoints the exact location and time of when the long awaited earthquake--"The Big One"--will ... See full summary »

Director:

Larry Elikann

Writers:

William Bast (story), Paul Huson (story),

Stars:

Joanna Kerns, Dan Lauria, Bonnie Bartlett

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Joanna Kerns	...	Dr. Clare Winslow
Dan Lauria	...	Steve Winslow
Bonnie Bartlett	...	Anita Parker
Lindsay Frost	...	Laurie Parker
Alan Autry	...	Matt
Joe Spano	...	Chad Spaulding
Holly Fields	...	Heather Winslow
Brock Peters	...	David Motubu
Stephen Elliott	...	Owen
Robert Ginty	...	Warren Cates
Clarence Gilyard Jr.	...	Roy Bryant
Silvana Gallardo	...	Sonia
Michael T. Weiss	...	Larry, the Mayor's City Official Aide
Charles Siebert	...	Mayor Frank Baldwin
Richard Herd	...	Ray Goodrich

Storyline

After a series of small tremors in Los Angeles, Dr. Clare Winslow, a local seismologist, pinpoints the exact location and time of when the long awaited earthquake--"The Big One"--will strike southern California. With this information, she must battle city officials to release this information to the general public. Also, she hopes that her family is out of harms way when the quake strikes. Subplots show how other families and people cope with the the tremors that strike before the impending "Big One."

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Plot Keywords:

earthquake | gas | los angeles california | death | electrocution | 

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Taglines:

This is not a true story... yet.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 November 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Great Los Angeles Earthquake

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Von Zerneck Sertner Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

180 min 106 min (video) 180 min (original) 60 min (3 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The montage showing emergency services getting ready includes Squad 51 and Engine 51 from Emergency! backing in the station.

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Quotes

Kevin Conrad: Choking back sobs The injuries are in the hundreds of thousands! The deaths... The deaths... If you've seen what I did today. This must be the worse national disaster since the Civil War. I'm sorry!

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Connections

Edited into Category 6: Day of Destruction (2004)

User Reviews

Improvement of 1974's "Earthquake," but...

Once more, Los Angeles is the target of a large M8+ earthquake; however, scientifically, this one was much more believable than the megaquake on the San Andreas fault in "Earthquake" (1974). However, the plot on the original 4-hour TV movie was way too complicated, and in parts, irrelevant. When a three-hour version was released later, it was clear that the cut parts--centered around the visit and assassination attempt on a foreign head of state, even after the city is in ruins afterwards--had contributed nothing to the movie as a whole. Though still weak, the plot did show the problems with earthquake prediction and dealing with the real world. The attempt to hush-up the threat of an earthquake to the Los Angeles area was real after the Long Beach earthquake of 1933 and for the same reason--money. The reaction to a prediction was quite believable as well--much panic, which then adversely affects those that keep their heads. Overall, a good movie--not great, but certainly interesting.