| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| John Heard | ... |
Dan Lawn - State of Alaska
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| Bob Gunton | ... |
Larry Dietrick - State of Alaska
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| Mark Metcalf | ... |
Dennis Kelso - State of Alaska
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| Bruce Gray | ... |
Governor Steve Cowper - State of Alaska
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Jo Bates | ... |
Michelle Brown - State of Alaska
(as Jo-Anne Bates)
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Walter Marsh | ... |
John Janssen - State of Alaska
(as Wally Marsh)
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| John Maclaren | ... |
Al Kegler - State of Alaska
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Marek Czuma | ... |
Jim Hayden - State of Alaska
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Susan Astley | ... |
Jan Jackson - State of Alaska
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| Lochlyn Munro | ... |
Trooper Mike Fox - State of Alaska
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| Wally Dalton | ... |
Senator - State of Alaska
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Frank C. Turner | ... |
Biologist - State of Alaska
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| Christopher Lloyd | ... |
Frank Iarossi - Exxon
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Ron Frazier | ... |
Don Cornett - Exxon
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Remak Ramsay | ... |
Craig Rassinier - Exxon
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The real-life struggle to contain the environmental and financial damage caused to Alaska by the oil spill from the Exxon Valdez is dramatized. Written by David Stumme <dstumme@rochester.rr.com>
One surprising thing about this film, originally produced for HBO, was the gamble that the casting director used in using two actors usually relegated to the supporting cast - John Heard and Christopher Lloyd - for the starring roles. The gamble paid off magnificently - I don't think I've seen better performances from either of these two men; they really are the real-life people that they play: Heard as local Alaska wildlife officer Dan Lawn, and Lloyd as Exxon executive Frank Iarossi. The film avoids the usual glossy made-for-TV movie-of-the-week style to become a much more incisive film with a big-budget feel about the subtle business and political maneuvering that follow a tragedy such as the Exxon tanker crash in Valdez, Alaska. Kudos to the excellent cinematography of Alaska. I also appreciated the fact that this film was fair in portraying a business executive as a human and sympathetic character rather than the swiny caricature common in so many other films. The filmmakers deserve a congratulations for doing their homework to make each aspect of the film ring true.