The Day After (1983)

The effects of a devastating nuclear holocaust on small-town residents of eastern Kansas.

Director:

Nicholas Meyer

Writer:

Edward Hume

Stars:

Jason Robards, JoBeth Williams, Steve Guttenberg

Won 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 4 wins & 10 nominations.

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

Storyline

The frightening story of the weeks leading up to and following a nuclear strike on the United States. The bulk of the activity centers around the town of Lawrence, Kansas.

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Plot Keywords:

fallout | nuclear war | nuclear holocaust | radiation | radiation sickness | 

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Taglines:

Apocalypse... The end of the familiar... The beginning of the end.

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Genres:

Drama | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

The idea for the title came from Stu Samuels, who was ABC's Executive Vice President of television movies and miniseries. He wanted it to convey that this was the story of the fallout, not the nuclear war itself.

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Goofs

Before the attack and the EMP, Kansas City is shown in panic. The air raid sirens are on and off in different shots.

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Quotes

Stephen Klein: [to Denise] You can't see it... you can't feel it... and you can't taste it. But it's here, right now, all around us! It's goin' through you like an X-ray! Right into your cells! What do you think killed all these animals?

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Crazy Credits

[After movie has ended, before end credits.] The catastrophic events you have just witnessed are, in all likelihood, less severe than the destruction that would actually occur in the event of a full nuclear strike against the United States. It is hoped that the images of this film will inspire the nations of this earth, their peoples, and leaders to find the means to avert that fateful day.

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Alternate Versions

The German EuroVideo DVD runs 115 min.

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Movies Where the World Ends (2016)

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Soundtracks

Music from 'The River'
by Virgil Thomson
Arranged by David Raksin (uncredited)

User Reviews

My Nuclear War film is better than your Nuclear War film.

I only stopped by to comment on this film after discussing Threads on another board and seeing how much of a beating it The Day After was getting. Having seen this during its premiere and Threads almost a year later I will say this. No matter how poorly the effects or the acting, or how graphic and extravagant the visuals were all these films serve one purpose. To educate us on the value we have as creatures that not only have control over our individual destinies but the destiny of our world and the lesser species. To show us what the cost would be, no matter how graphic and obscene. The Day After, Threads, Testament, The War Game, Failsafe, Wargames, and all the other media programming that has shown us the horror of nuclear war. Each has its strengths and flaws, its highs and lows, but the message inherrently remains the same.

So why is there any discussion of the differences? To debate the flaws and merits of one horror in many variations is pointless, for they are all important, all special and all as relavant today as they were when they were first created. Perhaps we have learned nothing?

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 November 1983 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Day After

Filming Locations:

De Soto, Kansas, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

ABC Circle Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

127 min 120 min (TV)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1