Miracle Mile (1988)

A young man hears a chance phone call telling him that a nuclear war has started and missiles will hit his city in 70 minutes.

Director:

Steve De Jarnatt

Writer:

Steve De Jarnatt

Stars:

Anthony Edwards, Mare Winningham, John Agar

2 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Anthony Edwards	...	Harry Washello
Mare Winningham	...	Julie Peters
John Agar	...	Ivan Peters
Lou Hancock	...	Lucy Peters
Mykelti Williamson	...	Wilson (as Mykel T. Williamson)
Kelly Jo Minter	...	Charlotta (as Kelly Minter)
Kurt Fuller	...	Gerstead
Denise Crosby	...	Landa
Robert DoQui	...	Fred the Cook (as Robert Doqui)
O-Lan Jones	...	Waitress
Claude Earl Jones	...	Harlan
Alan Rosenberg	...	Mike
Danny De La Paz	...	Transvestite
Earl Boen	...	Drunk Man in Diner
Diane Delano	...	Stewardess

Storyline

A young man meets and falls in love with a young woman at the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles. This area is known as Miracle Mile, and the whole movie takes place there. They make a date, which he misses, and while he is searching for her, he accidentally finds out that we (the United States) are about to start a nuclear war with the Soviet Union. He frantically searches for her so that they can escape Los Angeles.

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Plot Keywords:

suspense | 1980s | night | nuclear war | la brea tar pit | 

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Taglines:

You just found out that you have 24 hours to live. What are YOU going to do?

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Star Anthony Edwards once said in an interview: "That was a script that everybody wanted to make, but they wanted [writer/director Steve De Jarnatt] to change the ending. It was this great adventure, but they wanted it to have a happy ending, but he stuck it out, and luckily he stuck it out long enough that I was old enough to play the part. So I got to do it, and we did it at a time when there really was no green screen for special effects. You had to shoot what was there. It's amazing how dated that film looks now, because of our ability to do things technically now. I mean, it really looks antiquated. Mare Winningham is one of the greatest actresses ever. It was eight weeks of night shooting, though, so you'd be driving home from work at, like, 6 in the morning, having had a wrap beer, and then you're suddenly going, 'Oh my God, what do people think of somebody having a beer at 6 in the morning whenever everyone else is on their way to work? [Laughs].'"

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Goofs

When Harry places the unconscious Julie in some random shopping cart you can clearly see that a pillow had been strategically placed to make the actress' back comfy. When he pulls her out again at the end of the ride you can see more pillows had been placed under her rear so as to make a totally comfy little nest.

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Quotes

Beverly Hills Chick #1: [loading up the helicopter] Vitamins, Landa said lots of vitamins, penicillin... condoms? Shit, we don't need these, we have to repopulate a whole planet!
Beverly Hills Chick #2: You could repopulate a whole planet.

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Crazy Credits

Dedicated to Doctor Biobrain

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Alternate Versions

A little-seen preview version of the film included a special effect of two diamonds hovering after the nuclear explosion, just preceding the end credits. In the theatrical version and subsequent DVD release from MGM, the diamonds do not appear following the nuclear blast, rather the credits simply roll.

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Connections

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

User Reviews

GREAT COLD-WAR MOVIE , DATED BUT KEEPS HAUNTING ME,SO SAD......

Hello there,

You're definitely interested in this movie if you've got this far on the IMDB...

If you're, like me, a child of the 80's (teenager in the 80's) who saw this movie in the cinema's with that great soundtrack from "Tangerin Dream" in it(in the middle of the cold war),than you really are going to like this movie... I was able to track down this movie on PAL VHS-Tape on Ebay(you can buy it on DVD now,zone 1 only) and saw it last night on my own again. Ok,I'll have to admit that it's dated now (look at the clothes...)but that same sad feeling that creeps slowly into your head while watching this movie is still there! I really hope with the whole of my heart that we never,and I say NEVER,have to witness the day that our chosen leaders make the same stupid mistake of launching a nuclear attack on a country like they do in this movie... This is not your typical big budget,special effects loaded action-vehicle about a full-on nuclear strike but a modest little movie about what happens to a small bunch of people that finds out by accident that their country (USA) has launched a nuclear attack against another unspecified country and are getting back what they've started....

If you have your heart at the right place,then this movie grabs you by the throat and won't let go...

On the other handiIf you ONLY like comedy's and big budget action movies(which I also like very much)then you're probably going to despise this one...

Go now and find this little gem of a movie,I know you want to...

Cheers,

Dirk

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 May 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

Miracle Mile

Filming Locations:

Pan-Pacific Auditorium - 7600 W. Beverly Boulevard, Fairfax, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,700,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$341,401, 21 May 1989

Gross USA:

$1,145,404

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,145,404

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hemdale, Miracle Mile Productions Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1