The Day After

Filmmaker Nicholas Meyer’s 1983 TV movie wasn't the first film to imagine nuclear war but it was the first American attempt to realistically depict modern nuclear warfare, from the firestorms wiping out millions of people at ground zero to the lingering effects of radiation poisoning and nuclear fallout. Centered in the rural town of Lawrence, KS, the story follows the lives of ordinary men, women, and families during the escalation of Cold War hostilities between NATO and Warsaw Pact countries in Europe. The Lawrence setting is effective for both the message and the drama since it is a college town, a hub in farming country, and is located near a major missile site, making it a target. It is still shocking to see nuclear missiles rocket up into the sky almost an hour into the story. Minutes later, the Soviet bombs detonate in Kansas and the remainder of the film follows the survivors in a world poisoned by fallout. Jason Robards, JoBeth Williams, John Cullum, Steve Guttenberg, Bibi Besch, and John Lithgow star in this film that became a major cultural event—seen by an estimated 100 million viewers—which sparked public discussion about nuclear weapons and the arms race and encouraged government action on an arms treaty with the Soviet Union. The Day After remains the highest-rated American TV movie to date, while a slightly longer version was released to theaters in other parts of the world. Both versions are featured here, along with extras including audio commentary by film historian Lee Gambin and comic artist/writer Tristan Jones, and interviews with Meyer and Williams. Highly recommended. (S. Axmaker)