1979 Directed by James Bridges
While doing a series of reports on alternative energy sources, opportunistic reporter Kimberly Wells witnesses an accident at a nuclear power plant. Wells is determined to publicize the incident, but soon finds herself entangled in a sinister conspiracy to keep the full impact of the incident a secret.
Jane Fonda Jack Lemmon Michael Douglas Scott Brady James Hampton Peter Donat Wilford Brimley Richard Herd Daniel Valdez Stan Bohrman James Karen Michael Alaimo Donald Hotton Khalilah Ali Paul Larson Ron Lombard Tom Eure Nick Pellegrino Daniel Lewk Allan Chinn Martin Fiscoe Alan Kaul Michael Mann David Eisenbise Frank Cavestani Reuben Collins E. Hampton Beagle David Pfeiffer Lewis Arquette Show All…
Fred J. Brown Gene Corso Les Fresholtz Michael Minkler Arthur Piantadosi Willie D. Burton Mary McGlone Lorane Mitchell
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Politics and human rights Monsters, aliens, sci-fi and the apocalypse High speed and special ops War and historical adventure destruction, disaster, earth, scientific or mankind political, democracy, documentary, president or propaganda terrorism, thriller, gripping, intense or political earth, sci-fi, space, spaceship or mankind political, president, historical, politician or democracy Show All…
“It’s totally irresponsible to go on air without first checking the facts!” - the head of a newsroom. A dead giveaway that this movie was made long, long ago.
The China Syndrome is about as overwhelmingly inescapable as 70s paranoia thrillers come. A news crew filming a piece on a nuclear power plant happens to catch footage of a suspicious event which sees the entire plant’s staff spun into a desperate frenzy in a matter of seconds. Naturally, the reporters feel that the footage deserves to be released to the public, while the powers that be would prefer otherwise. The result is a standard cover-up thriller for its era, propelled by excellent performances from Jane Fonda’s reporter and (especially) Jack…
Late seventies "everything is corrupt and fucked" examination of the nuclear power and tv news industries. Jane Fonda is great in this, so instantly believable, charming and engaging as a fluff, human interest TV reporter struggling to be taken seriously by the old boys club who happens upon a killer story about a cover up of Southern California almost going Chernobyl-mode. I'm glad this movie had an impact and America and stopped building dangerous nuclear reactors instead of safe and reliable coal and natural gas plants.
obsessed w/ jane fonda carrying her giant pet turtle under her arm and then eating its lettuce
35mm. Metrograph.
"You're not dealing with some pissant public utility company!"
In the face of various moneyed interests and a cautious network protocol, a telegenic broadcaster (Jane Fonda) aiming to graduate from human interest fluff to hard news and a dauntlessly inquisitive cameraman (Michael Douglas, who also produced) autonomously prevail on an embattled nuclear plant shift supervisor (Jack Lemmon) to unlock a conspiracy regarding the suppression of a potentially calamitous incident caught on film.
I deliberately saved James Bridges' The China Syndrome for the end of our Jane Fonda gauntlet (brought to you by the Criterion Channel hijacking our watching habits via its monthly insistence on purging dozens of films with only a few weeks' notice) because it seemed like the most…
A passionate, exciting and politically relevant drama, The China Syndrome is a great example of a movie that holds up thematically and is a lot of fun to watch. It tells the story of Kimberly Wells (Jane) who is a news reporter. For a news special, her and her crew visit a nuclear power plant to show audiences what they’re all about. While touring and recording, a seemingly bad ‘accident’ has occurred. Because it seems dubious and mistrustful, Kimberly’s camera man Richard (Michael Douglas) starts recording the incident. The rest of the movie shows how this situation played out, the political outcome of it, what the recording of the situation did and, what these characters make of it.
This is,…
was debating between watching this and another movie but then jane fonda took a hit off a joint and then said “I don’t smoke” in the first five minutes and I knew immediately that I had made the right choice
You will, of course, often find me extolling the virtues of the 1970s for being the premium decade for crime cinema.
We shouldn't forget that it was also a superb decade for paranoid and conspiracy thrillers - so much so that a film like The China Syndrome, nominated for several prominent Oscars, has almost become slightly forgotten behind several of the decade's other prominent titles in this genre.
And yet, really, it will always be a pertinent film for as long as nuclear power plants continue to be a thing because there will always be some halfwit who cuts a corner or two on one of these things and suddenly everyone's having a bad time. The China Syndrome is more…
It’s always so thrilling when movies I’ve never seen are perfect masterpieces. High wire tension, superb direction and writing, incredible performances. Just sensational.
“The China Syndrome” depicts the terror of societal death through NIMBY-ism.
While the debate over nuclear power has been well and truly had since the film’s release in 1979, director James Bridges’ “Syndrome” retains relevance for its depiction of the process surrounding those discussions.
“China Syndrome,” a movie with no score, which uses only diegetic sound, appropriately shows what happens when people plug their ears and shut their eyes to anything that disputes their own point of view.
Depicting the scramble to cover-up dangerous defects in a nuclear power reactor, “Syndrome” stays admirably unattached to either side of the argument over New Energy. What it does condemn - is the manner of debate over the issue.
The NIMBY mothers against…
One of the best journalism movies around - it feels like one of the best roller coasters of the '70s . Textbook Jack Lemmon and textbook Jane Fonda performances, in a textbook 1970s film. During a visit at the local nuclear power plant, reporter Kimberly Wells (Fonda) and her cameraman Richard (Douglas) experience an accident - solved by Jack Godell (Lemmon). It causes - as it should - a great stir and starts the build-up to a suspenseful ending.
The film was nominated for four Oscars in the same year, including Best Actor for Jack Lemmon and Best Actress for Jane Fonda. Neither of them won. Nevertheless, don't let this little oversight make you think there aren't some excellent performances…
I will never forgive George Costanza’s boss for what he did to Jack Lemmon.
EDIT: Okay apparently he just died last year. I will forgive but I will not forget.
my absolute FAVORITE thing about hollywood dramas from the late 70s/early 80s is when the subject matter is something as intense as impending nuclear meltdown and the theme song is a yacht rock ditty with perky lil drums and chimes and electric piano and a smooth & breezy guitar solo. i love it i love it i love it.
anyway don't google "nuclear power plants near me" if you want to sleep tonight!
