The China Syndrome (A or 4/4 stars)
Jack Lemmon stars as a nuclear power plant controller who finds a treacherous fault in the plant that the authorities are doing anything & everything to keep from the media in James Bridges' superb 1979 topical thriller, 'The China Syndrome'. Ambitious & feisty L.A. TV reporter, Kimberley Wells (Jane Fonda), & her camera crew led by free-lancer/award-winning cameraman, Richard Adams (a young Michael Douglas, excellent), are first shown at the Ventana Nuclear Power Plant in Southern California - owned by California Gas & Electric - to do one of her usual popular fluff pieces for KXLA.
PR person Bill Gibson (James Hampton) is giving them a tour of the facility as the alert signals blare off in the control room and, perspiring shift supervisor, Jack Godell (Lemmon), & his engineer techs, are relieved to fix the problem after great concern. Afterwards, the big wigs downplay the odd incident {saying it was only a "routine turbine trip"} & quickly pass an investigation orchestrated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. But peace activist, Richard, feels it is important enough of a story {and possible cover-up} to disclose to the unknowing public that he steals the film from the studio vault & shows it to nuclear experts at an anti-nuclear rally who give their educated opinion that a so-called China Syndrome was averted at the plant.
When Jack discovers that the plant's security seals have all been falsified in their inspection & the company refuses to ante up the $50,000,000 or so needed to replace them, the honest & dedicated Jack fears the worst; wanting to shut down the plant for repairs and to do the right thing. A most unlikely whistle-blower, Jack contacts Kimberley {wanting to be taken seriously} & Richard {rejuvenated as an activist due to this story} when his superiors refuse to hear him out. It is up to these 3 heroes to get the story into public consciousness and fight the shameless, unethical corporate heads to avert a possible nuclear catastrophe & save humanity.
'The China Syndrome' is an unusual Hollywood film in that, it acts as both a thoroughly gripping, nail-biting thriller AND a relevant message movie about the dangers of nuclear energy. It also shows the utter unwillingness of corporate officials to put pertinent public safety above lucrative economic considerations. And the script explores the power plays inherent to both the nuclear industry & the hierarchy of lightweight TV news coverage. Jack Lemmon is exceptional in a role that packs a moral wallop. He lends a brittle performance of such anguish & urgency, while also maintaining subtlety. And Jane Fonda excels as the go-getting newswoman embroiled in the plot to suppress the nuclear incident & eager to blow the whistle on Ventana.
This movie's already high buzz was further benefitted in that it was released a mere 2 weeks before the very real Three Mile Island nuclear fault disaster in Pennsylvania -- the world's worst of its kind until the ruinous Chernobyl incident of 1986. This film was nominated for 4 Academy Awards {Lemmon, Fonda, writing, art/set direction}, but I'd have rewarded it more so. I was stunned as I watched it how invested I was in the story, the characters {with their credible motivations} & its potent relevancy. Furthermore, director James Bridges kept the tension mounting to a near unbearable level leading to the knock-out climax. Great film.
PR person Bill Gibson (James Hampton) is giving them a tour of the facility as the alert signals blare off in the control room and, perspiring shift supervisor, Jack Godell (Lemmon), & his engineer techs, are relieved to fix the problem after great concern. Afterwards, the big wigs downplay the odd incident {saying it was only a "routine turbine trip"} & quickly pass an investigation orchestrated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. But peace activist, Richard, feels it is important enough of a story {and possible cover-up} to disclose to the unknowing public that he steals the film from the studio vault & shows it to nuclear experts at an anti-nuclear rally who give their educated opinion that a so-called China Syndrome was averted at the plant.
When Jack discovers that the plant's security seals have all been falsified in their inspection & the company refuses to ante up the $50,000,000 or so needed to replace them, the honest & dedicated Jack fears the worst; wanting to shut down the plant for repairs and to do the right thing. A most unlikely whistle-blower, Jack contacts Kimberley {wanting to be taken seriously} & Richard {rejuvenated as an activist due to this story} when his superiors refuse to hear him out. It is up to these 3 heroes to get the story into public consciousness and fight the shameless, unethical corporate heads to avert a possible nuclear catastrophe & save humanity.
'The China Syndrome' is an unusual Hollywood film in that, it acts as both a thoroughly gripping, nail-biting thriller AND a relevant message movie about the dangers of nuclear energy. It also shows the utter unwillingness of corporate officials to put pertinent public safety above lucrative economic considerations. And the script explores the power plays inherent to both the nuclear industry & the hierarchy of lightweight TV news coverage. Jack Lemmon is exceptional in a role that packs a moral wallop. He lends a brittle performance of such anguish & urgency, while also maintaining subtlety. And Jane Fonda excels as the go-getting newswoman embroiled in the plot to suppress the nuclear incident & eager to blow the whistle on Ventana.
This movie's already high buzz was further benefitted in that it was released a mere 2 weeks before the very real Three Mile Island nuclear fault disaster in Pennsylvania -- the world's worst of its kind until the ruinous Chernobyl incident of 1986. This film was nominated for 4 Academy Awards {Lemmon, Fonda, writing, art/set direction}, but I'd have rewarded it more so. I was stunned as I watched it how invested I was in the story, the characters {with their credible motivations} & its potent relevancy. Furthermore, director James Bridges kept the tension mounting to a near unbearable level leading to the knock-out climax. Great film.