The Day After (1983)
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A television film explores the harrowing aftermath of a nuclear exchange between the United States and the Soviet Union.
The story
Following a fictional conflict between NATO and the Warsaw Pact over Germany, a full-scale nuclear exchange erupts between the United States and the Soviet Union. The story focuses on the lives of residents in Lawrence, Kansas, and Kansas City, Missouri, as well as several family farms near American missile silos. As the conflict escalates, the characters must navigate the immediate consequences of the nuclear strikes, including the activation of the Emergency Broadcast System and the realization of the devastating impact on their local communities and the surrounding region.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film follows several characters in the Midwest: Dr. Russell Oakes in Kansas City, farmer Jim Dahlberg in Harrisonville, and Airman Billy McCoy at a Minuteman launch site. After a Soviet buildup on the East German border leads to a nuclear exchange, the characters face the immediate fallout. A high-altitude nuclear explosion's EMP disables infrastructure, and nuclear missiles strike the region. Many characters, including the Hendrys and McCoy's family, are incinerated. Dr. Oakes becomes a first responder at a hospital in Lawrence, while Stephen Klein seeks refuge in the Dahlberg basement. As radiation levels rise, the characters struggle with physical symptoms of radiation sickness and the breakdown of social order. The film concludes with a sense of desolation as the U.S. President announces a ceasefire amidst the ruins, and the final scene features a Morse code signal 'M-A-D' over a fading screen.
- First release year
- 1983
- Runtime (minutes)
- 126
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Nicholas Meyer
- Writers
- Edward Hume · writer
- Cast and characters
- Jason Robards · Dr. Russell Oakes; JoBeth Williams · Nurse Nancy Bauer; Steve Guttenberg · Stephen Klein; John Cullum · Jim Dahlberg; John Lithgow · Joe Huxley; Amy Madigan · Alison Ransom; William Allen Young · Airman First Class Billy McCoy; Jeff East · Bruce Gallatin
- Genres
- Drama; Disaster; Science fiction
- Themes
- Nuclear war; Aftermath of conflict; Survival; Anti-war
- Tone and mood
- Bleak; Somber
- Premise and plot tags
- Post-apocalyptic; Cold War; Disaster; Survival
- Reception
- The film was highly popular upon its broadcast, reaching over 100 million viewers. It received praise for its special effects and realistic portrayal of nuclear war, though some critics debated if it was too tame or too sensational. It was noted as one of the highest-rated television films in U.S. history.
- Reported review scores
- Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide · score: way above average
- Awards and nominations
- Emmy Award · Outstanding Film Sound Editing for a Limited Series or a Special · Win; Emmy Award · Outstanding Achievement in Special Visual Effects · Win; Emmy Award · Outstanding Achievement in Hairstyling · Nomination; Emmy Award · Outstanding Achievement in Makeup · Nomination; Emmy Award · Outstanding Art Direction for a Limited Series or a Special · Nomination; Emmy Award · Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series or a Special · Nomination; Emmy Award · Outstanding Directing in a Limited Series or a Special · Nomination; Emmy Award · Outstanding Drama/Comedy Special · Nomination; Emmy Award · Outstanding Film Editing for a Limited Series or a Special · Nomination; Emmy Award · Outstanding Film Sound Mixing for a Limited Series or a Special · Nomination; Emmy Award · Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Special · Nomination; Emmy Award · Outstanding Writing in a Limited Series or a Special · Nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was broadcast on Soviet state television in 1987.; The film's title was chosen to emphasize the aftermath of war rather than the war itself.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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