The China Syndrome Three bank robbers on the run happen across a woman about to give birth in an abandoned covered wagon. The China Syndrome. American marathon runner Michael Andropolis sets his heart on representing his country at the Olympic games. Reviewers praised the film's screenplay, direction, and performances (most notably of Fonda and Lemmon), while it grossed $51.7 million on a production budget of $5.9 million. The title comes from the moment in the film when one of the characters speaking about a core meltdown scenario, describes how it could just burrow into the core of the earth, possibly going all the way through to China. [13], The sequence of events in the movie is based on events that occurred in 1970 at the, Best Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen, Best Drama Written Directly for the Screenplay, Nuclear and radiation accidents and incidents, "Box Office Information for The China Syndrome", Nuclear Experts Debate ‘The China Syndrome’ David Burnham, "Winners & Nominees: China Syndrome, The", Anti-nuclear movement in the United States, Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, Conservation Fallout: Nuclear Protest at Diablo Canyon, Critical Masses: Opposition to Nuclear Power in California, 1958–1978, Licensed to Kill? It is a movie about a nuclear meltdown. The escape of Bubber Reeves from prison affects the inhabitants of a small Southern town. The film stars Jane Fonda, Jack Lemmon, Michael Douglas (who also produced), Scott Brady, James Hampton, Peter Donat, Richard Herd, and Wilford Brimley. The script and performances are so strong that it doesn't even need a score to keep your attention. The China Syndrome is a 1979 American drama neo-noir thriller film directed by James Bridges and written by Bridges, Mike Gray, and T. S. Cook. Shift Supervisor Jack Godell notices an unusual vibration in his cup of coffee. During the cold war, it was always easy to tell who was America's enemy and who was a friend. " China syndrome " is a fanciful term—not intended to be taken literally—that describes a fictional result of a nuclear meltdown, where reactor components melt through their containment structures and into the underlying earth, "all the way to China." The film received four nominations at the 52nd Academy Awards; Best Actor (for Lemmon), Best Actress (for Fonda), Best Original Screenplay, and Best Production Design.[4]. "The China Syndrome" is perhaps the first horror film that is not necessarily following the rules of the genre. He brings the evidence to the plant manager, who brushes him off as paranoid, stating that new radiographs would cost $20 million. Norman is a curmudgeon with an estranged relationship with his daughter Chelsea. It follows a television reporter and her cameraman who discover safety coverups at a nuclear power plant. China syndrome A scenario in which a nuclear reactor meltdown in North America would theoretically melt a hole straight through the Earth to China (which is impossible). The lives of a disparate group of contestants intertwine in an inhumanely grueling dance marathon. Grabbing a gun from a security guard, he forces everyone out, including his friend and co-worker Ted Spindler, and demands to be interviewed by Kimberly on live television. Why is Godell so reluctant to testify about the plant's dangers? Meanwhile his marriage has fallen apart and his children have no respect for him... See full summary ». Yes, that was the movie that halted the carbon-free nuclear power industry back in the late 1970s. In response to a gauge indicating high water levels, Godell begins removing water from the core, but the gauge remains high as operators open more valves to dump water. The China Syndrome book. Hector's car is run off the road and the radiographs are taken from him. It is well known that China became inward looking 1500 onwards, just after eunuch general Zeng He’s epic voyages circumnavigating the world, long … Kimberly's superior refuses her report of what happened. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. Godell agrees to obtain, through Hector, the false radiographs to take to the hearings. The China Syndrome premiered at the 1979 Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the Palme d'Or while Lemmon received the Best Actor Prize. Find low everyday prices and buy online for delivery or in-store pick-up. Origin of China syndrome First recorded in 1970–75; from the jocular notion that the hot reactor core would pass through to the other side of the earth Words nearby China syndrome Chinandega, China rose, China Sea, China silk, china stone, China syndrome, Chinatown, China tree, … Certificate: M The critical consensus reads: "With gripping themes and a stellar cast, The China Syndrome is the rare thriller that's as thought-provoking as it is tense". (1979). While visiting the (fictional) Ventana nuclear power plant outside Los Angeles, television news reporter Kimberly Wells, her cameraman Richard Adams and their soundman Hector Salas witness the plant going through a turbine trip and corresponding SCRAM (emergency shutdown). Jim Naureckas is the editor of FAIR.org, and has … Screenwriters and filmmakers often impact society in ways never expected. Kimberly and Richard ask him to testify at the NRC hearings over Foster-Sullivan's plans to build another nuclear plant. 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