The Day After

The Day After is a 1983 American television post-apocalyptic drama film directed by Nicholas Meyer and written by Edward Hume. The film was distributed by ABC Motion Pictures and Disney-ABC Domestic Television.

Plot
In the mid-1980s, the U.S. is poised on the brink of nuclear war. This shadow looms over the residents of a small town in Kansas as they continue their daily lives. Dr. Russell Oakes (Jason Robards) maintains his busy schedule at the hospital, Denise Dahlberg prepares for her upcoming wedding, and Stephen Klein (Steve Guttenberg) is deep in his graduate studies. When the unthinkable happens and the bombs come down, the town's residents are thrust into the horrors of nuclear winter.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) The television movie shows how important for you to survive the nuclear war and the aftermath of the destruction of the planet after a nuclear warfare along with dozens of people who survive the apocalypse, and it also shows how the world looks if the nuclear war happened after the warfare.
 * 2) This is one of the few television movies that didn't suck at all, this TV-film had managed to show what to prevent a nuclear apocalyptic and an anti-nuclear message TV film.
 * 3) The setting in post-apocalypse Lawrence and the state of Kansas is well-done.
 * 4) Well written story by Edward Hume.
 * 5) If it weren't for this film, our planet would've been doomed to a nuclear apocalypse.
 * 6) The scene where Kansas City and most of the state of Kansas getting nuked by a nuclear blast, and killing a lot of people are very terrifying.
 * 7) Great cinematography by Gayne Rescher.
 * 8) It convinced policymakers to rethink whether nuclear war is survivable.
 * 9) The movie permanently effects on the politics, for example, Ronald Reagen had seen the film, and he wrote that the film was very effective and left him depressed and that he changed his mind on the prevailing policy on a "nuclear war".
 * 10) Decent effects for a nuclear explosion, and as well as the nuclear missiles.
 * 11) Tons of touching moments throughout the movie during the aftermath of the nuclear war.
 * 12) Amazing acting, especially for Jason Robards, JoBeth Williams, and Steve Guttenberg.
 * 13) It even works along the lines of the British equivalent that was released the following year on BBC, Threads (though Threads is still the superior movie).

Shortly pre-release
Shortly before its original broadcast, John Cullum warned viewers before the film was premiered that the film contains graphic and disturbing scenes, and encourages parents who have young children watching, to watch together and discuss the issues of nuclear warfare. Over 100 million people in the US were watching the television film on the first broadcast.

Post release, and Reception
The film was well-received by critics and audience alike. The film pretty much brainwashed a lot of people who were political and presidents at the time of its release, especially the 40th president of the United States, Ronald Regan, He wrote in his diary that the film was "very effective and left me greatly depressed," and that it changed his mind on the prevailing policy on a "nuclear war". had stopped a lot of politics from any plans to start a nuclear war. The film also had an impact outside the U.S. In 1987, during the era of Mikhail Gorbachev's glasnost and perestroika reforms, the film was shown on Soviet television.

The film currently holds an 83% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7/10 on IMDb.