2/3 The Day After | 1983 Nuclear War Movie

A 30-minute rework of the 1983 nuclear war film The Day After focused on the documentary aspect of the movie.

The Day After is an American-made-for-TV movie first broadcast on the ABC television network in 1983. More than 100 million people, in nearly 39 million households, watched the initial broadcast. The film hugely impacted US audiences and aired on Soviet state TV in 1987. The Day After is often credited with helping to usher in a period of nuclear arms reduction treaties in the late 1980s and was ranked the highest-rated television film until 2009.

The Day After depicts a scenario of rising tensions along the East-West border of a divided Germany during the latter phase of the Cold War. Relations between NATO and Russia rapidly deteriorate as events spiral out of control leading to armed conflict and nuclear war. The film focuses on Lawrence, Kansas, and Kansas City, Missouri where several family farms sit close to nuclear missile silos. The Day After documents the actual state of nuclear readiness maintained by the US and Russia. Both nations maintain a nuclear triad in constant readiness for thermonuclear war.

The Day After was first conceived by ABC Motion Picture Division president Brandon Stoddard who came up with the idea after watching The China Syndrome. Veteran television writer Edward Hume undertook a massive amount of research on the likely effects of nuclear war and went to work on a script in 1981. Due to the graphic content of the subject matter, however, several drafts were rejected by the network until the characters and plot finally seemed acceptable for a family audience. Most of the actors in The Day After were Kansas City residents recruited from local shopping malls.

Director Nicholas Meyer had just completed Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and wanted to create a film that accurately portrayed the consequences of nuclear war. After wrangling with the US Department of Defence and the ABC censors, Meyer released a compromise version of The Day After for primetime TV screens. According to the message at the end of the film:

‘The catastrophic events you have just witnessed are, in all likelihood, less severe than the destruction that would occur in the event of a full-scale nuclear strike against the United States.
It is hoped that the images of this film will inspire the nations of this earth, their peoples and leaders, to find the means to avert the fateful day.’

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[slamjam]

never forget that Soviet military officer Stanislav Petrov saved humanity from nuclear destruction on September 26, 1983 and this is a true story.

[jii-otombicji]

I'm from Russia. Born in the Soviet Union in the late 80s. Today my great Motherland does not exist. We ourselves are to blame for this, having trusted the traitors who destroyed our strong country. I would not wish for any country to experience the poverty, lawlessness of crime and national humiliation that we experienced in the 90s. Many foreigners will never understand this. I wish everyone peace and goodness. I sincerely hope that what is shown in this film will never happen between Americans and former Soviet people.

[patriciamacias]

I cried when I saw this movie back in 1983. Now in 2024, all I can do is pray so people who "rule" the world are wise enough to never deploy these weapons. May God protect us all. 😢😢

[xocsxgm]

Смотрел этот фильм в детстве. Надо чаще показывать такие фильмы. Чтобы люди понимали, как страшна война!

[vanterry]

They need to broadcast this movie again right now worldwide for free. Scared the hell out of the public when originally broadcast and now more important than ever before.

[JulieannesAussiesandFLWildlife]

As a young teenager, I watched this on television when it first aired. The fact that not a single commercial was to be aired during the broadcast once the missiles were launched was unprecedented.
Now, as a 50+-year-old, the scariest part about this movie is that it is a heavily toned-down version of the result of a nuclear war.

[paolociarpaglini]

After 42 years, it's still the most terrifying movie about a nuclear WW. This is incredible..

[joaopaulocatanzaro]

I watched this movie at the launch, I was 12 years old. It was one of the movies that marked me the most. That summer I watched these movies 3 times.

[jamescannon]

As a kid, this movie scared me more than any 80's horror film. Freddie, Jason and Michael Myers had nothing on this reality.
And yes, I've seen Threads. This is far more realistic, has better acting and special effects.

[Gillan]

40 years later, this movie still hits hard.

[woodsd]

I was in the seventh grade in 1983. When this movie appeared on a Sunday night, television nationwide premiere. It was the most scariest movie that anyone had ever seen at that time. The next morning it was on every major news station across America. The aftermath of watching that movie shocked this country..

[vgnkrxk]

They Need to Broadcast THIS Movie on PRIME TIME on Every Channel NOW So The World Knows WHERE We Are STANDING Right Here Right NOW Reel TIME 😮😢😮😢

[johnsmallberries]

It's almost impossible to overstate what a huge TV event this was. Everything stopped the night they aired this.

[MrStiv]

I was a junior in high school. Watched this while babysitting. The kids were already sleeping when the movie played. I distinctly remember when the movie ended, hearing John Lithgow’s character calling on a ham radio…”This is Lawrence Kansas….is anyone out there…anyone at all…”. Ted Kopple hosted a discussion after the movie. He looked at the camera and said, “Take a deep breath, look outside. It’s still there…”. Still brings me to tears after 40 years.

[bbb]

I was a kid back then and nuclear war was always in the back of my mind. When Gorbachev allowed the Berlin Wall to come down I breathed easier for the first time.

[dimitriosgrigoriadis]

I was 8 years old when this movie was shown on soviet tv. Still crying on this scene

[nikitapankratov]

I was born in USSR in late 70's, honestly we haven't had this kind of movies in cinemas, but a lot of documentaries and real pictures from Hiroshima were demostrated during special course of co called "civil safety" courses at scool. I remember how shocked and impressed I was, even having nightmares when I had 10-12 years. I do remember this constant feeling of possible eventual catastrophy. The problem is that we never saw the same deception of American people, which is a way of manipulation and artifical creation of enemy perception. I hope those who remember and understand that may make effort to reduce actual tension and progression to madness. We share same values of family and peaceful life, and we sould never forget that we have same uniqie home - Earth.

[JohnBlo]

In May 1987, this film was shown in the Soviet Union on the main TV channel, and I watched it with my parents. I was 11, and the details were remembered for a long time; this film was then perceived almost as a documentary.
And I’ll tell you what: no matter what they say about Gorbachev, his policies at least removed the fears of nuclear war for many years.

[dsnowman]

I was 8 years old. I remember watching this with my parents. It's affected me till this day. I was way too young to watch a movie like this

[jameslester]

The guy in the thumbnail is thinking, ”Well, at least I don’t have to worry about jury duty next week!”😂😂😂😂😂