Thriller,Drama
United States of America
Kimberly Wells, played by Jane Fonda, is a television reporter who is assigned to cover a story about alternative energy sources. While at a nuclear power plant with engineer Jack Godell (played by Jack Lemmon), they witness a near-meltdown that could have devastated a large area. However, when Wells tries to report on the incident, she is met with resistance from the nuclear power plant's management and other government officials who want to cover up the incident to protect the financial interests of the nuclear industry.
As Wells and Godell investigate further, they uncover a corrupt industry that is more concerned with profits than safety. The two find themselves in danger as they try to expose the truth about the nuclear accident. Meanwhile, a public relations executive named Bill Gibson (played by Michael Douglas) tries to manipulate the story to protect the nuclear industry's image.
The China Syndrome, released in 1979, was praised for its realistic portrayal of the dangers of nuclear power and the ethical considerations of the press. It was also one of the first films to deal with the potential consequences of a nuclear accident, years before the Chernobyl disaster and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. The movie received four Academy Award nominations, including Best Actor for Jack Lemmon, and won the Best Original Screenplay award.
