Residents of iconic cities like New York, Los Angeles or Chicago regularly get that warm, fuzzy close-to-home feeling when they see their city’s skyline or landmarks in motion pictures. The Day After, a made for television movie in 1983 doesn’t deliver on the warm fuzzies but is a unique watch for residents of the Lawrence and Kansas City area who rarely get to see their neighborhoods showcased.<\/p>\n
While this cautionary tale about the effects of nuclear war was a straight to TV feature and certainly was working with a lower budget, Director Nicholas Meyer was able to effectively tell an eerie narrative that became the highest-rated television film in history.<\/p>\n
The story is told from a handful of different characters’ perspectives. A doctor at the university hospital, students at the University of Kansas, a farm family outside of town and even a United States soldier. During the film you’re dropped in and out of these various storylines as tension builds surmounting in a nuclear attack.<\/p>\n
The bulk of the narrative contains the struggle of surviving during a nuclear winter and dealing with the dangerous fallout radiation. Don’t expect a story with a resolution that will provide you with that pressure-relieving exhale, as mentioned, this is certainly a cautionary tale.<\/p>\n
I don’t want to give the whole story away, so if you like you can watch it for yourself. It’s available on YouTube<\/a>! If you’re looking for more be sure to listen to my podcast where I analyze and review this film for Ad Astra Radio on KJHK.<\/p>\n